HISTORY  OF  THE 
DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

WILLIAM  T.  MOORE,  L  L.D. 

0  S) 


1 .2.^  .  f6 . 


PRINCETON,  N.  J.  *'^t^^ 


Purchased  by  the 
Mrs.  Robert  Lenox  Kennedy  Church  History  Fund. 


Division . .  4<  y\  /  W .  i  <^ 


.'iection.. 


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in  2014 


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A  COMPREHENSIVE  HISTORY 
OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


COMPREHENSIVE  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

Being  an  account  of  a  century's  effort  to  restore 
primitive  Christianity  in  its  Faith,  Djctrine,  and  Life 


BY 

WILLIAM  THOMAS  MOORE,  LL.D. 

Author  of  "  Preacher  Problems,"'  "  Supremacy  of  the  Heart  Life," 
"Man  Preparing  for  Other  Worlds," 
Etc.,  Etc. 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming   H.  Revell  Company 

London       and  .Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1909,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York  :  1 58  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago :  80  Wabash  Avenue 
Toronto  :  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London  :  2 1  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh  :   100  Princes  Street 


PREFACE 


The  following  pages  deal  with  a  movement  rather  than 
a  church  or  churches.  The  plea  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ 
is  much  more  comprehensive  than  that  of  any  religious 
denomination  that  existed  a  century  ago,  or  that  has  ex- 
isted since  that  time.  The  religious  awakening,  produced 
by  the  Campbells  and  those  associated  with  them,  affected 
more  or  less  the  whole  of  religious  society.  It  was  a  move 
on  the  strongholds  of  sectarianism,  and  a  high  call  to 
liberty  of  thought,  liberty  of  speech,  and  the  right  of 
individual  interpretation.  It  was,  first  of  all,  a  protest 
against  the  reign  of  priestcraft  and  religious  despotism. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  movement,  no  one  thought  much 
about  church  or  churches.  There  was  no  thought  at  all 
about  establishing  another  religious  denomination.  The 
primary  aim  was  to  break  down  the  walls  of  sectarianism 
and  give  freedom  in  Christ  Jesus  to  all  earnest  souls. 
From  this  point  of  view  it  was  practically  a  second  Protes- 
tantism. It  was  a  movement  on  Society,  and  its  aim  was 
to  reform  all  religious  denominations  so  as  to  bring  them 
into  harmony  with  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament 
Scriptures. 

But  it  was  even  more  than  this.  It  was  an  honest, 
hearty  plea  for  Christian  union.  It  affirmed  for  all  the 
children  of  God  the  right  to  differ  but  not  to  divide.  This 
has  always  been  a  fundamental  principle  with  the  Disciples 
from  the  day  the  great  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  was 
issued  by  the  "  Christian  Association  "  to  the  present  time. 
To  put  the  matter,  with  respect  to  religious  association 
and  fellowship,  in  mathematical  language,  the  Disciples 
have  always  contended  for  the  (greatest  possible  numerator 
with  the  least  possible  denominator;  or  the  greatest  pos- 
sible individual  liberty  with  the  least  possible  divisive  ele- 
ment. In  other  words,  they  have  made  very  much  of 
Christ  Himself,  as  the  foundation  of  the  Church  and  the 
basis  of  Christian  union,  but,  at  the  same  time,  they  have 
made  very  little  of  doctrines,  opinions,  and  human  creeds, 

V 


vi 


PREFACE 


which  divide  into  denominations,  and  thereby  weaken  the 
people  of  God  in  their  effort  to  take  the  world  for  Christ. 

During-  the  first  stages  of  the  movement  it  may  properly 
be  called  a  "  Reformation,"  for  at  that  time  its  ad- 
vocates sought  most  earnestly  to  reform  the  churches 
which  already  existed,  rather  than  to  organise  new 
churches  which  might  result  in  a  separate  religious  people. 

But  it  soon  became  apparent  that  these  earnest  men 
could  not  maintain  the  position  which  they  at  first  as- 
sumed. They  were  practically  driven  into  a  separate  or- 
ganisation, and  consequently  they  had  to  justify  their 
separate  position  by  contending  for  a  complete  restoration 
of  Apostolic  Christianity.  During  this  special  period, 
which  extended  from  about  the  year  1830  to  the  year  1870, 
the  movement  may  be  called  a  "  Restoration  movement," 
as  that  was  emphatically  the  chief  plea  made  during  the 
time  indicated. 

However,  about  the  year  1870,  following  closely  upon 
the  conclusion  of  the  Civil  War,  there  was  a  growing 
spirit  among  the  Disciples  of  "  Toleration  "  with  respect 
to  the  religious  denominations,  and  this  finally  showed  it- 
self distinctly  in  federation  with  these  denominations,  in 
so  far  as  there  were  points  of  agreement  between  these  de- 
nominations and  the  Disciples,  these  points  of  "  agree- 
ment "  furnishing  a  working  basis,  but  not  sufficient  for 
complete  organic  union.  Since  then,  there  has  been  a  dis- 
position to  seek  for  Christian  union  in  emphasising  these 
points  of  agreement  rather  i;han  the  points  of  difference. 

In  taking  this  important  step,  it  is  understood  that  the 
Disciples  have  not  given  up  any  distinctive  matter  for 
which  they  have  ever  contended,  but  that  they  have  simply 
changed  the  emphasis  with  respect  to  some  things,  about 
which  there  is  room  for  honest  difference  of  opinion. 
Meantime,  the  denominations  have  been  coming  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  main  position  of  the  Disciples.  In  short, 
there  has  been  an  approach  to  one  another,  and  thereby 
they  have  illustrated  what  Mr.  Campbell  meant  when  he 
said  "  approaches  are  better  than  reproaches."  When  he 
said  this,  he  was  arguing  against  a  sectarian  spirit  which 
seemed  to  possess  some  of  his  own  people;  and  this  sec- 
tarian spirit,  which  every  now  and  then  came  to  the  front 
among  the  Disciples  themselves,  was  one  of  the  things 


PREFACE 


vii 


that  Mr.  Campbell  used  all  of  his  power  to  suppress  dur- 
ing the  days  of  his  active  ministry. 

It  is  highly  probable  that  history  will  finally  affirm  that 
Alexander  Campbell,  more  than  any  other  man,  and 
the  Disciples,  more  than  any  other  religions  peo- 
ple, are  responsible  for  the  growing  sentiment  of 
Christian  union  which  prevails  in  many  of  the 
Churches  at  the  beginning  of  this  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury. For  a  time  Mr.  Campbell  was  compelled  to  deal 
vigorously  with  sectarianism,  and  in  doing  this  he  often 
gave  offence  to  even  those  who  in  most  things  believed 
with  him,  but  who  nevertheless  thought  that  his  unmerci- 
ful attacks  were  ill-advised,  and  frequently  without  justifi- 
cation. Nor  is  it  necessary  now  to  defend  all  he  said,  es- 
pecially in  the  days  of  the  Christian  Baptist.  Still,  his 
words  cannot  be  properly  weighed  without  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  actual  condition  of  things  that  existed  at 
that  time.  Even  Mr.  Jeter,  in  his  "  Campbellism  Exam- 
ined," half  apologises  for  Mr.  Campbell's  unmerciful  flag- 
ellation of  the  sects  in  the  following  language: 

"  That  a  Reformation  was  needed  by  the  Christian  sects 
of  that  time  none,  who  possesses  a  tolerable  acquaintance 
with  their  condition,  and  the  claims  of  the  Gospel,  will 
deny.  .  .  .  Among  the  Baptist  churches  there  were  some 
sad  evils.  In  parts  of  the  countrj^,  the  churches  were  in- 
fected with  an  antinomian  spirit,  and  blighted  by  a  heart- 
less, speculative,  hair-splitting  orthodoxy.  These  churches 
were  mostly  penurious,  opposed  to  Christian  Missions, 
and  all  enlarged  plans  and  self-denying  efforts  for  pro- 
moting the  cause  of  Christ.  In  general,  the  careful  study 
of  the  Scriptures,  the  religious  education  of  children,  the 
proper  observance  of  the  Lord's  Day,  a  wholesome,  scrip- 
tural discipline,  the  reasonable  support  of  pastors,  and  in 
fine,  devotion  to  the  Redeemer's  cause,  were  too  much 
neglected." 

Undoubtedly  the  spirit  of  Mr.  Campbell  became  less 
belligerent  as  he  grew  older,  and  as  there  appeared  less 
and  less  need  for  the  methods  which  he  used  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Disciple  movement. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  he  constantly  contended 
that  the  walls  of  spiritual  Jerusalem  could  not  be  rebuilt 
until  they  were  cleared  of  the  rubbish  which  had  aceumu- 


viii 


PREFACE 


lated  on  them  during  the  reign  of  the  apostasy,  and  conse- 
quently, while  he  kept  the  trowel  in  one  hand,  he  held  the 
sword  in  the  other,  as  Nehemiah  and  his  workmen  did 
when  rebuilding  the  walls  of  temporal  Jerusalem.  Never- 
theless, it  must  be  conceded,  by  all  who  are  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Campbell's  whole  advocacy,  that  he  was  always 
willing  to  meet  every  overture  for  Christian  union,  even 
more  than  half  way.  While  he  would  never  listen  to  any 
compromise  of  truth,  he  was  always  willing  to  compromise 
within  the  truth,  as  far  as  this  could  be  done  without  in- 
jury to  the  truth  itself.  In  short,  he  was  the  very  embodi- 
ment of  the  "unity  of  the  spirit,"  as  it  breathes  every- 
where in  the  New  Testament  Scriptures.  But,  having 
pledged  himself  to  stand  by  these  Scriptures,  it  was  simply 
impossible  for  him  to  listen  to  any  plea  for  union  that 
could  not  be  supported  by  the  plain  teaching  of  the  Word 
of  God. 

Of  course  there  are  those  who  contend  that  if  he  had 
paid  less  attention  to  the  rubbish  on  the  walls,  and  more 
attention  to  simply  the  material  he  was  putting  into  the 
walls,  his  advocacy  would  have  produced  less  friction  and 
might  have  reached  better  results.  This  is  doubtful.  It  is 
easy  to  say  what  might  have  been,  but  when  all  the  facts 
are  taken  into  consideration,  it  is  impossible  to  believe 
otherwise  than  that  Alexander  Campbell  was  a  man  of 
providence,  and  that  his  whole  career  was  under  the  di- 
rection of  divine  wisdom;  and  that  being  so,  it  is  well  to 
be  careful  about  adverse  criticisms,  as  these  might  place 
us  in  the  position  of  fighting  against  God. 

There  are  altogether  too  many  extraordinary  incidents 
and  conjunctions  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Campbell,  and  in  the 
religious  movement  of  which  he  was  the  distinguished 
leader,  to  believe  that  these  can  be  accounted  for  by  the 
ordinary  laws  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  It  seems 
more  reasonable  to  admit  the  element  of  Providence  in 
these  things  than  to  undertake  an  explanation  which  prac- 
tically eliminates  God  and  seeks  for  a  solution  in  the  or- 
dinary course  of  natural  laws.  Nor  can  this  apparently 
wise  conclusion  be  set  aside  by  the  arrogant  ipse  dixit  of 
Rationalism.  We  are  accustomed  to  the  wave  of  its  im- 
perious hand,  but  we  are  not  always  frightened  into  obedi- 
ence by  it,  since  we  have  learned  that  many  of  its  ex- 
planations of  apparent  difficulties  do  not  really  explain  at 


PREFACE 


ix 


all,  and  even  when  they  have  a  semblance  of  reason  in 
them  they  are  beset  by  many  more  and  greater  difficulties 
than  those  which  are  met  in  the  Christian  solution. 

Doubtless  this  same  oracle  would  explain  the  appear- 
ance of  the  "  Monitor  "  in  Hampton  Roads,  at  precisely  the 
crucial  moment,  when  the  "  Merrimac  "  was  beginning  the 
destruction  of  the  fleet  there,  as  simply  the  result  of 
natural  laws,  as  we  understand  them.  Furthermore,  these 
same  wise  men  would  probably  tell  us  it  was  purely  acci- 
dental that  Moses  was  saved  by  the  ark  of  bulrushes  which 
his  mother  had  prepared  for  him,  and  that  there  was  no 
providential  guidance  in  the  fact  that  his  own  mother  was 
selected  as  his  nurse.  They  would  also  require  us  to  be- 
lieve that  the  finding  of  the  keys  to  the  Babylonian  cuni- 
form  inscriptions  and  the  Egyptian  hieroglyphics,  at  ex- 
actly the  same  time  when  the  records  of  the  past  were  most 
needed  to  support  the  testimony  of  the  Bible,  had  no  con- 
nection whatever  with  any  providential  guidance,  but  was 
simply  the  result  of  the  ordinary  course  of  things.  But 
such  an  explanation  is  wholly  unsatisfactory  to  any  but 
superficial  thinkers  or  depraved  hearts.  We  must  dis- 
count either  our  heads  or  our  hearts  before  we  can  be- 
lieve that  the  hand  of  God  was  not  in  these  transactions. 
Equally  certain  may  we  be  of  the  providential  guidance 
with  respect  to  the  conjunction  of  many  other  events. 
Christ  visited  this  earth  at  exactly  the  time  it  was  ready 
for  him.  Luther  began  his  reformation  at  precisely  the 
supreme  moment.    The  age  was  waiting  for  him. 

Likewise,  we  see  the  Restoration  Movement  of  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ  was  the  answer  of  a  providential  call  for 
a  new  religious  day  to  begin  with  the  ushering  in  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century.  America  was  the  country  where  the 
new  day  had  to  dawn,  and  where  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 
had  to  rise  with  healing  in  his  beams.  America  is  on  the 
road  to  the  conquest  of  the  nations;  it  is  the  continent 
where  the  Christian  forces  must  be  organised  for  the  great 
and  final  forward  movement  to  evangelise  the  countries 
lying  Westward  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
But  America,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Nineteenth  Cen- 
tury, was  a  religious  wilderness,  and  much  rough  work 
had  to  be  done  before  the  people  could  be  made  ready  for 
the  day  of  "  sweetness  and  light,"  a  day  which  finally  did 


X 


PREFACE 


come  at  exactly  the  time  when  it  was  most  needed  and 
when  it  could  be  most  effective  in  conquering  the  world 
for  Christ. 

It  is  only  in  the  light  of  such  a  view  as  this  that  the 
Disciple  movement  can  be  intelligibly  interpreted.  It  was 
not  an  accidental  force,  moving  on  the  confusions  of 
Christendom,  without  any  intelligent  direction,  but  as 
clearly  a  providential  interposition  in  religious  develop- 
ment as  was  the  Lutheran  Reformation,  or  any  other  great 
movement  in  the  history  of  Christianity.  At  first  America 
was  a  religious  battlefield,  and  the  Disciple  movement  was 
necessarily  a  fighting  movement,  and  Mr.  Campbell  was  a 
great  warrior. 

But,  however  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that,  after  Mr. 
Campbell's  death,  the  spirit  of  conciliation  became  more 
and  more  distinctly  a  factor  with  the  Disciples,  and 
finally  received  marked  emphasis  during  the  stage  of 
"  Toleration,"  the  spirit  by  which  the  present  day  is  char- 
acterised. 

Looked  at  from  the  beginning  to  the  present  time,  there 
appear  to  be  comprehended  in  the  movement,  not  only 
three  well-defined  chronological  periods,  viz.,  the  Creative, 
the  Chaotic,  and  the  Reconstruction  periods;  but  also 
three  distinct  stages  in  the  development  come  clearly  into 
view.  These  stages  may  be,  not  inappropriately,  named 
respectively,  the  Reformation  stage,  the  Restoration  stage, 
and  the  Toleration  stage.  Consequently,  the  following 
generalisation,  with  proper  sub-divisions,  will  help  the 
reader  to  understand  the  progressive  development  of  the 
movement  for  the  hundred  years  of  its  existence: 


I.  Reformation. 

(a)  Idealisation. 

(b)  Hesitation. 

(c)  Investigation. 

(d)  Realisation. 


II.  Restoration. 

(a)  Separation. 

(b)  Justification. 

(c)  Evangelisation. 

(d)  Organisation. 


III.  Toleration. 

(a)  Tribulation. 

(b)  Education. 

(c)  Cooperation. 

(d)  Federation. 


PREFACE 


xi 


It  will  be  seen  that  the  sub-divisions  in  this  programme 
clearly  indicate  the  different  steps  in  the  line  of  progress. 
The  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  gives  us  a  splendid  ideal. 
Soon  it  was  felt  that  the  Christian  world  was  not  prepared 
for  this  ideal,  and  consequently  there  followed  a  time  of 
considerable  hesitation  as  to  what  the  next  step  should 
be.  This  led  to  prayerful  investigation  with  respect  to 
the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures,  and  this  was  followed  by  a 
realisation  that  some  definite  position  had  to  be  taken, 
as  the  Christian  world  did  not  seem  willing  to  listen  to 
the  plea  for  "  Reformation."  The  "  Restoration  "  move- 
ment began  in  a  separation  from  the  Baptists  and  a  justi- 
fication of  this  separation.  This  was  followed  by  a  re- 
markable success  in  evangelisation,  and  this,  by  the 
organisation  of  the  American  Christian  Missionary 
Society,"  with  other  important  steps  in  the  matter  of  or- 
ganisation. Then  came  the  period  of  "  Toleration."  This 
period  began  with  the  tribulation  of  the  Civil  War.  This 
war  settled  several  things,  and  among  the  things  it  settled 
was  that  differences  must  not  be  emphasised  so  as  to  ob- 
scure the  great  points  of  agreement.  Education  became  a 
prominent  feature  of  the  Disciple  movement  soon  after 
the  war,  while  co-operation  in  missionary  work,  through 
the  various  societies  which  had  their  birth  when  the  war 
closed,  helped  to  emphasise  the  spirit  of  charity  towards 
the  denominations,  which  had  already  begun  to  manifest 
itself  in  a  much  more  definite  way  than  it  had  done  in  the 
past  history  of  the  Disciples.  Finally,  the  Disciples  are 
now  engaged  in  the  Federation  movement,  and  this  is  help- 
ing them  to  leaven  the  religious  world  with  the  principles 
of  Christian  union  for  which  they  have  always  contended. 

It  is  perfectly  true  that  not  a  few  Disciples  are  still 
hesitating  about  taking  part  in  this  Federation  movement, 
for  the  reason  that  they  are  fearful  it  is  more  or  less  a 
surrender  of  the  definite  plea  which  they  have  always 
made.  But  this  has  been  the  cry  of  the  extreme  right 
wing  of  the  Disciple  movement  in  every  step  of  progress 
that  has  been  made.  These  controversialists  have  always 
protested  against  going  forward;  but  all  the  same,  the 
Disciple  hosts  have  continued  to  march  toward  the  great 
goal  of  ultimate  triumph  for  their  cause.  Even  the  fric- 
tion among  themselves,  in  the  long  run,  has  been  advan- 


zii 


PREFACE 


tageous  to  their  religious  movement.  It  has  stimulated 
activity;  it  has  awakened  interest;  more  than  all,  it  has 
compelled  the  Disciples  to  study  the  Scriptures,  as  these 
have  always  been  the  sources  of  final  appeal. 

Of  course,  it  is  no  part  of  the  writer  of  the  pages  which 
follow  to  decide  definitely  whether  the  Disciples  have  al- 
ways been  wise  or  unwise  with  respect  to  the  steps  they 
have  taken  in  making  their  history.  But  it  is  his  duty 
to  record  faithfully  what  he  sees  in  that  history,  and 
this  is  all  that  is  claimed  for  the  generalisation  which  has 
just  been  given. 

In  the  narration  of  events,  the  chronological  order  has 
been  followed  as  far  as  this  could  be  done  conveniently; 
but  in  a  few  cases,  the  matter  under  consideration  has 
been  carried  forward,  without  a  break,  to  the  present 
time.  It  was  felt  that  the  chronological  order  has  its  dis- 
advantages as  well  as  its  advantages.  But  upon  the  whole, 
it  was  thought  to  be  the  better  plan  to  pursue.  This  plan 
enables  the  reader  to  consider  the  facts  of  history  in  the 
order  of  their  occurrence,  and  will  generally  be  a  con- 
venient help  in  tracing  the  relation  of  these  events  to  one 
another. 

Some  will,  no  doubt,  object  to  the  use  of  the  term 
"  Disciple  "  as  an  adjective.  But  this  is  done  only  for 
historical  convenience.  Nevertheless,  I  have  little  sym- 
pathy with  this  objection;  and  less,  if  possible,  with  those 
men  who  insist  on  always  spelling  Disciple  with  a  little  d. 
These  men  cannot  be  reckoned  with  except  from  the  point 
of  view  of  charity  for  their  extreme  narrowness.  Some  of 
these  are  fitly  described  in  the  following  lines: 

They  mint,  anise  and  cummin  fondly  tithe, 
But  weighty  matters  make  them  squirm  and  writhe; 
They  strain  out  gnats  from  their  religious  creeds. 
Then  swallow  camels  as  regards  tlieir  deeds. 

The  character  sketches  have  been  mainly  confined  to  the 
people  who  have  passed  to  their  rewards.  It  would  have 
been  pleasing  to  the  writer,  if  possible,  to  comprehend  in 
the  sketches  the  names  of  those  now  living  who  de- 
serve a  prominent  place  in  the  history.  But  it  was  not 
possible.   This  has  been  left  for  other  historians  to  do  in 


PREFACE 


xiii 


the  coming  years.  In  a  few  instances,  where  it  seemed  ab- 
solutely necessary,  something  has  been  said  as  to  the  char- 
acter and  life  of  those  who  are  still  living.  But 
the  reader  will  see  that  there  is  justification  for  this,  and 
therefore  no  invidious  distinction  was  intended  to  be 
made. 

One  feature,  it  is  believed,  will  commend  itself  to  every 
Disciple  of  Christ.  All  the  histories  of  the  movement,  so 
far  as  they  have  come  under  my  notice,  have  been  confined 
mainly,  if  not  exclusively,  to  preachers  and  educators,  as 
the  promoters  of  the  movement.  In  this  volume  will  be 
found,  grouped  together,  the  names  of  very  many  business 
men  who  have  furnished  the  sinews  of  war,  while  others 
have  led  the  army.  It  is  believed  that  these  generous 
helpers  ought,  at  least,  to  have  their  names  mentioned  in 
the  history  of  the  Disciples.  It  would  have  been  an  im- 
possible task  to  secure  all  the  names  worthy  of  mention; 
consequently,  many  will  doubtless  be  disappointed  in  find- 
ing that  certain  noble  names  have  been  omitted.  The  list 
that  is  given  is  the  result  of  considerable*  correspondence 
with  the  best  informed  men  in  different  sections  of  the 
country,  and  if  the  list  is  not  complete,  it  should  be  judged 
according  to  the  facts  already  stated. 

During  the  preparation  of  this  volume  I  have  had  the  as- 
sistance of  so  many  persons  that  it  is  simply  impossible 
to  even  recount  their  names.  For  all  this  help  I  am  pro- 
foundly grateful.  But  for  superintending  the  supply  of 
illustrations,  for  proofreading  and  other  important  help, 
I  certainly  ought  to  acknowledge  the  very  great  assistance 
I  have  received  from  my  son,  Paul  Moore,  Assistant  Editor 
of  the  Christian  Evangelist,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

The  author  of  this  volume  has  been  gathering  material 
and  studying  the  same  for  more  than  forty  years,  with  a 
view  to  writing  a  history  of  the  Disciples.  He  feels  pro- 
foundly grateful  to  his  Heavenly  Father  that  his  life  has 
been  spared,  and  that  opportunities  have  been  afforded  to 
pi'oduce  this  work,  which,  though  onerous  in  some  re- 
spects, has,  nevertheless,  been  a  labour  of  love. 

He  wishes  to  state  also  that  in  the  preparation  of  the 
volume  he  has  sought,  as  far  as  possible,  to  let  the  actors 
in  the  great  movement  tell  the  story  of  its  progress.  This 
will  account  for  numerous  and  somewhat  extended  quo- 


xiv 


PREFACE 


tations  from  the  writings  of  the  men  who  have  been  the 
leaders  from  the  beginning  to  the  present  time.  Some  of 
these  leaders  have  received  more  attention  than  others, 
simply  because  what  they  have  said  or  done  was  regarded 
as  of  more  importance  in  setting  forth  the  progress  of  the 
movement. 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTORY 


History  providence  illustrated — Several  causes  leading  up  to  an 
effect — Most  discoveries  may  be  traced  to  several  causes,  and  usu- 
ally several  persons  make  the  same  discovery  about  the  same  time; 
this  shows  that  everything  is  perfecting  according  to  a  great 
plan — The  Campbellian  Reformation  had  its  origin  in  several 
different  causes — The  plea  of  the  Campbells  was  a  plea  for  an  in- 
telligent understanding  of  the  Word  of  God — The  time  was 
propitious  for  the  introduction  of  this  plea;  the  place  where  the 
plea  was  presented  was  suitable ;  the  men  were  trained  for  the  work 
they  undertook  to  do — God's  men  are  always  trained  for  their 
work — America  lies  on  the  road  to  the  conversion  of  the  world — 
Progress  is  always  more  or  less  westward;  never  permanently 
eastward — Christianity  started  in  Palestine;  it  has  travelled  west- 
ward ever  since;  when  the  countries  lying  west  of  America  have 
been  converted  then  the  work  will  have  been  accomplished — The 
battle  of  Armageddon  will  be  fought  somewhere  between  America 
and  Palestine,, probably  in  Japan  or  China;  it  may  not  be  a  battle 
on  the  tented  field,  but  it  will  be  a  contest  where  the  victory  will 
be  on  the  side  of  Christ  and  His  religion — What  are  known  as 
Oriental  religions  make  their  progress  eastward;  they  do  not  and 
never  have  permanently  made  progress  westward — America  has 
been  influenced  by  two  streams  of  civilisation,  one  from  Plymouth 
Rock,  and  the  other  from  Jamestown;  the  two  streams  coalescing 
make  the  finest  civilisation  the  world  has  ever  seen;  this  coal- 
escence takes  place  in  the  Mississippi  Valley — These  conclusions 
strongly  supported  by  prophecy  already  fulfilled — The  reforma- 
tions under  Luther,  Calvin,  and  Wesley  were  essential  to  the 
Campbellian  Reformation — Antecedent  facts  in  history  must 
be  studied  to  understand  present  conditions;  we  must  study 
the  development  of  the  earth  physically,  in  order  to  understand 
moral  and  religious  movements — Tliree  periods  in  its  development, 
namely:  the  Creative,  the  Chaotic,  and  the  Organic  or  Recon- 
structive periods;  these  three  periods  are  marked  distinctly  in 
the  Reformation  inaugurated  by  the  Campbells — It  has  had  its 
Creative  period,  its  Chaotic  period,  and  its  Reconstructive  period; 
the  last  of  which  is  still  continued — Progress  is  never  in  straight 
lines;  this  looks  discouraging,  but  it  is  the  only  way  that  any 
permanent  progress  can  be  made — The  countries  lying  west  of  us 
are  still  to  be  conquered  for  Christ — America  is  the  place  where 
the  army  must  be  trained  to  do  its  great  work — The  union  of 
the  Christian  forces  in  America  will  make  short  work  of  heathen- 
dom whenever  that  union  is  effected — The  Disciples  of  Christ 
occupy  a  favorable  position  with  respect  to  this  great  work — 
Some  of  the  main  features  of  their  contention — They  contend  for 
(1)  a  scriptural  Bibliology,  (2)  a  scriptural  Theology,  (3)  a 
scriptural  Christology,  (4)  a  scriptural  Pneumatology,  (5)  a 
scriptural  Anthropology,  (6)  a  scriptural  Soteriology,  (7)  a  scrip- 
tural Ecclesiology — Some  of  the  reasons  why  the  plea  has  met 
with  such  singal  success:  (1)  Its  scripturalness,  (2)  its  reason- 
ableness, (3)  its  great  simplicity,  (4)  its  comprehensiveness,  (5)  (19-96) 

1 


2 


CONTENTS 


its  unit}',  (6)  its  consistency,  (7)  its  practicability,  (8)  its  con- 
servatism, (9)  its  liberalism,  (10)  its  progressive  character,  (11) 
the  infallibility  which  it  assures,  (12)  the  unsectarianism  of  the 
plea — It  seeks  for  the  union  of  all  God's  people;  it  provides  a 
scriptural,  reasonable,  and  workable  platform  for  this  union;  it 
makes  Love  the  essential  atmosphere  for  the  cultivation  of  the 
spirit  which  will  bring  about  this  union  ....  ... 


CHAPTER  I 

The  Creative  Period — the  Campbells 

Thomas  Campbell — His  birth,  training,  and  early  ministry — Evi- 
dently a  providential  man — Some  facts  of  his  early  training — 
Belonged  to  a  Presbj'terian  body  called  Seceders — Experiences  with 
respect  to  Christian  union — Leaves  Ireland  for  America — Is  dis- 
appointd  in  his  new  religious  environment — Finds  sectariansim 
strongly  entrenched  in  the  LTnited  States  and  labours  earnestly  to 
improve  conditions — Has  trouble  with  his  Presbytery — Finally 
forms  the  "  Christian  Association  " — This  was  not  intended  to  be 
a  church,  nor  was  it  intended  to  form  another  denomination; 
object  simply  to  bring  Christians  together  with  a  view  to 
Christian  union — The  injustice  of  the  censure  of  Presbytery  and 
his  appeal  to  the  Synod — Finally  separates  from  the  Seceders — 
His  withdrawal  did  not  hinder  his  earnest  efforts  in  preaching  the 
Gospel — Assembles  his  friends  and  neighbours  together;  makes  an 
impassioned  and  wonderful  speech,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  his 
great  dictum  "  Where  the  Scriptures  speak  we  speak,  and  where 
the  Scriptures  are  silent  we  are  silent,"  was  uttered — This  sentence 
became  the  slogan  of  the  Disciple  movement — Infant  Baptism  not 
considered  at  this  time;  Thomas  Campbell  did  not  think  at  first 
of  giving  up  infant  baptism — The  great  "  Declaration  and  Ad- 
dress" written — An  analysis  of  this  document      .      .     ,.,     ,.  97-120 


CHAPTER  II 

The  Chaotic  Period — Its  Beginninq 

Thomas  Campbell  disappointed  in  the  reception  which  his  Address 
received — Sectarianism  more  strongly  fortified  than  he  supposed — 
Finally  applies  to  the  Synod  of  Pittsburg  for  membership  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church — The  Synod  rejects  his  application — His 
son,  Alexander,  arrives  in  America  and  reads  the  proof  sheets  of  his 
father's  great  "  Declaration  and  Address  " — How  he  regarded  his 
father's  movement — His  religious  views — The  Christian  Associa- 
tion finds  itself  cut  off  from  sympathy — A  church  is  organised  at 
Brush  Run — No  purpose  of  the  movement  to  form  a  new  religious 
body — Reformation  was  the  watchword  at  this  time — The  aim  to 
unite  all  Christians — Alexander  Campbell  prepares  for  his  great 
work;  his  training  in  Scotland — He  immediately  threw  himself 
into  his  father's  plans;  they  work  heartily  together,  Alexander 
defending  his  father  in  his  controversy  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church — Alexander's  account  of  this  period  in  his  own  language 
— His  great  Address  on  the  principles  involved — He  was  influenced 
to  some  extent  by  the  Haldanean  Reformation  in  Scotland — His 
father  opposed  to  controversy,  but  Alexander  felt  compelled  to 
meet  the  opposition  made  to  his  father's  great  plea — The  Lord's 
Supper  observed  the  day  the  church  was  organised  at  Brush  Run — 
Alexander  becomes  the  hero  of  the  hour,  and  is  ever  afterwards 
regarded  as  the  chief  leader  of  the  movement  121-136 


pages 


19-96 


CONTENTS 


3 


CHArXER  III 
A  New  Depaktuke  and  New  Friexds 

PAGES 

Alexander  Campbell's  marriage  and  removal  to  Bethan3%  Virginia 
— Description  of  Bethany — Alexander  considers  the  question  of 
Infant  Baptism;  reads  everything  he  can  find  in  favour  of  it; 
finally  concludes  it  is  unauthorised  by  the  Word  of  God — His 
mvn  account  of  his  change  of  views — Finally  is  immersed;  at  the 
same  time  his  father,  mother,  and  others  follow  his  example — • 
This  new  departure  caused  some  of  his  friends  to  go  back — Finally 
becomes  identified  practically  with  the  Baptists — A  modern  view 
of  Infant  Baptism;  arguments  pro  and  con — In  uniting  with  the 
Baptists  the  church  at  Brush  Run  stipulated  for  religious  freedom 
— The  action  alienated  Pedo-Baptists — Mr.  Campbell's  opinion 
of  the  Baptists — His  own  account  of  these  stirring  events — His 
union  with  the  Baptists  was  advantageous  in  some  respects, 
though  to  his   disadvantage   in  others  137-157 


CHAPTER  IV 

New  Friends  Become  Enemies 

For  a  time  the  union  with  the  Baptists  worked  well — Contentions 
began  to  arise — Some  of  the  main  differences  ( 1 )  as  regards  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  (2)  as  regards  the  difference  between 
the  Old  Testament  and  the  New,  (3)  as  respects  ordination  and 
authority  of  ministers,  (4)  they  differed  as  regards  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Lord's  Supper,  ( 5 )  they  differed  in  respect  to  the 
design  of  baptism,  ((>)  they  differed  with  respect  to  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity,  ( 7 )  they  differed  on  the  subject  of  "  Christian 
Experience " — Plan  to  exclude  Mr.  Campbell  from  the  Redstone 
Baptist  Association — The  church  at  Wellsburg  founded — Mr. 
Campbell  and  others  join  this  church  and  then  join  the  Mahoning 
Association  of  Ohio — How  he  foiled  his  Baptist  persecutors — His 
sermon  on  The  Law  the  occasion  for  Baptist  opposition — This 
sermon  a  turning  point  in  the  Disciple  movement — Mr.  Campbell's 
own  account  of  these  transactions — His  debate  with  Reverend 
John  Walker;  at  first  Mr.  Campbell  opposed  to  debate — Starts 
the  Christian  Baptist ;  extracts  from  the  preface  of  the  first  num- 
ber; its  aim  wholly  unsectarian — A  change  of  battleground  from 
Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  to  Ohio  and  Kentucky — Creed  of 
the  Mahoning  Association — Meeting  of  the  ISIahoning  Association 
at  Canfield,  Ohio — Mr.  Campbell's  visit  to  the  Western  Reserve  158-177 


CHAPTER  V 

Walter  Scott  and  the  New  Doctrine  of  Baptism 

Meeting  of  the  Mahoning  Association  at  New  Lisbon,  Ohio — 
\\'alter  Scott  appointed  evangelist — Mr.  Campbell's  two  arguments 
in  opposition  to  Infant  Baptism;  these  made  in  his  debates  with 
Mr.  Walker  and  Mr.  McCalla— The  Baptists  applauded  him  while 
he  used  these  arguments  against  the  Pedo-Ba[)tists,  but  when 
he  maintained  substantially  the  same  position  in  his  great  sermon 
on  The  Law,  they  sought  to  exclude  him  from  their  Association — 
Walter  Scott  made  a  practical  application  of  Mr.  Campbell's  view 
of  the  design  of  baptism;  he  sliowed  how  great  a  help  it  was  in 
evangelistic  work;  it  made  the  place  and  time  of  pardon  a  definite 


4 


CONTENTS 


reality — Scott's  generalisation  of  the  scheme  of  redemption — His 
stj'le  of  preaching  adapted  to  the  people,  and  they  heard  him 
gladly — Other  strong  men  came  into  the  movement — An  incident 
concerning  the  teaching  on  the  subject  of  baptism    ....  178-191 


CHAPTER  VI 

ScBiPTUKAL  Meaning  of  Baptism 

The  reformers  shamefully  misrepresented — They  confine  their 
teaching  to  scriptural  language — The  main  difficulty  was  in  the 
meaning  of  the  word  "  Regeneration  " ;  they  never  taught  the  doc- 
trine of  "  baptismal  regeneration  "  as  regeneration  is  understood 
in  popular  theology — One  of  their  writers  published  a  book  in 
which  Baptismal  Regeneration  is  declared  to  be  the  fundamental 
error  of  Christendom — Mr.  Campbell's  views  concerning  the  whole 
subject  of  the  sinner's  return  to  God — As  Mr.  Campbell  became 
better  understood  his  views  were  accepted  by  not  a  few  intelligent 
Baptist  theologians — The  doctrine  of  bajjtismal  remission  capable 
of  abuse;  it  was  sometimes  abused  by  Disciple  preachers — A 
modern  view  of  the  whole  matter — Two  extremes  have  been  taught 
on  this  subject;  one  makes  too  much  of  baptism;  the  other  makes 
too  little  of  it;  the  truth  lies  between  these  two  extremes,  and 
that  is  the  position  of  the  Disciples  at  the  present  day — An  illus- 
tration as  to  the  place  which  baptism  properly  occupies  in  the 
scheme  of  redemption  192-211 


CHAPTER  VII 

Separation  of  Baptists  and  Disciples 

Contention  between  Baptists  and  Disciples  becoming  acute — The 
Baptists  at  this  time  hyper-Calvinistic;  the  Disciples  though 
Calvinistic  did  not  believe  in  making  opinionism  the  test  of 
fellowship — All  divisive  doctrines  eliminated  from  their  platform 
• — All  this  time  the  Campbells  were  aiming  at  a  reformation, 
seeking  the  imion  of  Christians,  as  indicated  in  the  great  Declara- 
tion and  Address — The  Christian  Baptist  discontinued  and  Mil- 
lennial Harbinger  started — A  new  era  inaugurated — The  Disciples 
driven  to  a  separate  position — They  now  reach  the  period  when 
they  have  to  defend  their  position — The  Christian  world  against 
them — Mr.  Campbell's  preface  to  the  first  number  of  the  Millennial 
Harbinger — The  three  ages,  the  starlight,  the  moonlight,  and  the 
sunlight  age — How  the  church  at  Bethany,  W.  Va.,  was  founded — 
Other  churches  prominent  in  the  new  movement — Origin  and  de- 
velopment of  the  church  in  Cincinnati — The  church  at  Warren, 
Ohio  and  its  first  pastor,  Adamson  Bentley  212-231 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Stone  Movement 

The  reformation  in  Kentucky  led  by  Barton  Warren  Stone — 
A  sketch  of  his  early  religious  experiences — His  union  with  the 
Presbyterian  church — Difficulties  with  the  Confession  of  Faith — 
His  preaching  at  Cane  Ridge  and  Concord,  in  Kentucky — Strange 
religious  experiences — Stone's  description  of  the  great  excitement 
at  the  beginning  of  the  19tli  Century — The  "  Jerks  "  investigated 


CONTENTS 


5 


by  John  Rogers,  Mr.  Stone's  biographer;  his  opinion  with  respect 
to  these  exercises — Withdrawal  from  Lexington  (  Ky. )  Synod — 
Formation  of  the  Springfield  Presbytery — Publication  of  "  The 
Last  Will  and  Testament  of  the  Springfield  Presbytery  " — The 
effect  of  this  document  electrical — Mr.  Stone's  account  of  some 
of  the  struggles  through  which  he  passed ;  some  of  his  men  went 
back — The  Stone  movement  entitled  to  more  credit  than  it  has 
usually  received — Campbell  and  Stone  met  in  1824 — Some  great 
churches  planted  in  Kentucky  and  Ohio  


CHAPTER  IX 

Union  of  "  Refoemeks  "  and  "  Christians  " 

Reformers  were  those  who  were  specially  associated  with  the 
Campbells;  Christians  were  those  who  were  specially  associated 
with  Stone — Both  movements  had  practically  the  same  end  in  view, 
namely,  the  union  of  Christians;  they  differed  in  some  respects — 
These  differences  were  not  even  discussed  in  the  union  which  was 
formed — Meeting  for  union  at  Lexington  in  1832 — The  Christian 
Messenger,  edited  by  B.  W.  Stone  at  Georgetown,  Ky.,  influen- 
tial in  the  union  movement;  difference  between  the  two  bodies 
mainly  on  the  subject  of  the  Trinity  and  with  respect  to  baptism; 
the  union  beneficial  to  both  bodies;  it  strongly  illustrated  the 
practicability  of  the  position  advocated  by  the  Disciples — The 
union  made  permanent  in  1835 — John  Smith  and  John  Rogers 
appointed  evangelists  to  visit  the  churches  of  both  Reformers  and 
Christians  in  order  to  make  the  union  permanent — Smith's  great 
address  to  the  churches — what  Rogers  had  to  say  about  the  matter 
— Both  admit  that  the  baptismal  question  was  not  discussed  and 
that  there  were  still  a  few  who  had  not  been  immersed — Certain 
drawbacks  and  advantages  of  the  union — The  Christians  were  not 
Unitarians,  nor  did  the  Reformers  make  their  Trinitarian  notions 
a  test  of  fellowship — Mr.  Campbell's  statement  with  regard 
to  his  Trinitarian  views — Tests  of  fellowship  must  not  be  made 
out  of  opinions — Christian  union  can  never  be  effected  until  all 
tests  are  fused  in  the  crucible  of  Love   251-276 


CHAPTER  X 

Some  of  the  Men  in  the  Union 

A  remarkable  class  of  men  brought  together — These  were  de- 
veloped in  the  atmosphere  of  war — It  was  an  age  of  contention  and 
a  battlefield  on  every  side — A  list  of  some  of  the  heroes — The  great 
success  of  Scott's  preaching  in  the  Western  Reserve — Dr.  Robert 
Richardson  comes  into  the  movement — A  character  sketch  of  him; 
his  great  ability  and  worth;  Mr.  Campbell's  right-hand  man — 
William  Hayden  a  great  evangelist — What  he  was  to  Ohio,  John  T. 
Johnson  was  to  Kentucky — John  Henry  a  great  Ohio  evangelist; 
anecdote  concerning  him  and  Thomas  Campbell — Thomas  M.  Allen, 
an  old-school  gentleman;  incident  with  respect  to  his  preaching — 
The  Creaths  in  the  movement — z\ylett  Raines  joins  the  movement; 
an  account  of  his  conversion;  a  sketch  of  his  character;  his  case 
important  as  showing  the  practical  character  of  the  movement; 
it  shows  how  there  can  be  unity  of  faith  with  difference  of 
opinion — Professor  Charles  Loos's  view  with  respect  to  the  Union  277-299 


6 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XI 
Apostasies  and  Other  Difficulties 

PAGES 

Rise  of  the  Mormon  delusion — Spaiilding's  book — Sidney  Rigdon 
the  real  founder  of  !Mormonisni ;  he  was  well  equipped  for  the  work 
he  undertook — Mr.  Campbell's  vifjorous  attack  on  Mormonism — 
He  visits  the  Western  Reserve — W  hy  the  Disciples  resisted  the 
delusion — Excitement  about  the  Millennium — Mr.  Campbell  writes 
essays  over  the  pseudonym  of  '"A  Reformed  Clergyman";  these 
essa.ys  make  a  decided  impression;  they  were  in  review  of  essays 
by  S.  M.  McCorkle — Mr.  Campbell's  position  on  the  jNlillennial 
period  not  very  clearly  defined — The  fundamental  watchword  of 
the  Disciples  was  "  Liberty  to  difler  but  not  to  divide  " — Trouble 
about  the  name;  IMr.  Campbell  prefers  "Disciples  of  Christ," 
Mr.  Stone  the  name  ''  Christians  ";  a  compromise  effected  by  adopt- 
ing any  or  all  the  names  in  the  Xew  Testament — Action  of  the 
St.  Louis  Convention — A  lack  of  order  among  the  Disciples — 
Mr.  Campbell  issues  an  ''  Extra "  on  the  subject ;  in  this  he 
gives  his  views  on  Church  Government — Some  of  the  difficulties 
with  respect  to  the  administration  of  the  Church — 'Mr.  Camp- 
bell's discussion  of  the  word  "  Church  " — A  corrupt  people  not 
capable  of  reproducing  a  pure  church — The  Disciple  ideal  correct, 
but  the  realisation  of  it  fell  short   300-318 


CHAPTER  XII 

Recoxsteuction  Period  and  Restoration 

Coming  out  of  the  chaotic  period — -Slowly  becoming  organised — 
Restoration  becomes  the  aim  instead  of  reformation — The  move- 
ment had  now  to  be  defended  on  purely  scriptural  grounds — The 
Disciples  driven  to  their  Gibraltar,  but  they  fight  in  defense  of 
their  position — They  contend  for  just  three  things  in  order  to 
iinderstand  the  Bible  perfectly:  (DA  reasonable  amount  of  intel- 
ligence, (2)  perfect  honesty  in  the  study  of  tlie  Bible,  (3)  a 
correct  method  of  interpretation — iluch  attention  given  to  the 
latter — The  scientific,  or  inductive,  method  adopted — Mr.  Camp- 
bell's rules  of  interpretation — Claimed  that  by  observing  the  three 
things  indicated,  Christian  union  could  be  effected — Reasons  why 
restoration  was  better  than  reformation — The  new  organisation 
justified  by  the  facts  of  the  case  319-33S 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Restoration  as  an  Ideal  and  as  a  Realisation 

Soon  discovered  that  a  complete  restoration  of  Xew  Testament 
Christianity,  though  a  beautiful  ideal,  was  not  easily  realised — 
Few  churches  established  in  the  East — Westward  the  star  of 
restoration  took  its  way — Bethany,  W.  Va.,  became  the 
head  centre  of  the  movement — Not  many  churches  established 
east  of  Bethany — Debate  with  the  infidel  Owen — Many  churches 
established  in  Missouri,  Iowa,  and  other  States — Great  diffi- 
culty in  taking  care  of  the  churches — Mr.  Campbell  himself 
began  to  see  some  of  the  fruits  of  his  own  teaching — Kever  un- 
equal to  an  emergency,  even  if  he  himself  was  the  cause  of  it — 
A  picture  of  the  times — Debate  with  Bishop  Purcell;  effect  of  the 
debate— ]\Ir.  Stone  removes  to  Jacksonville,  111.;  publishes  the 
Christian  Messenger  yvith.  John  T.  Johnson  associated  in  editorship 


CONTENTS  7 

PAGES 

— Several  other  religious  periodicals  started — Leaders  of  the 
movement  in  Kentucky,  Indiana,  and  Illinois — Why  the  move- 
ment would  have  failed  if  confined  chiefly  to  the  cities — Mr. 
Campbell's  liberal  views — His  celebrated  Limenburg  letter — Dis- 
tinction between  mistakes  of  the  head  and  mistakes  of  the  heart — 
Defends  his  position  against  attacks  from  his  brethren — "  Ap- 
proaches better  than  reproaches  " — The  word  "  perfect "  considered  337-356 


CHAPTER  XIV 

PRoviDiNa  Education  and  Work  at  Christian  Union 

The  restoration  movement  passing  from  the  dawn  to  the  rising 
sun — Education  receiving  much  attention — Bacon  College  organ- 
ised— President  Shannon's  inaugural  address — A  strong  plea  for 
religious  education — Organisation  of  Bethany  College — The  rea- 
son why  Bethany  College  was  founded — Mr.  Campbell's  aim  to 
make  the  Bible  the  supreme  text-book — Why  Bethany  was  a  good 
location  for  this  college — Mr.  Camptell  indicates  the  aim  he  had 
in  view  in  essays — First  list  of  donations  received  for  the  endow- 
ment of  the  college — A  specimen  of  Mr.  Campbell's  instruction — 
Two  thousand  converts  made  every  three  months — Success  of  the 
movement  proves  its  practicability — A  union  meeting  planned  for 
Lexington,  Ky. — John  T.  Johnson  the  leader  of  this  move- 
ment; none  of  the  denominations  represented;  Johnson  dis- 
appointed; report  of  the  meeting — Mr.  Campbell's  long  address 
of  six  hours — His  review  of  W.  F.  Boaddus — This  union  meeting 
made  it  evident  that  the  Disciples  could  expect  no  sympathy 
from  the  leaders  of  the  denominations — From  tliis  time  forward 
the  restoration  flag  was  unfurled  everywhere- — Little  disposition 
to  make  any  compromise — A  return  to  New  Testament  Chris- 
tianity the  only  hope  of  converting  the  world   357-388 


CHAPTER  XV 

Bereavement,  and  Progress  by  Discussion 

Mr.  Campbell  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Constitutional 
Convention— Visits  eastern  Virginia — Scotches  the  Dr.  Thomas 
movement — The  venerable  B.  W.  Stone  visits  Indiana,  Ohio,  and 
Kentucky;  enthusiastically  received  everywhere;  an  account  of  his 
tour — Mr.  Stone  takes  the  same  view  of  the  needs  of  the  move- 
ment as  that  of  Mr.  Campbell — He  writes  a  letter  of  advice  to  a 
young  man — Finally  passes  to  his  reward;  his  death  makes  a 
profound  sensation — His  final  views  with  reference  to  the  Trinity 
and  the  Atonement — His  character — The  Campbell  and  Rice  de- 
bate; propositions  discussed;  the  two  men  as  disputants;  Mr. 
Campbell's  generalisations;  Mr.  Rice's  special  pleading;  their 
respective  arguments  concerning  the  action  of  baptism — Seven 
evils  with  respect  to  debates — The  Disciples  not  wholly  respon- 
sible for  the  debating  period   389-410 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Conflict  and  Growth 

Interest  in  education  continued — Continued  multiplication  of 
churches — Growth  of  the  organisation  idea — Financial  scheme  of 
John  T.  Johnson — The  co-operation  idea  growing — Ohio  and 
Missouri,  Iowa  and  Indiana  taking  the  lead — Formation  of  the 


8 


CONTENTS 


Ameriran  Christian  Bible  Society;  Mr.  Cam])I)ell  at  first  not 
altogether  in  favour  of  this  Society;  he  finally  gave  it  his  sup- 
port— Mr.  Pendleton  elected  Vice-President  of  the  college  and 
Associate  Editor  of  the  Millennial  Harbinger — Sketch  of  his 
life  and  character;  a  well-educated  gentleman;  seven  character- 
istics— Mr.  Campbell's  views  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance;  without 
endorsing  everything  he  was  willing  to  co-operate  as  far  and  as 
long  as  he  was  permitted  to  do  so — Mr.  CampbelTs  optimism — 
The  movement  in  England  and  Scotland — Diflerence  between  the 
Discij)les  in  the  Old  Coimtry  and  in  America — Mr.  Campbell 
revisits  the  Old  Country;  he  is  put  into  prison,  but  is  liberated; 
he  is  much  honoured  while  in  England — 1848  a  notable  year      .  411-438 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Period  of  Reobganisation 

Mending  some  of  the  fences — Setting  in  order  the  things  that  are 
wanting — Evangelistic  zeal  running  away  with  order — Organisa- 
tion of  the  American  Christian  Jlissionary  Society  in  1849 — A 
number  of  delegates  in  attendance — Constitution  and  officers  of 
the  Society — Resolutions  adopted — Some  of  the  great  men  in 
attendance — A  new  day  for  the  Disciple  iNIovement  practically 
proclaimed — Some  facts  about  the  Convention — First  missionary 
selected,  Dr.  J.  T.  Barclay — The  Jerusalem  Mission  reacts  favour- 
ablj'  upon  the  churches — Reason  for  selecting  Jerusalem  for 
the  first  mission — Sunday  Schools  occupying  much  attention — 
A  Committee  on  Sunday  School  literature — State  missionary  meet- 
ings held  in  many  States — Death  of  Jacob  Creath,  Sr. — Mr. 
Campbell's  eulogy  on  him  as  an  orator — Resolutions  of  the 
Kentucky  State  meeting — Organisation  of  State  meetings  in 
Indiana  and  Ohio — Trouble  about  Dr.  Barclay's  appointment — 
Isaac  Errett's  defence  of  him — Several  other  missionary  societies 
organised — Opposition  to  missionary  societies— The  use  of  oppo- 
sition forces — Nearlj'  all  the  great  men  connected  with  the  move- 
ment on  the  side  of  the  Societies — Franklin  College  and  Christian 
College  founded — ^Midway  Orphan  School  (Kentucky)  started — 
Same  apparent  mistakes  in  founding  colleges  as  in  organising 
churches;  perhaps  no  mistake  was  made  in  either  case  .  439-463 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

The  Old  and  the  Xew 

The  movement  fairly  out  of  the  chaotic  period — Churches  begin- 
ning to  work  together — A  second  generation  of  preachers  to  the 
front — The  Disciples  refusing  to  make  a  side  issue  with  respect 
to  any  disturbing  elements — Their  ranks  hold  firmly  together — 
Some  of  the  old  men  retiring  to  the  rear  and  new  men  coming 
to  the  front — Thomas  Campbell  delivers  his  farewell  sermon — 
Report  of  the  Sermon — His  death  received  everywhere  with 
marked  appreciation  of  his  character — He  was  one  of  God's 
noblemen — Eulogies  upon  his  character  and  work — John  T.  John- 
son falls  at  his  post — Character  sketches  of  this  noble  evangelist — 
Mr.  Campbell  as  a  translator — Co-operation  of  Disciples  and 
Baptists  in  revision  enterprise — A  growing  feeling  of  sympathy 
between  Disciples  and  Baptists — Appearance  of  "  Campbellism 
Examined,"  by  Jeremiah  B.  Jeter — Its  evil  effect  upon  the  grow- 
ing union  sentiment — Position  of  Dr.  John  L.  Waller  and  Dr.  S.  W. 
Lynd — Review  of  Mr.  Jeter's  book  by  Mr.  Campbell  and  Moses  E. 


CONTENTS 


9 


Lard — Starting  a  Publication  Society — Opposed  by  the  Harbinger, 
Mr.  Pendleton  leading  the  opposition,  and  Benjamin  Franklin, 
through  the  Chrisliaii  Age,  defending  the  Society — Chief  diili- 
culty  with  the  Society,  it  was  not  supported — Kentucky  Christian 
Education  Society  organised;  helps  to  educate  six  hundred 
preachers — Great  evangelistic  meeting  held  in  Louisville  by  D.  P. 
Henderson — J.  O.  Beardsley  sent  to  Jamaica  as  a  missionary — 
In  closing  the  year  1859  Professor  Pendleton  takes  a  backward 
look — List  of  newspapers  and  periodicals  464-489 


CHAPTER  XIX 

The  Tcrbulext  Period 

Beginning  of  the  Civil  War — Position  of  Disciples — The  whole 
plea  opposed  to  the  war  spirit — Three  classes  of  people  among 
the  Disciples,  Radicals,  Conservatives,  and  Middle-of-the-Road 
men — The  War  a  severe  test — Action  of  the  American  Christian 
Missionary  Society— Address  to  the  churches  of  Missouri — The 
Tanks  of  the  Disciples  remain  unbroken — W.  S.  Russell  and  I.  N. 
Carmen  bottling  "  moon-shine  "—Dr.  Richardson's  distinction 
between  faith  and  opinion — Tliis  distinction  very  important  with 
the  Disciples;  they  do  not  object  to  opinions  when  held  as  private 
property  or  when  discussed  M'ithout  divisive  tendency,  but  simply 
as  tests  of  Christian  fellowship — The  Communion  question  to  the 
front — Position  of  Isaac  Errett — Discussion  between  Errett,  Elley, 
Richardson,  Franklin,  and  Pendleton — The  question  ably  discussed 
— Disciples  in  the  period  of  introspection — Opposite  forces  do  not 
necessarily  lead  to  disaster — The  organ  controversy  more  serious 
then  even  the  War  question — Position  of  ^Mr.  Lard  and  Mr. 
Franklin — Death  of  Walter  Scott — Description  of  him  as  a 
preacher — Two  remarkable  sermons — William  Hayden  also  passes 
away — Then  follows  the  death  of  Alexander  Campbell — The  char- 
acter of  this  great  man — Eulogies  by  different  persons— His  re- 
markable self-abnegation   490-521 


CHAPTER  XX 

The  Organic  a^o  Reconstruction  Period 

The  movement  reaches  a  well-developed  period — Number  of  Dis- 
ciples in  1866 — Prophesy  unfulfilled — Professor  Pendelton  elected 
President  of  Bethany  College  and  editor  of  the  JJ illcniiial  Har- 
binger— Moses  E.  Lard  edits  Lard's  Quarterly — Benjamin  Frank- 
lin edits  the  American  Christian  Review,  and  Tolbert  Fanning 
edits  the  Gospel  Advocate — Mr.  Franklin's  sympathy  with  the 
people — A  new  leader  comes  to  the  front — The  Christian  Standard 
is  started  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  with  Isaac  Errett  as  editor-in- 
chief — A  lecture  on  ]\Ir.  Errett's  character  and  work — The  strug- 
gles of  his  early  life  in  the  formation  of  his  character — He  was  a 
self-made  man — (1)  He  illustrated  Paul's  triad  of  Graces,  Faith, 
Hope,  and  Love,  (2)  a  man  of  great  moral  courage,  (.3)  a  lover  of 
men  as  well  as  of  God,  (4)  he  had  an  open  mind  to  every 
truth  in  the  universe,  (5)  he  was  non-professional  and  non- 
conventional,  (6)  he  possessed  an  humble,  child-like  spirit,  (7)  he 
was  a  man  of  insight  and  vision — A  few  of  the  special  things 
which  he  emphasised  with  respect  to  the  restoration  movement : 
{ 1 )  He  did  much  to  deliver  the  movement  from  a  despotism 
which  was  settling  xi\)on  it,  (2)  he  did  much  to  inculcate  a 
better  conception  of  Christian  union,  (3)  contributed  largely  to 
a  better  conception  of  the  Church  and  its  responsibilities      .      .  522-553 


10 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXI 
New  Papers  and  New  Plans 

PAGES 

Some  of  the  men  of  this  period — Mr.  Campbell's  mantle  falls 
on  no  one — The  movement  had  now  reached  a  point  where  a  special 
leader  was  not  needed — The  gliost  of  the  organ  question  keeps 
coming  up — The  Apostolic  Times  started;  its  five  great  editors; 
it  was  intended  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the  Christian 
Standard — The  Christian  Quarterly  laimched;  what  was  thought 
of  it  by  contemporaries— Tlie  American  Christian  Missionary  So- 
ciety losing  ground — A  reaction  begins — Origin  of  the  "  Louisville 
Plan  " — Professor  Pendleton's  account  of  the  matter       .      .      .  554-57!) 


CHAPTER  XXII 

Many  Tests,  Some  Failures,  and  Some  Victories 

Failure  of  the  Louisville  Plan  financially  gave  special  license  to 
anti-society  men  to  make  good  their  opposition — President  Milli- 
gan  of  Kentucky  L^niversity  offers  an  eirenicon — His  proposal 
received  with  sympathy  by  Mr.  Franklin,  who  at  first  approved 
the  Louisville  Plan,  but  afterwards  opposed  it — What  Professor 
Pendleton  thought  of  the  suggestion  of  President  IMilligan  and 
Mr.  Franklin — The  Communion  question  again  to  the  front — 
Suggested  by  commimications  of  David  King,  editor  of  the  British 
Millennial  Harbinger ;  ably  discussed  and  finally  settled;  the 
basis  being  that  the  Disciples  neither  invite  nor  reject  Pedo- 
Baptists  at  the  Communion  Table — Conference  on  Christian  union 
at  Richmond,  Va.,  between  Baptists  and  Disciples- — Report  of 
the  conference  by  a  committee — Declaration  of  Belief  submitted 
by  Baptists — The  response  by  the  Disciples — Continued  evangel- 
istic success — Death  of  Joseph  Bryant,  one  of  the  first  members 
of  the  Brush  Run  Church — Death  of  James  Henshaw  and  John 
Smith — Fate  of  Christian  Standard  in  jeopardy — It  is  saved  by 
the  intervention  of  a  friend  of  Mr.  Errett;  through  this  friend, 
R.  W.  Carroll  &  Company  take  over  the  Standard  and  remove  it 
to  Cincinnati — Mr.  Errett's  removal  to  that  city — Curious  opposi- 
tion of  the  Apostolic  Times — Mr.  Errett's  strong  protest  against 
bigotry — The  Millennial  Harhincier  discontinued — Overtures  in 
favour  of  Christian  imion — Professor  Pendleton  added  to  the 
editorial  staff  of  the  Christian  Standard — His  inaugural  address — 
The  Standard  becoming  a  great  power   580-609 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

New  Missionary  Enterprises 

The  Louisville  Plan  practically  abandoned;  the  reasons  for  this — 
Its  educational  influence  great,  although  a  financial  failure — 
Thomas  Munnell  a  great  secretary — His  article  on  "  Indifference 
to  Things  Indifferent  " — The  year  1874  a  red-letter  year — History 
of  the  origin  of  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society — Its 
final  organisation  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  1875 — Scope  of  the  Society 
indicated  in  the  first  set  address  made  before  it — Sending  mis- 
sionaries to  Europe  as  well  as  to  heathen  lands — Timothy  Coop 
of  England  calling  for  help — His  generous  support  of  the 
Foreign  Society — Some  points  in  his  remarkable  character — Why 


CONTENTS 


11 


the  English  mission  has  not  succeeded  commensurate  with  the 
hopes  of  its  friends — Many  heathen  missions  inaugurated  and 
much  success  already  gained  in  these  fields — The  financial  report 
of  the  Society  by  years  since  its  organisation — Silver  Jubilee  of 
the  Society,  and  its  task  and  aim  


CHAPTER  XXIV 

The  C.  W.  B.  M.  and  Other  Societies 

The  starting  of  the  C.  W.  B.  M.  synchronises  with  the  starting  of 
the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society — Both  started  the  same 
year,  1874 — The  activity  of  the  women  formed  a  new  era  in  the 
Disciple  movement — The  successes  of  their  organisation  almost 
phenomenal — -The  Constitution  and  By-laws  of  the  C.  W.  B.  M. — 
Officers  at  the  present  time — A  record  of  the  financial  growth — 
The  scope  of  the  Society  and  the  work  accomplished  and  at  present 
provided  for — Origin  of  the  Church  Extension  fund — Its  great 
value  to  the  Disciple  movement — A  splendid  work  accomplished — 
A  revival  of  church  building — Growth  of  the  Disciples  in  the 
cities— Organisation  of  the  National  Benevolent  Association  of 
the  Christian  Church,  a  much-needed  work  to  be  done — The  Asso- 
ciation comes  at  the  right  time;  some  account  of  its  work  638-658 


CHAPTER  XXV 

The  Old  Evangelism  and  the  Xew 

The  Disciples  always  an  evangelistic  people — Their  early  methods 
very  simple;  they  relied  almost  entirely  upon  the  simple  story 
of  the  Cross — Description  of  how  their  meetings  were  conducted 
in  the  early  days  of  the  movement— Dr.  Garrison's  view  with 
respect  to  evangelism — The  new  methods  are  not  universally 
approved — A  description  of  apostolic  preaching  and  practice — 
The  Disciples  seek  to  reproduce  apostolic  methods;  in  some 
respects  this  was  impossible — Some  of  the  evils  of  modern  evangel- 
ism— Some  of  the  points  to  l)e  well  guarded — Some  prominent 
evangelists  among  the  Disciples      .      .    659-681 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

Education  and  Literature 

Disciples  always  in  favour  of  education — Their  very  plea  makes 
education  necessary — From  the  beginning  they  have  been  saying 
"Let  there  be  light" — Their  i)lca  an  a])]ieal  to  an  intelligent  ap- 
prehension of  the  Scriptures — A  multiplication  of  colleges — 
Over  multiplication  could  not  be  avoided — A  college  must  grow 
as  a  tree — The  optimism  of  the  Disciples  with  respect  to  educa- 
tion has  done  much  for  the  movement — Disciples  slow  to  develop 
literature — There  was  no  need  for  this  at  first;  the  man  with 
one  Book  was  in  the  field — Times  change  and  we  change  with 
them — An  educated  ministry  is  now  a  necessity,  but  there  is  still 
room  in  the  ministry  for  men  who  have  never  seen  a  college — 
Book-making  is  just  beginning  with  the  Disciples — Mr.  Monser's 
clever  sketch  of  Disciple  Literature  


pages 


610-637 


682-696 


12 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
Government,  Newspapers,  Societies,  and  Fedekatiox 

PAGES 

^Men  love  to  be  governed,  and  where  there  are  no  Government 
officers  some  one  or  something  will  supply  the  place — The  Disciples 
have  no  Diocesan  Bishops,  and  consequently  their  leading  re- 
ligious periodicals  have  practically  occupied  that  place — During 
the  life  of  Mr.  Campbell  the  Millennial  Harbinffcr  was  practically 
the  governing  power;  when  he  died  the  Christian  titandard  and 
the  American  Christian  Review  became  prominent  in  this  govern- 
ment by  journalism — These  papers  occupied  different  viewpoints, 
but  the  very  fact  lent  zest,  earnestness,  and  strength  to  the  move- 
ment— There  have  always  been  three  distinct  classes  of  men 
among  the  Disciples,  namely:  extreme  radicals,  extreme  conserva- 
tives, and  middle-of-the-road  men;  this  fact  shows  itself  in  the 
journalism  of  the  movement;  this  need  not  be  a  source  of  danger, 
but  it  might  be  disastrous ;  it  needs  to  be  watched  and  restrained 
by  the  cultivation  of  that  love  wliich  "  thinketh  no  evil  " — 
Personal  journalism,  however,  is  passing  away;  only  one  editor 
remains  whose  personality  is  a  power  with  his  paper — This  per- 
sonal journalism  imavoidable  in  the  early  days  of  the  movement — 
Position  of  the  Disciples  with  respect  to  the  Federation  movement 
— Dr.  Garrison's  account  of  the  resolution  offered  at  the  Omaha 
Convention — The  Disciples'  plea  for  Christian  union  provides  a 
common,  reasonable,  and  workable  ground — A  growing  feeling 
that  Christian  union  cannot  be  effected  by  emphasising  the  dif- 
ferences between  the  denominations — The  Disciples  reaching  the 
conclusion  that  emphasis  must  be  made  on  the  points  of  agree- 
ment, and  above  everything  the  right  spirit  must  be  cultivated — 
In  reaching  this  conclusion  their  present  leaders  contend  that 
they  are  occupying  precisely  the  ground  occupied  by  the  pioneers 
of  the  movement — While  Federation  is  still  the  aim  of  the  move- 
ment, the  new  policy  is  to  win  by  love  rather  than  compel  by 
force  of  argument — American  Christian  Missionary  Societj'  a  sort 
of  common  ground  where  Disciples  work  together — Great  success 
of  the  Society  in  recent  years — Supporting  a  society  for  minis- 
terial relief — The  work  of  this  society   697-722 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

Some  of  the  ]\Ien  Instrumental  in  ^Making  the 
Movement 

Some  Christian  statesmen — General  Garfield  placed  at  the  head  of 
the  list — Great  sjTiipathy  in  England  when  he  died — Great  meeting 
held  in  Kensington  Town  Hall — ^Memorial  address — ^Motion  by 
\V.  H.  Channing  to  have  the  address  printed  by  the  million — 
Sketch  of  President  Garfield's  character,  summed  up  in  one  word, 
— •'  manliness  " — How  his  death  moved  the  world — The  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury's  funeral  address — Judge  Black  as  a  Chris- 
tian statesman — Richard  'M.  Bishop,  Governor  of  Ohio — Francis 
Warren  Drake,  Governor  of  Iowa — Senator  Carmack  of  Tennessee 
— Ira  J.  Chase,  Governor  of  Indiana — Representatives  in  Senate 
and  Congress  and  other  official  positions — Preachers  and  educators 
— Several  prominent  names  mentioned,  but  only  a  few  special 
references  to  those  now  living — Among  the  list  mentioned  are  many 
who  held  antagonistic  opinions,  and  yet  all  meet  at  the  centre, 
Jesus  the  Christ,  and  heartily  fellowship  with  one  another — 
This  fact  speaks  eloquently  for  the  practical  character  of  the 


CONTENTS 


13 


Disciple  movement — Some  business  men — Tliese  have  been  too 
much  neglected  in  histories  of  the  movement — "  The  Brotherhood 
of  the  Disciples  of  Christ "  recently  organised — First  President, 
R.  A.  Long  of  Kansas  City — Some  account  of  Mr.  Long's  contribu- 
tions to  the  Disciple  movement — Other  great  business  men — A  long 
list,  but  not  half  of  the  names  worthy  of  mention  ....  723-758 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

Cektennial  Outlook 

The  gathering  of  a  great  convention  at  Pittsburg— Why  Pitts- 
burg is  a  suitable  place- — The  outlook  from  this  Centennial 
year — Some  of  tlie  reasons  why  the  movement  has  been  a  success — 
Great  progress  made  in  all  departments  of  tlie  work — A  marked 
improvement  in  city  churches — Considerable  progress  has  been 
made  in  the  direction  of  Christian  union — Tlie  Disciples  have  led 
all  religious  bodies  in  several  important  fields  of  work — They 
were  the  first  to  emphasise  the  importance  of  a  distinct  Sunday 
School  literature — In  Christian  Endeavour  work  they  also  take 
a  leading  place — Programme  of  the  Centennial  celebration  .      .  759-777 


CHAPTER  XXX 

Recapitulatoby  Subvey 

Looking  back  over  the  one  hundred  years  of  the  movement  it  is 
impossible  not  to  conclude  that  it  was  providential  ( 1 )  as  regards 
the  time  the  movement  began,  (2)  as  to  the  place  where  the 
movement  was  started,  ( 3 )  as  to  the  persons  who  inaugurated 
the  movement — It  is  also  important  to  notice  what  the  Disciples 
have  specially  contributed  to  religion:  (1)  They  have  made  a  real 
contribution  to  religious  development  in  the  emphasis  they  have 
placed  upon  what  has  been  called  "  dispensational  truth,"  (2) 
Another  contribution  is  the  distinction  which  the  Disciples  have 
always  made  between  faith  and  opinion — Archbishop  Whately's 
view  of  this  matter — Dr.  Mansell  sustains  the  Disciples'  position, 
(3)  The  Disciples  have  made  an  important  religious  contribution 
in  their  reasonable  solution  of  the  question  of  the  Godhead — 
The  Stone  movement  and  the  Campbellian  movement  each  con- 
tributed something  to  an  eirenicon  which  is  now  generally  adopted 
by  the  Disciples — Dr.  James  Denny  strongly  supports  the  Dis- 
ciples' view,  (4)  The  Disciples  have  made  an  important  con- 
tribution to  theology  in  respect  to  the  Atonement — The  union 
of  Reformers  and  Christians  helped  in  this  contribution,  (5)  The 
Disciples  made  a  splendid  contribution  to  tlie  religion  of  the  19th 
century  by  their  insistence  that  faith  is  not  doctrinal  but  per- 
sonal— Dr.  R.  Rothe,  a  famous  German  preacher,  and  his  view  of 
this  matter,  (0)  Perhaps  the  most  important  contribution  which 
the  Disciples  have  made  is  a  common  ground  for  Christian 
iinion — Their  objection  to  human  creeds;  their  contention  for 
seven  cardinal,  fundamental  principles — These  are  all  such  as 
might  easily  be  adopted  by  nearly  all  the  denominations,  (7)  The 
Disciples  have  demonstrated  that  <a  religious  body  can  remain 
united  without  the  aid  of  a  human  creed — Standing  at  the  close  of 
the  Centennial  year  and  looking  over  the  century — A  poetic 
conclusion   778-809 


14 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
Centennial  Celebbation 

PAGES 

Tlie  consummation  of  the  century — An  unprecedented  Convention 
— Opening  addresses — Societies  represented — Woman's  Board  of 
Missions — Tlie  Brotherhood — Foreign  Missions — Dedication  and 
launching  of  tlie  Oregon — Board  of  Church  Extension — Other  soci- 
eties— The  N'eterans'  Campfire — President  McGarvey's  address — 
The  great  communion  service — The  Lord's  Supper,  a  cardinal 
feature  of  the  Disciples  Church  810-822 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING 
PAGE 

W.  T.  Moore  Title 

Buildings  and  Spots  of  Historic  Interest    ....  19 

Thomas  Campbell        )  //^  ^ 

'             I  {One  page)   93 

Barton  Warren  Stone  ) 

Buildings  Identified  with  the  Earliest  Workers       .      .  Ill 

Alexander  Campbell   125 

Views  at  Bethany,  West  Virginia   137 

Walter  Scott                )  ,^           ,  .-^ 

y  {One  pacic)   1(9 

Dr.  Robert  Richardson   )  '  ^  ' 

Five  Churches  Where  History  Has  Been  Made  .      .      .  201 

Six  Leaders  in  the  Union  Movement   277 

Pioneer  Leaders   283 

Pioneer  Leaders  {Continued)   287 

Pioneer  Leaders  {Continued)   289 

Men  of  the  Middle  Period   461 

Men  of  the  Middle  Period  {Continued)      ....  467 

Bethany — Two  Views   517 

Some  Campbell  Pictures   519 

Some  State  Secretaries  Where  the  Disciples  Are  Strongest  601 
Some  Officers  of  National  Societies  .  .  .  .  .611 
Leaders,  Past  and  Present,  of  the  Christian  AVoman's 

Board  of  Missions   649 

Leaders  of  the  National  Benevolent  ^ 

Association  r  {One  page)  .  .  657 
Five  Influential  Editors  of  the  Past  ' 

Some  College  Presidents   661 

Some  College  Presidents  {Continued)   687 

Prominent  Evangelists  of  To-day   691 

Working  Newspaper  Men   701 

Prominent  Workers  of  the  Past   725 

Living  Men  Who  Have  Long  Been  Prominent  .      .      .  741 

Living  Preachers  Who  Have  Held  Long  Pastorates  .      .  745 

I*astors  of  Some  of  the  Strongest  Churches  ....  747 

Prominent  Business  Men  Now  Deceased    ....  753 

Prominent  Business  Men  Living   755 

Miscellaneous  Group  of  Living  Men   759 

Pioneers  Especially  Prominent  in  Indiana  ....  799 

15 


A  COMPREHENSIVE  HISTORY 
OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


1,  Disciples"  Pavilion  at  the  World's  Fair.  [The  Disiijjk  s  of  C  hi  i-t  were 
the  first  religious  body  to  erect  a  special  building  at  any  international 
exhibition.]  2,  The  grave  of  B.  W.  Stone  at  C'aneridge,  Ky.  3.  The  grave 
of  Walter  Scott  at  May's  Lick.  Ky.  4,  Eighth  and  Waliiut  St.  Church. 
Cincinnati,  where  for  many  years  the  American  Christian  ilissionary 
Society  met.  5,  The  foundation  stone  of  the  original  Brush  Run  Church 
as  it  appears  to-day. 


INTRODUCTORY 


History  is  providence  illustrated.  If  it  be  true  that 
the  undevout  astronomer  is  mad,  it  is  equally  true  that 
he  who  studies  history  Avithout  the  recognition  of  provi- 
dence in  it  is  wholly  unqualified  for  his  task.  Prophecy 
itself  is  a  clear  intimation  that  human  history  is  the 
development  of  a  definite  plan.  All  things  are  working 
together,  not  only  for  the  good  of  them  that  love  God, 
but  also  for  the  final  achievement  of  definite  ends  in  the 
Divine  government.  In  this  view,  prophecy  is  the  eye 
which  foresees  the  coming  events,  and  these  coming  events 
are  the  logical  consequences  of  certain  facts  which  tend 
to  bring  them  about.  Prophecy  is  not,  therefore,  an 
arbitrary  decree  of  God,  which  is  finally  fulfilled  simply 
because  it  has  been  decreed,  but  is  rathe  an  anticipatory 
revelation  of  what  must  necessarily  come  to  pass  accord- 
ing to  that  providential  scheme  by  which  the  world  is 
governed.  In  other  words,  prophecy  is  in  harmony  with 
a  law  which  links  all  events  together  in  one  great  chain 
of  progress. 

Nor  is  there  anything  in  this  view  that  legitimately 
suggests  the  doctrine  of  foreordination  and  election,  as 
that  doctrine  is  commonly  understood.  The  meteorologist 
does  not  foreordain  and  elect  the  changes  in  the  weather; 
he  simply  foresees  and  announces  what  these  changes  will 
be  from  certain  facts  which  he  has  in  his  possession. 
Similarly,  prophecy  is  the  announcement  of  what  will  be 
history  when  this  prophecy  is  fulfilled,  and  is  therefore 
simply  history  proclaimed  in  advance  of  the  "  coming 
events  "  which  "  cast  their  shadows  before  them." 

,The  religious  movement,  which  took  a  definite  form  at 
the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  which  ulti- 
mately crystallised  into  that,  body  of  Christians  known 
as  "  Disciples  of  Christ,"  or  the  "  Christian  Churches," 
was  foreshadowed  by  many  indications  prior  to  the  year 
1809,  when  the  "  Declaration  and  Address "  was  issued 
by  the  Campbells.  This  fact  is  entirely  in  harmony  with 
the  law  of  development.    Great  religious  movements  are 

19 


20     HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


symptomatic  of  causes  which  lie  behind  them.  The  forces 
which  produce  these  movements  are  often  numerous,  and 
are  not  un frequently  operating  through  many  years.  At 
least  two  factors  must  always  be  taken  into  account  in 
dealing  with  human  history.  These  factors  are  God  and 
man.  We  know  nothing  of  the  former  except  as  He  is 
revealed  in  human  history;  we  can  know  little  of  the 
latter,  if  we  entirely  separate  him  from  the  former.  God 
and  man,  therefore,  must  be  regarded  as  co-operating  in 
all  the  movements  that  make  for  human  progress;  and 
this  being  true,  we  cannot  possibly  understand  these  move- 
ments without  reckoning  with  the  two  factors  to  which 
reference  has  been  made.  But  when  these  factors  are 
admitted,  it  can  readily  be  seen  how  necessary  it  is  to 
reckon  with  Providence  while  considering  the  history  of 
any  religious  movement. 

It  is  true  that  human  instrumentality  is  used  to  in- 
augurate and  carry  on  this  movement,  but  the  movement 
itself  is  really  the  offspring  of  certain  forces  which  have 
been  slowly  culminating  for  ages,  and  which  are  in  accord- 
ance with  a  providential  plan,  which,  though  often  hid 
from  view,  is,  nevertheless,  a  great  factor  in  the  case. 
Discoveries  of  all  kinds  are  simply  the  formal  announce- 
ments of  the  arrival  of  events  which  have  finally  worked 
their  way  to  the  surface  of  things.  This  fact  will  account 
for  the  coincidence  of  discoveries.  Numerous  illustra- 
tions of  this  could  be  given.  A  familiar  one  is  that  of 
Adams  and  LeVerrier,  working  in  their  respective  labora- 
tories, each  without  the  knowledge  of  what  the  other  was 
doing,  and  finally,  about  the  same  time,  discovering  the 
almost  exact  position  which  Neptune  occupies  in  our  plan- 
etary system;  so  that  when  the  telescope  was  pointed  to 
the  place  indicated  in  the  sidereal  heavens  the  planet, 
which  had  been  disturbing  the  movements  of  Uranus,  was 
found,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  men  who  had  worked 
out  the  problem  in  their  respective  laboratories. 

Another  instance  of  this  coincidence  in  discovery  may 
be  found  in  the  numerous  claimants  as  regards  the  tele- 
phone. It  is  now  known  that  very  many  were  working 
at  the  same  problem,  and  with  the  same  practical  results, 
about  the  same  time.  Lord  Kelvin  and  Sir  William 
Ramsay,  from  different  points  of  view,  working  independ- 
ently of  each  other,  discovered  argon  at  about  the  same 


INTRODUCTORY 


21 


time.  The  beginnings  of  great  social  and  religious  move- 
ments often  lie  far  back  in  the  history  of  their  develop- 
ment, and  no  one  is  fit  to  write  history  who  does  not 
recognise  this  fact.  Indeed,  it  is  sometimes  almost  im- 
possible to  determine  just  who  started  any  particular 
movement.  The  great  Protestant  Reformation  of  the 
sixteenth  century  had  its  dawn  before  the  days  of  Martin 
Luther.  Wyclif  and  those  co-operating  with  him  were 
the  robins  which  foretold  the  coming  Springtime  of  the 
Reformation  Avhich  followed.  The  religious  world  was 
ready  and  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  Luther,  and  his  task 
was  mainly  to  organise  and  carry  forward  the  work  which 
had  already  begun,  the  underlying  principles  of  which 
had  been  bubbling  over  a  long  time  above  the  sea  of 
troubled  religious  waters  with  which  all  Europe  was  sub- 
merged. 

The  religious  movement  which  has  been  called  the  "  Res- 
toration of  the  Nineteenth  Century  "  was,  in  its  origin, 
not  unlike  other  movements  of  its  kind.  The  world  was 
waiting  for  it.  The  symptoms  of  its  coming  were  seen 
in  many  directions,  and  the  undercurrent  which  had,  some- 
what unperceived,  been  sweeping  through  the  churches 
of  Europe  and  America,  came  at  last  into  clear  vision 
through  what  was  almost  a  volcanic  eruption  in  this 
country,  and  was  at  least  of  sufl&cient  force  in  Europe  to 
threaten  the  old  religious  establishments  with  dethrone- 
ment, if  not  with  utter  destruction. 

It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  about  the  time  the 
Campbells  issued  their  celebrated  "  Declaration  and  Ad- 
dress "  in  1809,  there  were  certain  indications  in  Europe, 
as  well  as  in  some  parts  of  America,  which  clearly  fore- 
shadowed the  beginnings  of  what  was,  in  many  respects, 
a  similar  movement  for  the  restoration  of  primitive  Chris- 
tianity. In  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland  there  were 
movements  that  were  symptomatic  of  the  general  unrest 
in  religious  society,  and  these  movements  were  practically 
in  line  with  the  movement  of  the  Campbells,  and  really 
antedated  the  latter  by  several  years.  The  same  fact 
must  be  noted  with  respect  to  movements  in  this  country. 
There  were  churches  in  several  places  which  threw  over- 
board the  dominion  of  human  creeds,  even  before  Thomas 
Campbell  came  to  the  United  States,  while  the  great 
religious  reformation,  led  by  B.  W.  Stone  and  others,  in 


22   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Kentucky,  may  be  regarded  as  a  distinct  forerunner  of 
the  movement  inaugurated  by  the  Campbells.  It  set 
forth  practically  the  same  principles,  as  far  as  it  went, 
as  were  embodied  in  the  celebrated  "  Declaration  and 
Address."  Still,  from  a  historical  point  of  view,  it  is  no 
unworthy  treatment  of  the  facts  of  the  case  if  we  reckon 
the  religious  movement,  named  the  "  Reformation  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century,"  to  have  had  its  formal  inaugura- 
tion with  the  issuance  of  the  "  Declaration  and  Address," 
in  September,  1809. 

This  location  of  the  beginning  "  need  not  in  any  way 
undervalue  the  movements  which  antedated  it.  If  we 
are  to  look  for  all  the  antecedent  influences  which  led  up 
to  this  period,  we  should  go  back  to  the  Renaissance, 
for  the  Restoration  movement  was  undoubtedly,  in  many 
respects,  first  of  all,  an  intellectual  movement.  Prior  to 
its  inauguration  the  condition  of  religious  society  in  the 
United  States  was  truly  deplorable.  Numerous  religious 
parties  had  usurped  the  place  of  the  "  One  Body,"  and 
these  became  the  exponents  of  the  Christianity  of  the  times. 
Ignorance  and  superstition  were  more  valuable  to  these 
parties  than  any  intelligent  understanding  of  the  Word 
of  God.  No  one,  who  will  candidly  consider  the  state 
of  things,  as  it  existed  in  religious  society  at  the  beginning 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  will  doubt  what  is  here  stated. 

The  plea  of  the  Campbells  was  emphatically  a  plea 
for  an  intelligent  understanding  of  the  Word  of  God,  and 
it  was,  therefore,  properly  an  offspring  of  that  Renaissance 
which  elevated  the  intellectual  conceptions  of  Europe,  and 
which  made  the  Protestant  Reformation,  under  Luther 
and  his  associates,  a  possibility  during  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. Indeed,  the  Campbellian  movement  was  dependent 
upon  numerous  other  movements  which  antedated  it,  and 
it  coalesced  with  still  several  other  movements  at  the  time 
of  its  distinct  inauguration.  These  independent  move- 
ments, as  has  already  been  intimated,  were  symptomatic 
of  the  unrest  in  religious  society  at  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  they  were  all,  more  or  less,  di- 
rected by  the  providence  of  God,  so  as  to  approach  each 
other,  and  finally  to  coalesce  in  the  general  movement, 
the  specific  inauguration  of  which  I  have  located  with 
the  issuance  of  the  "  Declaration  and  Address,"  in  1809. 

It  has  already  been  suggested  that  the  time  was  pro- 


INTRODUCTORY 


23 


pitious  for  the  inauguration  of  this  great  movement.  It 
is  equally  true  that  the  place  where  all  the  forces  crystal- 
lised and  took  on  definite  form  was  exactly  in  line  with 
the  "  ways  of  God  to  man,"  in  that  providential  scheme 
which  is  so  clearly  seen  in  every  step  of  Christianity  in 
its  march  around  the  world.  All  the  events  of  the  past 
ages  had  led  up  to  the  momentous  hour.  All  the  coun- 
tries, in  their  civilisations,  in  their  failures  and  triumphs, 
had  contributed  from  their  resources  something  to  make 
America  just  the  place  where  the  new  movement  should 
find  hospitable  reception  and  a  glorious  development  in 
order  that  the  simple,  pure  Gospel  might  be  carried  across 
the  Pacific  to  the  regions  lying  between  America  and 
the  countries  where  the  religion  of  Christ  had  its  be- 
ginning. 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  this  point  of  view,  the 
idea  that  America  has  been  providentially  guided  through 
political  storms  and  troublous  seas  is  just  as  certain  as 
that  God  is  ruling  over  the  nations  for  the  consummation 
of  His  purposes  in  the  world.  It  would  have  doubtless 
been  impossible  to  have  started,  in  any  effective  way,  the 
Campbellian  movement  in  even  enlightened  Europe.  It 
is  true  that  we  are  indebted  to  Europe  for  the  light  which 
came  to  us  from  the  East.  The  Campbells  were  provi- 
dential men.  They  came  to  this  country  bearing  a  great 
message,  but  this  message  would  not  have  been  heeded  in 
any  generous  way  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  But 
it  found  congenial  soil  in  the  new  world,  where  the  old 
fetters,  that  bound  religious  thought,  were  broken,  and 
where  the  free  institutions  of  this  great  land  lent  them- 
selves to  the  triumphant  development  of  the  great  prin- 
ciples which  the  Campbells  embodied  in  the  "  Declaration 
and  Address."  Consequently,  both  the  time  and  place 
were  significantly  appropriate  for  the  beginning  of  such 
a  movement  as  was  inaugurated  by  the  Campbells. 

A  little  further  consideration  of  the  facts  in  the  case  will 
make  this  statement  abundantly  evident. 

The  dawn  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  the  ushering 
in  of  a  new  era.  The  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  was 
marked  by  several  striking  events.  The  French  Revolu- 
tion had  come  and  left  its  influence  upon  the  civilisations 
of  Europe.  The  Napoleonic  dynasty  followed  close  upon 
this,  and  continued  until  1815,  when  the  Battle  of  Water- 


24   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


loo  was  fought,  and  a  new  age  was  practically  inaug- 
urated ;  for  this  battle  not  only  settled  a  number  of  other 
important  things,  but  it  also  changed  materially  the  geog- 
raphy of  Europe. 

A  still  more  important  matter  was  the  beginning  of 
missions  and  the  consequent  translation  of  the  Bible  into 
foreign  languages.  It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  value 
of  these  missions  as  a  religious  and  civilising  force  on 
the  subsequent  history  of  the  nations.  Christianity  had 
become  stagnant  in  Europe.  Until  the  discovery  of  Amer- 
ica, there  had  been  no  outlet  for  it  in  a  westwardly  direc- 
tion; and  as  all  progress  is  mainly  in  that  direction,  it  is 
easy  to  see  that  the  new  world  must  ultimately  become 
the  centre  of  a  religious  movement,  which  would  carry 
on  the  work  of  saving  the  people  among  those  nations 
which  had  never  felt  the  force  of  Christianity.  But,  in 
the  meantime,  it  was  well  that  some  noble  souls,  even 
in  Europe,  should  dream  of  a  converted  East;  for  while 
foreign  missions  toward  the  East  did  not  accomplish  very 
much  in  the  way  of  converts,  they  did  accomplish  a  great 
deal  in  their  influence  on  the  churches  at  home.  These 
churches  received  practically  a  new  baptism  in  the  spirit 
by  the  reaction  of  foreign  missions  upon  the  home-Chris- 
tianity. Not  only  was  this  Christianity  imbued  with  a 
revival  spirit,  but  it  received  an  increment  of  power  in 
other  respects  from  its  contact  with  Eastern  ci^dlisations. 
Just  as  the  crusades  were  a  failure,  so  far  as  subduing 
the  East  to  Western  ideals  of  government  was  concerned, 
but,  nevertheless,  enriched  the  West  with  many  of  the 
treasures  of  the  East,  so  the  reaction  from  foreign  missions 
brought  with  it  what  was  extremely  beneficial  to  the  West- 
ern churches. 

Nevertheless,  the  final  result  would  not  have  been  satis- 
factory, so  far  as  the  whole  world  is  concerned,  without 
the  intervention  of  America  in  the  onward  march  of  prog- 
ress. Any  good  map  of  the  world  will  show  the  reader 
what  is  meant.  America  lies  right  between  Europe, 
Africa,  and  about  one-half  of  Asia,  on  one  side,  and  Aus- 
tralia, the  Philippine  Islands  and  the  other  half  of  Asia, 
on  the  other  side.  All  east  of  us  are  countries  which  were 
early  influenced  by  Christianity.  All  west  of  us  are  coun- 
tries which  were  practically  untouched  by  Christianity 
until  the  nineteenth  century. 


INTRODUCTORY 


25 


Christianity,  beginning  in  Palestine,  spread  toward  the 
South  and  North,  and  conquered  all  the  countries  lying 
West.  But  it  made  little  or  no  progress  east  of  where  it 
had  its  origin.  This  fact  is  a  startling  illustration  of  the 
law  of  progress,  which  is  always  practically  Westward. 
At  any  rate,  it  is  seldom,  if  ever.  Eastward.  It  is  cer- 
tainly remarkable  that  even  cities  make  their  substantial 
progress  Westward,  and  if  there  is  any  real  progress  in 
any  other  direction  it  is  toward  the  North  or  toward  the 
South.  This  statement  may  be  verified  by  examining  the 
growth  of  any  city,  seeming  to  contradict  this  statement. 
It  is  believed  that  a  careful  estimate  of  all  the  facts  will 
show  that  the  statement  is  practically  true  to  universal 
history. 

This  is  something  worth  knowing.  If  you  are  about  to 
invest  in  real  estate,  you  should  be  careful  how  you  buy 
lots  on  the  east  side  of  a  city.  It  is  a  fact  which  may  be 
demonstrated  by  careful  observation  that  no  city  now  in 
existence  has  developed  eastward  to  any  large  extent 
where  there  is  a  free  opening  in  some  other  direction,  and 
generally,  if  not  universally,  the  progress  is  westward, 
if  there  is  a  clear  opening  on  that  side.  Where  this 
is  not  the  case,  it  will  be  found  that  that  city  makes  little 
or  no  growth  at  all. 

If  you  ask  the  reason  why  this  is  so,  probably  no  one 
can  tell.  Neither  can  any  one  tell  why  the  earth,  in  its 
diurnal  revolution,  turns  from  west  to  east  instead  of 
from  east  to  west.  There  are  a  thousand  things  that 
happen  every  day,  the  philosophy  of  which  we  cannot 
understand.  There  are  a  few  suggestive  statements  and 
facts  recorded  in  the  Bible  which  are  at  least  interesting 
in  connection  with  this  matter.  When  man  was  driven 
out  of  the  Garden  it  is  said  that  God  placed  at  the  east 
of  the  Garden  the  flame  of  a  sword  which  turned  every 
way  so  as  to  guard  man  against  re-entering  the  Garden, 
clearly  indicating  that  the  East  was  no  longer  the  way 
by  which  he  could  make  progress.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that 
when  God  used  the  wind,  under  the  Old  Dispensation,  for 
the  purpose  of  destruction  or  chastisement,  he  invariably 
used  the  east  wind.  An  east  wind  is  a  head  wind.  The 
earth  turns  from  west  to  east,  and  consequently  an  east 
wind  is  one  which  meets  us  as  the  earth  is  turning  from 
the  west.    Whoever  has  crossed  the  ocean  in  the  teeth  of 


26    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


a  head  wind  will  know  how  disagreeable  this  wind  is. 
From  this  fact  it  will  be  seen  that  the  very  elements  are 
opposed  to  progress  to  the  Eastward. 

But  whether  any  satisfactory  reason  can  be  given  for 
the  fact  stated  or  not,  it  is  unmistakably  true  that  progress, 
in  the  main,  has  alwaj'S  been  Westward. 

Nor  is  there  anything  strange  in  this  if  we  stop  for  a 
moment's  reflection.  Progress  is  never  in  straight  lines. 
Its  movements  are  either  circular  or  in  zigzag  courses. 
The  whole  universe  is  constructed  upon  the  verj*  principle 
underlying  all  progress.  The  world's  first  nursery  was 
in  the  East.  The  tide  of  emigration  rolled  Westward,  and 
it  has  continued  in  that  direction  up-to-date.  For  a  time 
it  was  staid  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean;  but,  as  already  re- 
marked, the  discovery  of  America  opened  up  a  new  world 
for  progressive  development;  and  it  is  worth  while  to 
notice  the  fact  that  this  discovery,  in  1492,  was  made  at 
exactly  the  same  time  when  Mohammedanism  had  prac- 
tically its  downfall  in  Europe.  Curiously  enough  is  the 
fact  that  Mohammedanism,  the  only  religion  that  has 
vitally  opposed  the  progress  of  Christianity,  sought  to 
establish  by  force  its  reign  over  the  countries  where  Chris- 
tianity had  spread.  Though  successful  in  some  of  these 
countries  for  a  time,  its  military  progress  was  stopped 
by  the  Battle  of  Tours,  fought  under  the  leadership  of 
Charles  Martel.  Meantime,  the  power  of  Mohammedanism 
began  to  recede.  The  countries  which  it  had  possessed 
gradually  fell  into  the  hands  of  Christian  people,  until, 
as  already  intimated,  in  1492,  their  last  strongholds  were 
taken.  Even  Turkey,  which  is  reckoned  the  Mohammedan 
wedge  in  Europe,  has  only  a  minority  population  follow- 
ing Mohammed;  and  while  in  other  parts  of  Europe  and 
Western  Asia  there  are  still  some  followers  of  him  to  be 
found,  the  unmistakable  fact  exists  that  now  only  east 
of  Palestine  has  Mohammedanism  any  decided  influence. 
Herein  is  disclosed  the  startling  fact  that  Christianity 
makes  for  progress,  while  Islam  makes  for  stagnation. 
The  same  fact  is  seen  in  the  practical  working  of  these 
two  systems,  as  to  the  kind  of  civilisation  which  is  pro- 
duced under  their  respective  influences.  Everywhere  that 
Christianity  prevails  will  be  found  essential  progress; 
while  everywhere  Islam  prevails  will  be  found  stagnation, 
with  all  of  its  unsavory  accompaniments. 


INTKODUCTORY 


27 


As  an  illustration  of  what  I  mean,  I  may  state  that  while 
I  was  once  travelling  in  Syria,  I  came  to  two  villages 
in  the  mountains  of  Lebanon,  one  on  each  side  of  a  little 
stream  that  I  could  almost  step  across.  One  of  these  vil- 
lages was  Mohammedan,  and  it  showed  all  the  character- 
istics of  that  stagnation  which  follows  in  the  train  of 
the  reign  of  the  prophet.  The  village  was  the  impersonifl- 
cation  of  squalid  filth  and  apparent  misery.  The  other 
village,  the  name  of  which  was  Zallia,  was  only  a  few  rods 
distant,  on  the  other  side  of  the  little  steam.  This  village, 
though  dominated  by  a  form  of  Christianity  which  is  by 
no  means  the  best,  nevertheless  exhibited  signs  of  civilisa- 
tion, prosperity,  and  contentment  that  at  once  brought  into 
bold  contrast  the  difference  between  the  two  religions,  even 
when  Christianity  is  shorn  of  its  real  strength  by  additions 
of  error.  What  was  here  so  manifest  in  declaring  the 
superiority  of  the  religion  of  Christ  over  its  aggressive 
rival  is  very  distinctly  apparent  in  every  country  through 
the  Orient  where  these  religions  come  in  contrast. 

But  the  particular  point,  to  which  attention  is  now 
called,  is  that  Christianity  has  followed  the  law  of  prog- 
ress, and  has  itself  largely  contributed  to  that  progress. 
Consequently  its  course  has  been  Westward  all  the  time, 
and  if  it  keeps  in  harmony  with  the  law  already  indicated, 
its  great  triumphs  must  continue  to  be  Westward.  The 
two  other  aggressive  religions,  viz.,  Mohammedanism  and 
Buddhism,  are  both  practically  progressing  Eastward  in- 
stead of  Westward,  and  this  has  been  the  case,  so  far  as 
permanent  progress  is  concerned,  from  the  very  beginning 
of  these  religions. 

From  these  considerations,  it  must  be  evident  that 
Christianity's  conflict  with  these  religions  will  be  in  those 
nations  lying  east  of  Arabia  and  Palestine,  and  west  of 
America.  Here  is  where  Mohammedanism  and  Buddhism 
have  their  home,  and  when  routed  from  these  countries, 
Christianity's  triumph  will  be  complete.  But  in  its  march 
around  the  world,  it  has  been  constantly  travelling  West- 
ward, stopping  here  and  there  for  a  little  while,  to  meet 
the  contending  forces  which  have  opposed  its  progress. 
Sometimes  these  forces  have  seemed  to  triumphantly  pre- 
vail, and  in  most  cases  they  have  undoubtedly  left  their 
influence  upon  Christianity,  even  where  they  have  failed 
to  stay  its  progress.    And  not  only  so,  but  within  Chris- 


28  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tianity  itself  there  have  been  conflicts  of  the  severest  kind. 
On  one  side  of  these  conflicts  have  been  arrayed  all  those 
forces  which  may  be  denominated  antichrist,  while  on  the 
other  side,  even  the  forces  of  Christ  have  been  weakened 
by  foreign  elements  which  have  been  incorporated  with 
the  religious  systems  which  have  stood  for  Christianity. 
Protestantism  was  a  great  movement  in  the  right  direction, 
but  it  carried  with  it  many  of  the  elements  of  Romanism 
under  which  the  simple  Gospel  had  so  long  been  buried. 
Consequently  when  Christianity  reached  the  American 
shores,  it  was  in  an  adulterated  form,  and  lacked  the 
strength,  which  comes  from  unity,  and  the  clearness  of 
vision,  which  comes  from  purity.  America  received  Chris- 
tianity from  two  different  geographical  directions,  viz., 
from  Plymouth  Rock  and  Jamestown.  The  former 
brought  the  stream  of  Puritanism,  which  was  the  religion 
of  the  Roundheads  who  fought  with  Cromwell  for  re- 
ligious and  political  liberty  in  England.  The  latter 
brought  in  Ritualism,  as  illustrated  in  the  Church  of 
England,  while  the  spirit  of  the  people,  who  settled  at 
Jamestown  and  spread  themselves  along  our  Eastward 
shores  Southward  and  Westward,  was  that  of  the  Cavaliers, 
who  were  arrayed  on  the  side  of  Charles  I.  These  two 
somewhat  antagonistic  streams  met  geographically  along 
Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  and  the  conflict  precipitated 
finally  brought  on  our  Civil  War.  But  since  that  war, 
these  two  streams  have  been  coalescing,  especially  through- 
out the  great  West,  Southwest  and  Northwest,  wherein 
may  be  reckoned  a  coming  empire  which  will  finally  dom- 
inate the  whole  of  America.  The  mixing  of  Puritan  blood 
with  that  of  the  CaA^aliers  promises  one  of  the  finest  civili- 
sations the  world  has  ever  seen. 

We  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  this  great  empire 
has  been  gained  through  mighty  conflicts.  But  this  is 
the  law  of  progress.  When  man  was  cast  out  of  Eden, 
"  the  ground  was  cursed  for  his  sake."  He  led  an  active 
life  in  Eden.  He  had  to  "  dress  and  keep  "  the  Garden, 
but  this  service  was  not  a  struggle.  When,  however,  the 
ground  was  cursed,  so  that  it  would  spread  thorns  and 
briars  in  his  pathway,  his  progress  could  be  effected  only 
by  the  sweat  of  his  brow;  service  became  laborious,  and 
everywhere  man  met  obstacles  in  his  pathway  which  he 
had  to  overcome.    But  this  overcoming  was  the  very  thing 


INTRODUCTORY 


29 


that  was  needed  in  order  that  real  manhood  should  be 
made.  All  down  through  the  ages  this  conflict  between 
man  and  the  things  that  hinder  him,  has  been  continued, 
while  Christianity  itself  has  been  subject  to  the  same  law. 
Moving  in  a  great  circle  its  course  has  been  zigzag,  some- 
times to  the  right,  sometimes  to  the  left,  sometimes  even 
retreating  for  a  little  while.  But  in  the  course  of  years, 
we  see  it  leaping  forward  again,  and  making  decided 
progress  in  its  march  Westward  around  the  world. 

As  already  intimated,  we  find  it  crossing  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  and  establishing  itself  on  this  new  continent,  but 
in  a  somewhat  imperfect  form,  and  especially  weakened 
by  divisions  into  sects.  These  sects,  instead  of  contend- 
ing against  the  common  enemy,  often  became  bitterly  op- 
posed to  one  another,  and  thus  imperiled  the  success  of 
Christianity  in  its  movement  Westward  to  the  conquest 
of  the  nations. 

Just  here  it  would  be  interesting  to  pause  for  a  while 
and  consider  somewhat  carefully  the  most  prominent 
epochs  of  historj'  which,  from  the  beginning,  mark  the 
j)rogress  of  Christianity  through  Western  Asia  and  Europe 
before  it  reached  the  American  continent.  In  this  exam- 
ination it  Avould  be  found  that  these  periods  were  all  fore- 
told in  prophecy.  This  fact  is  in  itself  a  most  remarkable 
confirmation  of  the  trustworthiness  of  the  Bible  testimony, 
and  also  strikingly  confirms  the  law  of  progress  which  has 
already  been  indicated. 

"  Nineteen  centuries  of  the  fulfilment  of  New  Testament 
prophecies  concerning  the  course  of  events  during  the 
Christian  dispensation  lie  behind  us.  The  fall  of  Jerusa- 
lem, the  triumphs  of  the  Gospel,  the  vicissitudes  of  the 
Roman  empire,  the  sufferings  of  the  Church  under  Pagan 
Rome,  the  victory  of  tlie  martyrs,  the  abolition  of  Pagan- 
ism and  establishment  of  Christianity,  the  gradual  devel- 
opment of  the  great  apostasies  in  the  West  and  in  the 
East,  the  overthrow  of  the  Western  Empire  by  the  Sara- 
cens and  Turks,  the  depressed  and  hidden  condition  of  the 
true  Church  during  the  Middle  Ages,  the  great  Reforma- 
tion of  the  Sixteenth  Century,  the  slaughter  and  resurrec- 
tion of  the  Christian  witnesses,  the  retributive  judgments 
of  the  French  Revolution,  the  universal  proclamation  of 
the  Gospel  in  modern  times,  the  fall  of  the  Papal  temporal 
power  at  the  moment  of  the  highest  act  of  Papal  self- 


30   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


exaltation,  aud  at  the  date  anticipated  for  centuries  by 
students  of  the  prophetic  word,  the  wasting  away  of  Turk- 
ish power,  the  issuing  forth  of  spirits  of  delusion,  Romish, 
Ritualistic  and  Infidel  in  our  own  days,  and  the  visible 
commencement  of  the  rise  of  the  Jewish  people  from  the 
depression  of  ages,  of  their  unification,  and  of  their  restora- 
tion to  the  land  of  their  fathers,  all  these  events  by  their 
striking  fulfilments  of  the  anticipations  of  prophecy  have 
confirmed  our  faith  in  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. In  vain  do  the  restless  waves  of  scepticism  dash 
against  the  base  of  that  impregnable  rock.  And  now 
astronomy  is  adding  its  testimony  to  that  of  history  in 
confirmation  of  the  prophetic  word.  The  stars  in  their 
courses  are  fighting  for  Israel.  The  sacred  times  and 
seasons  "  of  the  law,  equally  with  those  of  the  prophets, 
are  found  to  possess  a  hidden  astronomic  character,  bind- 
ing them  together  as  a  systematic  whole,  linking  them  in- 
dissolubly  with  the  System  of  Nature,  proclaiming  their 
true  measures,  settling  their  historic  place,  and  demon- 
strating the  divineness  of  their  origin.''  * 

Whoever  will  take  the  pains  to  study  carefully  the  his- 
tory of  the  periods  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  will 
understand  what  is  meant  by  the  zigzag  courses  of  prog- 
ress, and  especially  the  slow  and  tortuous  movements  of 
Christianity  down  the  ages.  Nevertheless,  it  will  be  seen 
that,  while  its  progress  has  been  sometimes  retarded,  at 
other  times  backward,  and  frequently  to  the  right  or  to 
the  left,  it  has  slowly  continued  its  course  against  all 
opposition  from  without  and  from  within,  until,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  it  takes  a  new  start 
on  the  American  continent  in  a  movement  which  had  for 
its  aim  a  complete  restoration  of  primitive  Cristianity 
in  its  faith,  doctrine,  spirit,  and  life. 

But  this  movement  itself  was  the  result  of  other  move- 
ments which  had  preceded  it.  What  Luther  and  his  asso- 
ciates did,  made  it  possible  for  other  definite  steps  to  be 
taken;  and  these  were  taken  by  such  leaders  as  Calvin, 
AVesley,  etc.  But  when  all  these  movements  have  been 
carefully  credited  with  what  they  achieved,  there  still 
remained  much  to  be  accomplished  before  Christianity 
could  be  prepared  for  a  movement  across  the  Pacific  to 
attack  the  strongholds  of  Oriental  religions.    Luther  had 

*  "  History  Unveiling  Prophecy,"  by  H.  Grattan  Guinness,  D.D. 


INTRODUCTORY 


31 


broken  the  fetters  which  Priestcraft  had  fastened  upon 
the  human  soul ;  Calvin  had  emphasised  the  Divine  side  in 
the  plan  of  salvation;  Avhile  Wesley  had  emphasised  the 
human  side;  so  that  progress  was  by  a  movement  to  the 
right  and  then  to  the  left,  but  never  in  a  straight  line. 
At  tlie  end  of  these  movements  a  great  deal  of  truth  had 
been  developed,  and  many  errors,  that  had  accumulated 
during  the  Middle  Ages,  were  shaken  oft";  but  there  still 
remained  a  great  task  to  be  iierformed  before  the  Church 
could  become  as  bright  as  the  sun,  as  fair  as  the  moon, 
and  as  terrible  as  any  army  with  banners. 

Historically,  this  movement  may  be  divided  into  three 
periods : 

(1)  .  The  Creative  Period. 

(2)  .  The  Chaotic  Period. 

(3)  .  The  Organic  or  Reconstruction  Period, 

This  classification  follows  closely  the  steps  of  progress 
of  everything  in  both  mind  and  matter.  The  first  chapter 
of  Genesis  contains  the  seeds  of  things.  It  is  the  most 
suggestive  chapter  in  the  Bible,  and  in  many  respects  the 
most  remarkable  record  that  has  ever  been  made  in  the 
history  of  this  earth's  development.  It  is  worth  while  to 
study,  especially  the  first  three  verses,  so  as  to  apprehend 
the  divine  order  of  progression  with  respect  to  all  created 
things. 

The  first  verse  is  very  comprehensive,  and  has  frequently 
been  wholly  misunderstood.  It  evidently  is  intended  to 
represent  a  completed  creation.  It  is  a  comprehensive 
statement  of  what  was  done  in  the  beginning,  though  this 
"  beginning  "  is  not  definitely  fixed  as  regards  time,  nor 
is  time  an  important  factor  with  respect  to  events,  so  far 
back  in  the  history  of  the  universe.  The  one  thing  that 
needs  to  be  emphasised  is  that  this  first  verse  clearly 
indicates  a  completed  creation,  not  a  partial  creation, 
as  some  have  supposed.  The  three  great,  comprehen- 
sive things  suggested  are  God,"  "  Creation,"  and 
the  "Heavens  and  the  Earth,"  or  the  Universe.  Each 
one'  of  these  furnishes  a  theme  for  volumes,  and  conse- 
quently can  only  be  mentioned  in  what  we  are  now  con- 
sidering. 

The  second  verse  singles  out  the  earth  for  separate  treat- 
ment, and  we  are  told  that  it  "  Itad  hecome  waste  and 
wild."    This  rendering  is  justified  by  a  proper  construe- 


32   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tion  of  the  Hebrew  language,  and  is  now  very  generally 
conceded  by  scholars.  If  this  rendering  is  admitted,  then 
it  indicates  clearly  that,  after  the  Creation  was  completed, 
there  was  an  overthrow,  in  which  order  became  confusion, 
and  darkness  reigned  over  the  great  abyss.  I  do  not  stop 
now  to  discuss  how  this  overthrow  came  about,  though 
there  are  hints  in  the  Bible,  as  well  as  in  the  physical 
structure  of  the  earth,  which  are  very  suggestive  with  re- 
spect to  the  origin  of  this  Chaotic  Period.  How  long  it 
lasted,  we  cannot  tell ;  but  finally  the  spirit  of  God,  brood- 
ing upon  the  deep,  led  up  to  the  first  fiat  which  was  uttered 
in  these  sublime  words :  God  said.  Let  there  be  light, 
and  light  was."  Then  follow  the  different  days  in  the 
Organic,  or  Reconstruction  Period,  each  one  of  these  days 
marking  a  definite  step  in  the  progressive  development  of 
the  earth  in  its  preparation  for  the  great  tenant — man, 
who  was  evidently  in  the  mind  of  God  at  the  very  be- 
ginning. 

I  have  already  intimated  that  these  facts,  connected  with 
the  creation  of  the  world,  furnish  the  basis  for  an  analogy 
with  respect  to  all  historic  movements,  whether  religious 
or  otherwise,  and  that  we  must  go  back  to  these  three 
periods  in  order  to  reach  a  trustworthy  basis  for  our 
reasoning  with  respect  to  religious  movements.  When  we 
carefully  examine  these  movements  it  will  be  found  that 
they  all  have  their  Creative  period,  their  Chaotic  period, 
and  their  Organic  or  Reconstruction  period. 

The  Reformation  of  the  nineteenth  century,  under  the 
Campbells,  is  not  an  exception  to  the  general  rule.  It 
had  its  Creative  period,  which  was  soon  followed  by  a 
Chaotic  period,  and  this  again  was  followed  by  a  period 
of  Reconstruction ;  and  all  of  these  periods  are  very  im- 
portant in  order  to  give  us  a  clear  idea  of  the  genesis, 
struggles,  failures,  and  triumphs  of  this  great  movement 
for  the  restoration  of  Primitive  Christianity  in  its  faith, 
doctrine,  and  life. 

This  distinct  and  definite  Creative  period  began  with  the 
issuance  of  the  great  "  Declaration  and  Address,"  written 
by  Thomas  Campbell.  This  historically  marks  the  first 
verse  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  book  of  Genesis,  as  it 
belongs  to  the  Campbellian  movement.  Nor  would  I  be 
far  from  the  truth  if  I  were  to  say  that  in  this  beginning 
God  created  the  movement,  and  simply  used  Thomas 


INTRODUCTORY 


33 


Campbell  to  put  its  great  principles  into  a  language  that 
might  be  read  by  the  people  of  the  ages  to  come. 

That  the  movement  finally  became  Chaotic,  and  for  a 
time  seemed  to  lose  itself  in  the  confusion  which  reigned 
in  the  religious  world,  and  especially  in  the  regions  where 
the  movement  was  started,  must  be  readily  conceded  by 
every  one  who  studies  carefully  the  history  of  what  we 
have  denominated  its  Chaotic  Period.  At  first  it  was  in- 
tended to  be  a  union  movement.  The  whole  spirit  of  the 
"  Declaration  and  Address "  breathes  the  sentiment  of 
Christian  Union,  and  strongly  invites  to  a  cessation  of 
everything  belligerent  among  the  people  of  God,  or  any- 
thing that  hindered  a  coming  together  of  all  the  forces 
of  Christendom  into  a  harmonious  co-operation  and  fellow- 
ship. But  it  soon  became  evident  that  sectarianism  was 
too  strongly  entrenched  behind  the  walls  which  divided 
Christendom  into  numerous  antagonistic  parties  for  the 
new  movement  to  make  much  headway  in  bringing  about 
a  realisation  of  its  splendid  ideals.  The  Campbells  them- 
selves became  identified  with  one  of  the  religious  denom- 
inations of  that  period,  and  by  doing  so  they,  to  some 
extent,  practically  stultified  the  great  plea  which  they  had 
made  for  an  undenominational  Christianity.  We  cannot 
discuss  the  reasons  which  seemed  to  justify  this  step  at 
the  time  it  was  taken.  There  were  undoubtedly  some  very 
weighty  reasons,  but  all  the  same,  it  is  clear  to  the  thought- 
ful and  impartial  historian  that  this  step  practically  made 
the  Chaos  which  had  begun  to  reign  an  assured  fact;  for 
it  was  not  long  until  even  the  denomination  with  which 
the  Campbells  were  identified  persistently  refused  to  recog- 
nise them  as  members  in  good  standing.  At  this  time  they 
were  without  any  special  organic  relation  to  the  Chris- 
tianity of  the  times.  It  is  true  that  a  few  churches  had 
continued  to  stand  by  the  Campbellian  movement  and  were 
afterwards  identified  with  it  in  its  separate  existence. 
But  for  a  considerable  time  the  whole  movement  seemed 
to  be  largely  without  chart  or  compass,  while  moving  over 
the  sea  of  troubled  waters  which  everywhere  characterised 
the  religious  condition  of  the  world  at  that  particular  time. 

But  about  the  year  1830,  there  was  a  distinct  utterance 
in  the  movement  which  said,  "  Let  there  be  light."  The 
issuance  of  the  Millennial  Barhinger  was  the  beginning  of 
the  new  period,  or  the  period  of  Reconstruction.  There 


34   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


was  no  longer  much  desire  to  be  identified  with  any  of  the 
religious  denominations.  The  fight  began  in  real  earnest 
against  all  the  forms  of  sectarianism,  and  from  this  time 
forward  the  movement  became  an  aggressive  force  in  carry- 
ing forward  a  great  plea,  which  plea  was  the  restoration 
of  what  Avas  called  at  that  time,  "  The  Ancient  Order  of 
Things."  Mr.  Campbell  and  his  co-workers  were  no  longer 
satisfied  Avith  a  compromise  in  respect  to  the  sects  of 
Christendom,  but  they  now  said  we  must  reconstruct 
Christendom  from  beginning  to  the  end;  we  must  restore 
the  lost  Gospel,  the  lost  Church,  and  the  lost  unity  of 
the  spirit ;  and  in  order  to  do  this  the  first  thing  necessary 
v\'as  to  let  the  people  have  the  light,  the  light  of  God's 
Word,  unmixed  with  the  dark  lines  of  superstition  which 
everywhere  obscured  Him  who  is  the  Light  of  the  world. 
Mr.  Campbell  claimed  that  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  had 
been  eclipsed  by  creeds  and  speculations,  and  that  this 
eclipse  must  be  broken  and  the  glorious  light  that  had  come 
into  the  world  should  be  allowed  to  shine  into  the  hearts  of 
men  and  thereby  bring  them  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

Looking  at  it  from  our  limited  point  of  view,  it  some- 
times appears  that  it  would  have  been  better  if  the  move- 
ment had  continued  on  its  way  as  it  was  first  started. 
But  a  closer  investigation  of  all  the  facts  of  the  case  makes 
it  evident  to  me,  at  least,  that  the  Creative  Period  had  to 
come  to  Chaos,  and  that  the  Reconstruction  Period  is  at 
present  practically  the  hope  of  the  world. 

It  has  already  been  indicated  that  America  is  a  neces- 
sary factor  on  the  way  to  the  final  triumphs  of  Chris- 
tianity. Light  always  comes  from  the  East,  but  action, 
movement,  and  progress  are  toward  the  West.  The  Camp- 
bellian  movement  has  developed  toward  the  West.  It  has 
made  little  progress  in  the  Eastern  states,  or  even  in  the 
Middle  states.  The  two  great  civilising  forces,  namely, 
that  which  came  with  the  Puritans  and  that  which  came 
with  the  Cavaliers,  met  and  coalesced  along  the  line  which 
separates  the  East  from  the  AYest,  and  has  ever  since  been 
building  an  empire  in  the  Western  part  of  America  which 
is  destined  to  become  a  great  power  in  carrying  forward 
the  religion  of  Christ  to  the  nations  which  lie  still  farther 
West,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  It  was  no 
accident  that  the  Campbells,  coming  from  the  East,  should 


INTRODUCTORY 


35 


have  brought  the  light  which  was  needed  for  the  Recon- 
struction Period;  nor  is  it  a  stretch  of  the  imagination 
to  see  in  the  development  of  our  own  Western  land  the 
basis  from  which  to  move  upon  the  nations  that  still  lie 
between  us  and  Palestine,  where  Christianity  began  its 
triumphal  march  around  the  world. 

It  would  be  interesting  and  even  instructive  if  we  could 
tarry  long  enough  just  here  to  show  how  this  goodly  land 
of  ours  is  precisely  the  best  place  where  a  new  Christianity, 
so  to  speak,  must  find  its  home  and  grow  into  a  great 
power  before  a  successful  movement  can  be  made  upon 
such  countries  as  Japan,  China,  etc.,  with  the  Christianity 
of  Christ.  It  has  already  been  intimated  that  this  Chris- 
tianity of  Christ  had  become  adulterated,  sectarianized, 
and  made  practically  powerless  for  the  great  work  of 
converting  the  world,  while  it  remained  in  Europe.  The 
new  world  offered  itself  to  a  new  experiment,  namely,  the 
restoration  of  Christianity  in  its  primitive  simplicity, 
beauty,  and  unity,  so  that,  having  become  somewhat  as 
the  Master  would  have  it  be,  it  can  be  carried  to  the 
countries  lying  West  of  us,  where  only  such  a  Christianity, 
as  has  been  indicated,  can  possibly  make  definite  and  sub- 
stantial progress. 

This  clearly  suggests  the  problem  which  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  have  to  solve;  for  undoubtedly  they  have  been 
called  by  Divine  Providence  to  meet  this  emergency  in 
the  onward  course  of  Christianity  around  the  world;  and 
if  they  are  true  to  their  own  history  and  to  the  great  prin- 
ciples for  which  they  have  contended,  they  must  necessarily 
become  the  leaders  of  the  missionary  forces  that  shall  take 
the  heathen  lands  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific  for 
the  blood-stained  banner  of  the  cross. 

Are  they  sufficient  for  these  things?  Are  they  willing 
to  make  the  sacrifices  which  must  be  made  in  order  to  the 
achievement  of  this  great  triumph?  Shall  they  show 
themselves  worthy  of  the  great  mission  to  which  they 
have  been  called?  These  are  the  great  questions  that 
must  be  answered  in  the  affirmative  unless  they  wish  the 
candlestick  removed  from  their  hands,  and  the  great  work 
of  conquering  the  world  for  Christ  committed  to  the  charge 
of  some  other  people.  This  is  just  what  will  be  done  if 
the  Disciples  fail  to  meet  this  responsibility. 

I  cannot  believe  that  the  Disciples  will  hesitate  to  accept 


36   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

this  great  and  responsible  position.  Undoubtedly  they 
occupy  a  vantage  ground  in  the  religious  plea  which  they 
have  to  present.  It  is  not  weakened  by  human  admix- 
tures, nor  is  it  perplexed  by  recondite  theological  specula- 
tions. When  fairly  stated,  it  is  clear-cut,  and  is  the  only 
plea  that  is  offered  to-day  which  will  unite  all  the  forces 
of  Christendom  for  the  great  contest  which  is  sure  to  come 
when  a  pure,  unadulterated,  and  valiant  Christianity  shall, 
travelling  Westward,  meet  the  false  religions  of  heathen- 
dom, travelling  Eastward.  This  meeting  will  take  place 
somewhere  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  this 
side  of  Palestine.  The  great  battle  between  the  forces  of 
Gog  and  Magog,  or  the  battle  of  Armagedden,  will  then 
be  fought,  not  perhaps  with  carnal  weapons,  but  with 
the  Gospel  on  one  side,  which  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth,  and  the  false  re- 
ligions of  the  Orient,  travelling  Eastward,  as  has  always 
been  the  case  with  these  religions,  as  has  already  been 
pointed  out. 

Can  we  measure  the  time  that  is  necessary  to  subdue 
sectarianism  in  our  land  and  unite  the  people  of  God  upon 
the  one  foundation  of  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ 
Himself  being  the  chief  cornerstone?  If  we  can  make  a 
correct  estimate  as  to  how  long  it  will  take  to  solve  this 
great  problem,  we  may  then  determine  with  something 
like  definite  certainty  when  our  forces  will  be  ready  for 
the  final  contest  in  the  heathen  lands  that  lie  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  W^e  have  already  sent  some 
avant-couriers  in  our  faithful  missionaries  to  these  lands 
to  prepare  the  way  of  our  coming  with  all  the  forces  of 
Christendom  in  our  army.  But  these  missionaries  can 
never  conquer  these  nations  for  Christ  until  the  churches 
as  a  united  body  shall  go  to  these  lands  carrying  one 
great  banner,  the  blood-stained  cross  of  Christ,  on  which 
there  is  inscribed,  ^'  One  Lord,  One  Faith,  and  One 
Baptism." 

It  is  now  proper  to  consider  somewhat  specifically  just 
what  the  plea  is  which  the  Disciples  make,  and  also  how 
that  plea  fits  in  with  the  present  conditions  of  the  problem 
of  converting  the  world.  The  whole  plea  was  really 
comprehended  in  "  the  Declaration  and  Address  "  issued 
by  the  Campbells  in  1809,  but  as  that  Address  was  in- 
tended to  give  simply  a  general  survey  of  the  religious 


INTRODUCTORY 


37 


condition  at  that  particular  time,  it  is  perhaps  well  to 
deal  more  specifically  with  the  great  plea  as  it  had  de- 
veloped, when  the  Disciples  had  fairly  launched  their 
aggressive  movement. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  this  movement  was  char- 
acterised by  three  periods,  The  Creative,  The  Chaotic, 
and  the  Organic  or  Period  of  Reconstruction.  When  the 
Organic  Period  was  reached  and  the  Disciples  became 
practically  a  separate  people,  they  began  to  state  very 
earnestly  the  special  things  for  which  they  contended. 
In  order  to  a  clear  apprehension  of  the  whole  plea  which 
they  advocated,  it  will  be  necessary  to  deal  with  some  of 
the  main  features  of  their  contention,  as  this  will  help 
us  to  understand  the  importance  of  the  work  as  it  legiti- 
mately relates  to  the  conversion  of  the  world.  The  follow- 
ing are  among  the  principal  things  for  which  the  Disciples 
have  generally  contended : 

I. — A  SCRIPTURAL  BIBLIOLOGY 

Some  questions  relating  to  the  Bible  which  have  occu- 
pied the  attention  of  recent  years  were  not  considered  at 
all  during  the  third  decade  of  the  Disciple  Movement, 
which  decade  marks  the  beginning  of  their  separate  exist- 
ence as  a  religious  people.  Biblical  criticism,  as  repre- 
sented by  modern  scholarship,  was  scarcely  considered  at 
all  in  the  earlier  periods  of  the  movement.  With  perhaps 
few  exceptions,  the  Bible  was  accepted  without  any  ques- 
tion whatever  as  to  its  literary  structure.  All  alike  ac- 
cepted the  statement  of  the  Apostle  that  "  all  Scripture, 
given  by  inspiration,  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof, 
for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness,  that  the 
man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  to  every 
good  work."  The  great  dictum  of  Thomas  Campbell — 
"  Where  the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak ;  where  the  Bible  is 
silent,  we  are  silent,"  at  once  turned  all  eyes  to  the  Word 
of  God  as  the  only-suflficient  and  all-sufficient  rule  of  faith 
and  practice.  At  the  same  time  it  is  undoubtedly  true 
that  this  dictum  has  not  always  been  clearly  understood 
by  those  who  have  used  it  in  the  warfare  against  human 
creeds.  Perhaps  some  failed  to  recognise  that  there  are 
at  least  three  Bibles  in  common  use.  First,  the  Bible  as 
it  really  is,  or  as  it  would  be,  if  we  had  in  our  possession 


38  HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  original  autograplis.  Second,  the  Bible,  as  interpreted 
for  our  neighbours ;  and  third,  the  Bible,  as  interpreted  for 
ourselves.  Now  the  mistake  that  some  made  was  in  assum- 
ing that  they  followed  the  Bible  without  any  interpreta- 
tion of  its  meaning  at  all.  But  this  course  would  leave 
us  wdthout  any  revelation  whatever.  Undoubtedly  the 
Bible  which  every  man  follows,  or  seeks  to  follow,  is  the 
Bible  as  he  understands  it.  In  short,  his  interpretation 
of  the  Bible  is  what  the  Bible  must  be  to  him. 

Of  course  this  view  of  the  matter  cuts  off  at  once  the 
cheap  way  of  saying  that  we  are  following  the  Bible,  when 
we  are  only  following  our  interpretation  of  it.  When 
Thomas  Campbell  said,  "  Where  the  Bible  speaks,  we 
speak,"  he  undoubtedly  meant  by  the  Bible  speaking  that 
it  uttered  intelligible  words,  and  that  the  Bible  cannot 
speak  to  any  one  that  does  not  understand  it. 

This  view  practically  lifts  this  magnificent  dictum  out 
of  the  slavish  service  in  which  it  has  been  sometimes  used 
by  those  who  regard  "  ignorance  as  bliss,"  as  well  as  "  folly 
to  be  wise." 

But  it  is  in  the  use  of  the  scientific  method  of  interpret- 
ing the  Bible  that  the  Disciples  have  become  distinguished. 
They  have  always  practically  with  great  unanimity  dis- 
carded the  dogmatic  and  mystic  interpretations  of  the 
Scriptures.  They  have  sought,  as  far  as  possible,  to  use 
the  inductive  method,  the  method  that  brought  harmony 
in  the  scientific  w^orld,  and  redeemed  the  investigation  of 
nature  from  the  empiricism  of  the  Dark  Ages,  and  to  which 
the  splendid  triumphs  of  science  at  the  beginning  of  the 
twentieth  century  are  largely  indebted.  It  was  believed 
by  the  intelligent  advocates  of  the  Disciple  Movement  that 
the  application  of  the  inductive  method  in  studying  the 
Scriptures  would  finally  lead  up  to  practical  unity  with 
respect  to  what  the  Bible  really  teaches,  so  that  when  we 
say,  Where  the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak,"  we  can  know 
assuredly  just  what  the  Bible  does  si)eak  with  respect  to 
any  subject  under  consideration. 

It  is  not  needful  here  to  illustrate  this  method  as  it  Avas 
used  by  the  Reformers  at  the  time  when  they  were  forced 
into  a  separate  existence  as  a  religious  people.  However, 
it  is  worth  while  to  state  the  fact  that  to  this  method,  when 
honestly  used,  may  be  ascribed  much  of  the  success  which 
has  attended  the  Disciple  Movement. 


INTRODUCTORY 


39 


II. — A  SCRIPTURAL  THEOLOGY 

This  is  perhaps  the  most  fundamental  characteristic  of 
the  Campbellian  Movement.  While  both  of  the  Campbells, 
and  most  of  the  early  advocates  of  the  movement,  were 
Calvinists,  coming  as  they  did  out  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  it  is  still  true  that  they  refused  to  accept  any 
hyper-Calvinistic  vicAvs  with  respect  to  the  Divine  Gov- 
ernment. Recognising  as  they  did  that  a  religion  will 
always  be  as  its  Deity  is,  the  early  pioneers  were  careful 
to  give  the  people  a  true  conception  of  God,  for  they  recog- 
nised the  fact  that  a  religion  will  always  take  on  the  type 
of  the  God  that  is  worshipped  by  those  who  hold  to  that 
religion. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  movement  the  prevailing  idea 
of  God  among  the  religious  denominations  was  to  the  Dis- 
ciples an  entire  perversion  of  what  the  character  of  God 
really  is.  The  conception  that  prevailed  was  doubtless 
inherited  from  the  apostasy  which  spread  such  vast  ruin 
over  the  Christian  world  during  the  Middle  Ages.  This 
mediaeval  conception  embraced  at  least  three  errors: 

First.  That  God  is  a  great  personal  governor  who  sits 
upon  His  throne,  entirely  apart  from  the  present  world, 
from  which  He  rules  His  creatures  by  imperious  and  un- 
changeable laws. 

Second.  The  administration  of  this  government  on 
earth  is  wholly  committed  to  a  specially  appointed  human 
priesthood  who  practically  occupy  the  position  of  medi- 
ators between  God  and  the  subjects  of  His  kingdom. 

Third.  The  worship  of  this  God  can  be  acceptable  only 
through  forms  and  ceremonies,  and  in  an  environment 
which  this  priesthood  chose  to  create. 

This  I  am  persuaded  does  not  overstate  the  generally 
prevailing  conceptions  of  the  God  of  the  Bible  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century.  Of  course  there  may 
have  been  some  exceptions,  as  regards  this  statement, 
but  no  student  of  ecclesiastical  history  will  doubt  that 
the  conception  of  God,  which  has  been  presented,  fairly 
represents  the  general  trend  of  religious  development  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Disciple  Movement. 

Now  in  opposition  to  these  three  predominant  character- 
istics of  the  age,  at  the  time  the  Campbellian  movement 
v/as  started,  at  least  three  distinct  Biblical  conceptions 


40   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


of  God  were  affirmed  with  all  the  fervour  of  deep  conviction 
by  the  early  pioneers.  Perhaps  they  did  not  state  the 
matter  with  exactness.  Perhaps  they  were  not  always 
conscious  of  the  order  herein  presented;  but  there  can  be 
little  doubt  that  their  advocacy  embraced  somewhat  the 
following  order : 

(1)  .  God  is  Spirit. 

(2)  .  God  is  Light. 

(3)  .  God  is  Love. 

With  respect  to  the  first  of  these,  they  referred  to  the 
conversation  of  Christ  with  the  woman  of  Samaria,  and 
earnestly  contended  for  the  truth  of  the  statement  made 
by  Christ  Himself  in  that  remarkable  interview.  He  de- 
clared that  God  is  Spirit,  and  His  contention  was  that  if 
God  is  Spirit  they  who  worship  Him  must  worship  Him 
in  spirit  and  in  truth.  In  other  words,  the  worship  must 
be  spiritual,  not  merely  sensuous,  and  then  it  must  be  a 
truthful  worship  also,  and  consequently  not  based  upon 
false  conceptions  of  God  or  anything  else. 

It  is  well  just  here  to  notice  the  exact  language  of  our 
Divine  Lord.  He  does  not  say  that  God  is  a  Spirit,  nor 
that  God  is  the  Spirit,  but  that  God  is  Spirit.  The  Greek 
is  Pneuma  Ho  Theos.  It  will  be  easily  perceived  by  the 
Greek  scholar  that  it  is  not  personality  that  is  affirmed 
of  God,  but  His  essence;  therefore  being  pure  Spirit,  He 
cannot  dwell  in  particular  places  or  temples,  for  the 
Most  High  dwelleth  not  in  houses  made  with  hands,  as  is 
declared  in  Acts  vii :  45 ;  xvii :  24-25 ;  nor  can  He  require 
earthly  material  offerings  or  special  ceremonies,  or  any 
other  man-made  machinery,  through  which  He  may  be 
approached.  Indeed,  this  aflirmation  of  Christ  was  in- 
tended to  be  a  protest  against  all  limitations  of  God 
through  an  objective  personality,  which  compelled  the 
worshipper  to  think  of  God  as  only  manifested  in  material 
representations.  Our  Lord's  statement  is  equally  conclu- 
sive against  image  worship,  and  also  all  forms  and  cere- 
monies, such  as  became  the  ruling  passion  with  medifeval 
Christianity,  some  of  whose  evils  Avere  prominent  char- 
acteristics of  the  churches  at  the  beginning  of  the  nine- 
teenth century. 

It  is  well  to  analyse  somewhat  carefully  the  statement 
made  by  Christ  concerning  God.  As  already  intimated 
the  statement  does  not  affirm  the  personality  of  God,  but 


INTRODUCTORY 


41 


His  essence.  The  personality  is  taken  for  granted,  while 
the  essence  is  distinctly  declared.  Look  carefully  at  this 
phrase — Pneuma  Ho  Theos.  Notice  the  article  before 
Theos.  This  assumes  the  personality  of  God.  Notice, 
furthermore,  that  there  is  no  article  before  Pneuma. 
This  clearly  indicates  the  important  fact  that  God,  viz., 
this  Divine  Personality,  is,  in  His  essence,  pure  Spirit. 
This  being  true,  He  seeks  such  worshippers  as  will  meet 
Him  in  this  essence.  Nowhere  else  in  the  New  Testament 
is  there  a  stronger  argument  for  the  birth  out  of  the  Spirit, 
as  indicated  in  the  third  chapter  of  John,  than  is  found  in 
this  important  statement  of  Christ.  God's  personality  is 
for  the  moment  absorbed  in  His  essence,  and  thus  supreme 
transcendence  is  made  to  harmonise  as  well  as  vitalise 
with  His  providential  immanence.  Hence,  He  is  not  only 
over  the  world  and  apart  from  the  world,  in  the  fact  that 
He  is,  in  His  individual  personality.  Ho  Theos,  but  He  is 
also  in  the  world  and  providentially  moves  and  helps  the 
world,  because  He  is  essentially  Pneuma,  or  Spirit. 

Thus  we  have,  in  this  sublime  statement  of  our  Divine 
Lord,  both  the  transcendence  and  immanence  of  God 
clearly  set  forth.  But  in  order  that  we  may  render  accept- 
able worship  to  Him,  we  must  be  born  from  above,  or 
born  out  of  water  and  out  of  Spirit,  thus  meeting  God  in 
His  essence  by  an  essence  of  the  same  kind;  and  as  we 
have  borne  the  image  of  the  earthly  we  should  also  bear 
the  image  of  the  heavenly.  Man  was  created  in  the  image 
of  God,  but  in  the  fall  this  image  was  lost,  or  at  least  was 
marred,  and  the  restoration  in  Christ  Jesus  makes  us  again 
like  God,  or  fixes  upon  us  His  likeness,  in  that  we  become 
spirit  as  He  is  Spirit.  Hence,  the  new  spiritual  man, 
who  comes  out  of  the  new  birth,  is  the  only  kind  of  wor- 
shipper God  seeks,  or  who  can  worship  Him  in  both  spirit 
and  truth.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  God,  as  Spirit,  be- 
came flesh,  that  man,  as  flesh,  might  become  spirit.  Or 
to  put  it  more  in  harmony  with  our  modern  style,  God 
was  manifested  in  the  flesh  that  He  might  come  down  to 
man  and  touch  his  sympathies,  awaken  his  dormant 
spiritual  energies,  and  bring  his  spiritual  nature  into 
regnancy  from  which  it  fell  when  the  animal  man  tri- 
umphed over  the  spiritual.  Surely  nothing  could  exalt 
our  conception  of  God  more  than  this  sublime  fact  which 
is  evidently  the  main  burden  of  the  incarnation. 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


The  Disciples  have  always  regarded  the  second  con- 
ception of  God,  namely,  that  He  is  Light,  as  of  great  im- 
portance. It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  first  fiat 
of  the  Disciple  movement,  when  it  was  driven  into  a  sep- 
arate position  from  the  denominations,  was,  "  Let  there  be 
light."  This  has  characterised  the  movement  from  that 
time  to  the  present  hour.  Indeed,  it  may  be  safely 
affirmed  that  tlie  plea  which  they  have  made  lends  itself 
easily  to  a  harmony  with  the  scientific,  critical,  and  prac- 
tical demands  of  the  age;  and,  consequently,  when  it  is 
affirmed  that  God  is  light  we  at  once  liave  a  key-word 
with  which  to  unlock  any  difficulty  which  lies  in  the  path- 
way of  a  clear  understanding  of  much  that  would  other- 
wise be  only  darkness  and  confusion.  In  I.  John  i :  5  it  is 
declared  that  God  is  Light.  The  Greek  in  this  case  is. 
Ho  Theos  Phoos  Esti.  Here  again  we  have  the  person- 
ality of  God  taken  for  granted,  for  the  article  is  used 
before  God,  as  in  the  other  case,  to  which  reference  has 
already  been  made;  but  there  is  no  article  before  Phoos, 
so  that  it  is  true  Avith  respect  to  light  as  with  respect  to 
spirit.  The  very  essence  of  God  is  light.  This  being  true, 
we  need  not  wonder  that  the  Chaotic  darkness  which  fol- 
lowed the  creation  was  dissipated  by  that  sublime  fiat: 
"  God  said.  Let  there  be  light."  This  is  still  the  order  in 
every  re-creation,  whether  in  individuals  or  in  religious 
movements. 

The  Campbellian  movement  has  always  claimed  that, 
in  this  respect,  its  plea  is  entirely  reasonable.  To  use 
the  language  of  the  Apostle  Peter,  the  Disciples  have 
"  always  been  ready  to  give  to  every  man  who  asks  them, 
a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  them,"  though  they  may  not 
have  always  done  this  "  with  meekness  and  fear."  How- 
ever, they  have  been  true  to  the  ideal  as  far,  perhaps,  as 
human  nature  can  realise  an  ideal  which  is  so  perfect  in 
its  conception. 

But  the  crowning  revelation  of  God  to  us  is  the  state- 
ment that  He  is  Love.  In  I.  John  iv :  8  we  have  this  lan- 
guage, Ho  Theos  Agapee  Estin — God  is  Love.  Here  again 
the  essence  of  God  is  declared  without  the  article,  while 
His  personality  is  distinctly  set  forth  by  the  article  Ho 
before  Theos. 

Just  here  also  we  come  in  contact  with  the  need  of  what 
has  been  called  "  dispensational  truth,"  in  which  an  im- 


INTRODUCTOKY 


43 


portant  distinction  between  the  dispensations  is  made. 
The  revelation  of  God  that  He  is,  in  His  essence,  Love, 
was  reserved  for  the  Christian  Dispensation  to  proclaim 
in  its  fulness,  or  its  comprehensive  import.  Under  former 
dispensations  God  is  revealed  to  us  as  a  Sovereign,  as  the 
"  Lord  of  Hosts,"  "  The  God  of  Battles,"  etc. ;  but  under 
the  Christian  dispensation  He  is  revealed  to  us  as  a  tender, 
loving  Father,  so  loving  the  world  as  to  give  His  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  Under  the  Patri- 
archal and  Jewish  Dispensations  God  was  chiefly  a  cov- 
enant God,  Who  required  an  exact  fulfillment  of  all  the 
stipulated  conditions  of  each  covenant,  and  offering  no 
remission  of  sins  except  through  a  sacrificial  institution 
which  had  no  permanent  value,  and  through  a  law  which 
was  only  a  shadow  of  the  better  things  to  come.  The 
Disciple  movement  affirms  with  great  earnestness  that 
we  are  no  longer  in  the  shadow  but  in  the  very  light  which 
came  with  Christ,  who  is  Himself  the  light  of  the  world; 
that  when  Christ  reached  the  zenith  of  His  glory, 
the  shadow  was  under  His  feet;  that  we  are  no  longer 
under  the  shalls  "  and  "  shall  nots  "  of  the  Mosaic  in- 
stitution, but  under  Christ,  where  God  has  been  trans- 
lated into  the  family  circle,  where  He  is  known  as  the 
loving  Father,  and  where  He  now  reigns  in  the  fulness 
of  the  meaning  of  the  Apostle,  when  He  says  that  "  God 
is  Love." 

This  new  and  scriptural  conception  of  God  may  not 
have  completely  eradicated  Calvinism  with  which  the 
pioneers  of  the  Disciple  Movement  were  evidently  at  first 
dominated;  but  it  evidently  subdued  and  held  in  check  the 
wrong  conceptions  of  God  which  had  become  so  prevalent 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Disciple  Movement.  Speculative 
theology  could  not  become  popular  with  the  Disciples 
after  the  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  had  been  published, 
for  the  reason  that  this  great  document,  from  beginning 
to  end,  severely  condemns  the  making  of  speculations  or 
opinions  tests  of  Christian  fellowship  or  barriers  in  the 
way  of  Christian  Union. 

But  the  Disciples  have  always  believed  that  the  Scrip- 
tural view  of  God,  as  presented  in  the  foregoing  threefold 
revelation  of  Him,  is  of  very  great  importance;  and  with- 
out formulating  this  contention,  as  I  have  done,  they  have 


44   HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


undoubtedly  urged  it  upon  the  attention  of  the  world 
wherever  their  plea  has  been  earnestly  made. 

III. — A  SCRIPTURAL  CHRISTOLOGY 

From  the  beginning,  the  Disciples  have  made  much  of 
Christ ;  and  as  their  movement  progressed  He  soon  became 
the  centre  around  which  everything  revolved.  They 
founded  the  Church  on  Him,  not  on  doctrines  concerning 
Him.  Peter's  confession  that  "  He  is  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  the  Living  God,"  became  everywhere  the  confession  re- 
quired of  those  who  were  seeking  admission  into  the 
churches.  They  excluded  everything  else  in  the  confes- 
sion that  was  to  be  made  by  the  believing  penitent,  con- 
tending that  all  extra  matters  only  suggested  the  insuffi- 
ciency of  Christ  to  save,  while  any  subtraction  from  this 
vital  proposition  would  make  it  impotent  to  meet  the  case 
of  those  w  ho  are  seeking  salvation. 

This  insistence  upon  Christ  as  practically  the  solution 
of  everything  pertaining  to  Christianity  has  always  been 
a  cardinal  feature  with  the  Disciples.  They  regard  the 
whole  matter  from  at  least  three  points  of  view: 

(a).  The  Incarnation. 

(b.)  Death,  Burial,  and  Resurrection  of  Christ. 

(c.)  His  offices  as  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King. 

In  reference  to  the  Incarnation,  they  held  strongly  that 
it  is  fundamental  in  the  Christian  sj'stem,  and  that  it  fits 
in  exactly  with  the  history  of  our  race,  and  is  in  harmony 
with  the  progressive  development  of  Divine  revelation. 
In  this  history  there  are  at  least  three  facts  brought  dis- 
tinctly into  light. 

First,  that  men  will  not  to  be  governed  by  God.  All 
experiments  of  this  kind,  beginning  with  the  experiment 
in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  have  proved  to  be  signal  failures. 

A  second  fact  is  equally  prominent,  viz.,  man,  when  left 
to  himself,  cannot  govern  himself.  When  the  Israelites 
would  not  be  governed  by  God,  and  cried  out  for  a  king, 
God  gave  them  a  king,  but  it  was  not  long  until  it  became 
evident  that  they  could  not  be  governed  by  man,  and  this 
fact  has  been  demonstrated  again  and  again  in  the  history 
of  the  world. 

The  third  fact  is  the  union  of  these  two  facts  in  a 
compromise  which  meets  in  the  Incarnation.    When  it 


INTRODUCTORY 


45 


was  sufficiently  demonstrated  that  man  would  not  be  gov- 
erned by  God  and  could  not  govern  himself,  God  gave 
him  a  governor  who  is  both  God  and  man,  viz.,  Immanuel: 
God  with  us";  the  Theanthropos ;  thus  uniting  the  in- 
terests of  Heaven  and  earth  in  one  great  personality,  who, 
while  faithfully  doing  the  will  of  the  Father,  is,  at  the 
same  time,  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities, 
sympathising  with  us  in  our  weakness,  and  adding  Divine 
help  in  our  struggles,  so  that  we  are  enabled  to  do  even 
all  things  through  Him  Who  strengthens  us. 

But  whatever  may  be  the  philosophy  of  the  Incar- 
nation, it  is  certainly  true  that  the  Scriptures  clearly 
teach  that  Christ  entered  this  life  from  another.  Nu- 
merous passages  could  be  quoted  to  justify  this  state- 
ment, but  it  is  unnecessary  to  quote  these  passages  at 
present. 

However,  the  rationalistic  or  extreme  scientific  scholar 
of  this  age  refuses  to  accept  the  fact  of  the  Incarnation, 
because  it  implies  belief  in  the  super-natural.  But  why 
should  any  one,  who  believes  in  the  existence  of  God,  doubt 
the  super-natural?  Or  how  can  any  one  on  rational 
grounds  regard  the  Incarnation  as  improbable?  After 
all,  may  it  not  be  that  the  difficulty  at  this  point  arises 
from  the  fact  that  in  our  conceptions  of  the  natural  and 
super-natural  we  have  separated  them  by  an  impassable 
gulf?  Is  it  not  true  that  they  lie  very  close  together, 
and  at  many  points  actually  touch  each  other,  as  light 
and  darkness,  as  the  different  kingdoms  of  nature,  and 
as  even  the  body,  soul,  and  spirit?  We  cannot  fathom  the 
depth  of  a  question  like  the  Incarnation,  but  we  can  see 
far  enough  to  understand  that  there  is  nothing  at  all  im- 
probable in  what  is  stated  about  it.  If  God  be  what  He 
is  represented  to  be  in  the  Bible,  then  it  is  not  difficult  to  ^ 
believe  that  He  could  manifest  Himself  in  human  form 
without  any  infringement  of  natural  law  whatever.  There 
may  be  a  sphere  above  what  we  now  know  of  natural  law 
which  would  admit  easily  all  that  is  claimed  for  the 
Incarnation.  The  transference  of  one  life  into  another 
is  really  one  of  the  fundamental  facts  of  Christianity. 
According  to  the  Apostle  Paul  the  Christian's  life  is  not 
his  own  life,  but  the  life  of  Christ  in  him.  Christ  dwells 
in  the  Christian  and  the  latter  becomes  what  he  is  through 
the  inflow  of  the  life  from  without. 


40   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


This  view  of  the  Apostle  is  supported  by  all  the  facts 
recorded  in  the  New  Testament,  as  well  as  by  the  personal 
experience  of  every  Christian;  and  this  being  true,  it 
follows  that  the  Incarnation  of  God  in  Jesus  the  Christ 
is  no  more  a  mystery-  than  the  Incarnation  of  God  in  a 
Christian.  Indeed,  the  former  was  simply  preparatory 
to  the  latter.  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  in  the  person 
of  Jesus  Christ,  was  the  first  step  necessary-  to  the  enshrin- 
ing of  God  in  humanity  through  each  redeemed  son  and 
daughter  of  humanity.  So  that  there  is  nothing  at  all 
improbable,  and  certainly  nothing  impossible,  in  the  trans- 
ference of  divinity  from  the  spiritual  world  into  the  fleshy 
or  material  world.  It  is  easy  to  create  difficulties  with 
respect  to  almost  anything,  and  it  is  not  impossible  to 
create  apparently  insurmountable  difficulties  with  regard 
to  matters  entirely  bej'ond  our  comprehension.  Our  meas- 
uring line  is  too  short  to  enable  us  to  determine  what 
God  can  do.  He  who  could  create  this  universe,  with  all 
it  contains,  need  not  be  limited  with  regard  to  the  modes 
of  His  manifestation  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  earth,  and 
it  is  the  supremest  nonsense,  if  not  the  most  unpardonable 
irreverence,  for  any  one  to  assume  that  God  cannot  enter 
human  flesh  if  He  chooses  to  do  so. 

However,  it  may  help  us,  who  have  difficulties  with  this 
problem,  to  suggest  that  possibly  we  have  assumed  in  our 
reasoning  that  God  and  man  are  more  widely  separated 
than  they  are.  I  think  the  Scriptures  teach  that  there  is 
a  striking  likeness  between  them,  and  that  they  are  in 
many  respects  closely  allied  to  each  other.  We  must  never 
forget  that  man  was  created  in  the  image  of  God.  This 
implies  more  than  has  generally  been  conceded.  Just  how 
much  it  implies  may  not  be  easily  determined.  Probably 
it  indicates  that  man  is  like  God  in  all  that  makes  him  a 
man;  and  if  this  be  true,  the  step  by  which  divinity  was 
transferred  to  humanity  may  have  comprehended  little 
more  than  the  step  across  sin  which  noAv  separates  God 
and  man.  This  step  was  taken  in  the  case  of  Jesus  Christ 
by  providing  conditions  Avhicli  enabled  Him  to  become  flesh 
without  assuming  any  taint  of  sin  which  may  belong  to 
the  human  race.  In  any  case  it  is  certain  that  before  He 
could  become  an  acceptable  sin  offering  it  was  necessary 
for  Him  to  possess  the  characteristics  of  an  offering  that 
would  be  acceptable  to  God.    One  of  these  characteristics 


INTRODUCTORY 


47 


involved  a  life  without  sin,  and  this  is  precisely  what  was 
true  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Now  the  problem  of  Christ's  siulessness  will  help  us  to 
solve  the  problem  of  the  Incarnation.  Is  it  not  quite  as 
easy  to  believe  the  New  Testament  account  of  His  advent 
into  the  world  as  to  believe  that  He  was  entirely  without 
sin  during  the  whole  of  His  earthly  life?  The  same  New 
Testament  that  declares  one  declares  the  other  also;  and 
so  far  as  human  experience  goes,  the.  latter  is  quite  as 
far  removed  from  the  facts  of  human  histor}^  as  the  former 
is.  Now,  if  we  reject  the  testimony  with  respect  to  His 
birth,  why  not  also  reject  the  testimony  with  respect  to 
His  life?  However,  it  is  the  habit  of  certain  semi-sceptics 
to  laud  the  latter  while  they  utterly  repudiate  the  former. 
But  if  the  New  Testament  is  credible  with  respect  to  one, 
why  is  it  not  credible  with  respect  to  the  other?  At  any 
rate  it  is  certain,  when  we  throw  suspicion  upon  the  record 
concerning  the  peculiar  conditions  of  the  earthly  advent, 
we  must  of  necessity  throw  suspicion  also  upon  every  other 
fact  which  the  New  Testament  records,  and  especially 
when  that  fact  contains  a  suggestion  of  the  improbable. 
Undoubtedly  the  sinlessness  of  Jesus,  when  compared  with 
the  life  of  men  generally,  is  as  much  a  miracle  as  the 
Incarnation  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

There  is,  however,  in  the  whole  story  of  the  Incarnation 
and  in  its  transcendent  facts  a  special  fitness  to  the  end 
in  view  which  does  much  to  help  our  faith  where  it  might 
hesitate  without  this  philosophical  suggestiveness.  The 
Incarnation  does  not  necessarily  limit  the  activity  of  God 
in  the  universe  to  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ  any  more 
than  the  Christian  Church  limits  His  activity  at  the  pres- 
ent time;  and  yet,  He  dwells  in  that  Church,  and  is  an 
essential  part  of  that  Church,  if  we  are  to  believe  the 
Scriptures. 

Jesus  was  both  divine  and  human.  This  compound 
character  was  essential  to  the  mission  upon  which  He 
visited  the  earth.  A  Mediator  must  be  the  friend  of  both 
parties  who  are  to  be  reconciled.  Jesus  was  therefore 
both  God  and  man,  entering  into  sympathy  with  both 
parties,  uniting  in  Himself  both  divinity  and  humanity. 
Up  to  the  time  of  His  coming  human  history  demonstrated 
at  least  two  things :  first,  that  every  experiment  in  which 
God  attempted  to  govern  the  world  by  His  own  sovereign 


48   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


authority  resulted  in  a  practical  failure.  The  experiment 
in  Eden,  and  all  the  experiments  following,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  Jewish  theocracy,  finally  broke  down  for  the  reason, 
in  the  second  place,  man  could  never  govern  himself.  In 
this  extremity  the  Incarnation  is  offered  as  a  solution 
of  the  problem.  That  is,  when  it  became  evident  that 
man  would  not  be  governed  by  God  and  could  not  govern 
himself,  the  merciful  provision  was  made  to  give  him  a 
governor  who  is  both  God  and  man — Immanuel,  God 
with  us.  Hence  Jesus  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living- 
God,  the  friend  of  both  God  and  man,  becomes  the  mediator 
of  the  new  covenant,  which  covenant  provides,  at  the  same 
time,  for  the  maintenance  of  the  authority  of  God  and  the 
forgiveness  of  sins. 

There  is  still  another  view  of  the  Incarnation  which  may 
help  our  weak  faith  when  it  stumbles  at  philosophy.  We 
must  remember  that  the  whole  course  of  Providence,  down 
through  the  ages,  from  Adam  to  Christ,  was  a  preparation 
of  the  world  for  the  Coming  One,  whose  coming  would 
fulfil  all  prophecies,  and  at  the  same  time  meet  the  con- 
ditions necessary  to  restore  the  image  of  God  to  fallen 
man.  In  the  person  of  Christ  the  gulf  which  had  long 
separated  God  and  man  was  practically  bridged  over, 
and  a  pathway  of  holiness  erected  by  which  all  who  will 
accept  the  word  of  reconciliation  can  return  to  the  favor 
and  fellowship  of  the  living  God. 

From  this  point  of  view  the  Incarnation  may  be  regarded 
as  the  crowning  glory  of  all  the  ages,  and  as  the  con- 
summation of  all  the  types  and  shadows  of  Jewish  history, 
as  well  as  the  proclamation  to  the  race  of  a  possible  glori- 
ous end  to  the  long  night  of  darkness  which  has  been  the 
result  of  the  reign  of  sin  in  the  world. 

Of  course,  it  is  impossible  to  treat  a  subject  so  profound 
and  so  far-reaching  as  the  Incarnation  is  within  the  space 
of  a  few  paragraphs.  No  one  can  possibly  fathom  the 
depth  of  the  Incarnation.  But  in  this  respect  it  is  not 
different  from  many  other  things.  We  cannot  fathom  the 
mystery  of  ourselves.  The  union  of  body,  soul,  and  spirit 
in  every  man  is,  from  our  point  of  view,  quite  as  inex- 
plicable and  mysterious  as  the  union  of  God  and  man  in 
the  person  of  Jesus  Christ.  Why  then  should  we  believe 
in  one  and  not  believe  in  the  other?  * 

•  Vide  "  Preacher  Problems,"  pp.  146-150,  by  Dr.  W.  T.  Moore. 


INTRODUCTORY 


49 


But  we  are  told  that  the  Incarnation  contradicts  the 
law  of  uniformity  which  everywhere  prevails  throughout 
the  universe.  But  this  word  -universe  is  a  big  word  and 
comprehends  much  more  than  we  can  discern  through 
our  finite  vision.  What  do  we  know  about  ten  thousand 
things  in  this  great  universe  with  which  we  are  identified 
as  an  infinitesimal  atom?  The  rationalist  stumbles  at  the 
Incarnation.  He  cannot  accept  as  truthful  history  the 
story  of  the  virgin  birth.  But  why  not?  He  answers:  It 
is  contrary  to  the  law  of  uniformity  and  consequently  it 
cannot  be  true.  This  is  only  another  way  of  stating 
Humes'  objection  to  miracles.  He  said :  "  A  miracle  is 
contrary  to  human  experience,  and  whatever  is  contrary 
to  human  experience  cannot  be  true,  therefore  a  miracle 
is  impossible."  Every  one  now  knows  how  sophistical 
this  reasoning  is.  There  are  many  things  contrary,  or 
rather  out  of  the  range  of  some  people's  experience,  while 
these  same  things  are  perfectly  familiar  to  others.  People 
who  live  all  the  time  in  the  tropics  have  never  seen  it  snow. 
Must  we  conclude,  therefore,  that  snow  is  contrary  to 
human  experience? 

There  may  be  many  things  about  the  law  of  uniformity 
that  no  one  now  understands.  Facts  in  nature  are  coming 
to  light  every  day  that  compel  us  to  change  our  views  with 
respect  to  what  nature  teaches. 

Not  very  long  ago  the  caloric  theory  of  heat  was  given 
in  all  our  text  books  without  question.  It  was  practically 
universally  accepted.  But  now  that  theory  has  been  dis- 
carded in  the  light  of  the  further  knoAvledge  of  the  co-rela- 
tion of  forces.  This  is  only  one  of  a  thousand  illustrations 
that  might  be  given.  Every  day  new  wonders  come  to 
light  in  the  realm  of  nature's  laws.    Indeed,  even  the 

breaks "  that  seem  to  interfere  with  the  law  of  uni- 
formity may,  when  we  understand  all  about  them,  be 
only  links  in  the  chain  that  binds  all  things  together  in 
one  uniform,  continuous  progression.  "  One  star  differs 
from  another  star  in  glory,"  and  yet  these  stars  all  con- 
tribute to  a  universal  harmony.  The  notes  in  a  piece  of 
music  are  quite  different  in  many  respects,  some  short, 
some  long,  some  high,  some  low,  some  soft,  some  loud,  but 
when  occupying  their  right  places  this  very  difference  is 
the  source  of  the  harmony  which  is  produced  when  these 
notes  are  sounded. 


50   HISTORY  OF  THE  DLSCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


The  Incarnation  may  seem  to  be  a  discordant  note, 
as  regards  the  law  of  uniformity,  but  this  does  not,  in  fact, 
necessarily  follow,  even  if  that  law  is  everywhere  admitted. 
The  Incarnation  may  simply  be  a  higher  range  of  that  law 
than  any  thing  with  which  we  are  now  acquainted.  We 
know  very  little  of  the  spiritual  realm.  The  very  phrase, 
which  somewhat  materialises  the  Incarnation  conception, 
is  itself  an  extraordinary  phrase.  "  God  with  us "  at 
once  sets  us  to  thinking,  and  at  the  same  time  bewilders 
us  with  its  stupendous,  far-reaching  meaning.  We  are 
awed  by  its  awful  possibilities,  and  yet  we  are  calmed  into 
reverence  and  silence  as  our  faith  tremblingly  lays  hold 
of  the  great  things  it  suggests.  We  are  at  once  transferred 
from  the  material  to  the  spiritual,  from  the  earthly  to 
the  Heavenly,  from  the  human  to  the  Divine;  and  yet  we 
still  have  one  hand  on  the  lower  orders  all  the  time.  We 
do  not  let  go  entirely  of  the  temporal,  nor  the  earthly, 
nor  the  human.  We  simply  grasp  more  firmly  the 
spiritual,  the  Heavenly,  and  the  Divine. 

Because  we  do  not  understand  all  about  the  Incarna- 
tion, we  have  no  right  to  question  its  possibility  or  even 
its  probability.  By  and  by  we  may  know  more  than 
we  now  know.  It  would  have  been  thought  an  incredible 
thing  if,  only  a  few  years  ago,  some  one  had  affirmed  the 
probability  or  even  possibility  of  speaking  thousands  of 
miles  by  what  is  known  as  wireless  telegraphy.  Would 
not  every  one  have  said  such  a  thing  would  be  a  miracle, 
because  at  that  time  it  was  contrary  to  what  was  regarded 
as  the  law  of  uniformity?  But  we  now  know  that  this 
fact  simply  lifts  us  into  a  higher  sphere  of  the  law  that 
we  supposed  would  be  contradicted.  Similarly  it  may  be 
that,  when  the  veil  is  entirely  removed  from  our  eyes,  we 
will  be  able  to  understand  how  even  miracle  itself  is  in 
harmony  with  all  the  laws  of  the  universe.* 

The  Disciples  have  very  earnestly  contended  for  the 
death  of  Christ  for  our  sins.  His  burial,  and  His  resurrec- 
tion the  third  day,  according  to  the  Scriptures.  They  have 
refused  to  formulate  a  theory  of  the  atonement  and  then 
make  this  a  test  of  fellowship  among  Christians.  But  they 
have  not  hesitated  to  emphasise  the  importance  of  Christ's 
death  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin  and  uncleanness,  nor  have  they 
as  a  whole  shown  any  sympathy  with  any  tendency  that 

*  See  "Supremacy  of  the  Heart  Life,"  pp.  187-189,  by  Dr.  Moore. 


INTKODUCTOKY 


51 


seeks  to  make  the  death  of  Christ  tor  our  sins  only  an 
incident "  in  the  great  work  which  He  came  to  accom- 
plish. They  have  contended  that  His  death  for  our  sins 
is  absolutely  fundamental  in  the  Gospel,  and  they  have 
quoted  from  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  first  Corinthians  to 
prove  this  contention.  Furthermore,  they  have  insisted 
that  Christ  was  "  made  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin, 
that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him." 

Around  this  the  Disciples  have  gathered  their  forces, 
and  in  its  light  have  fought  the  battle  of  freedom  from 
the  entangling  difficulties  of  both  Socinianism  and  Cal- 
vinism. They  have  persistently  refused  to  accept  either 
one  of  these  extremes.  While  not  attempting  to  formulate 
a  scientific  statement  of  the  Atonement,  they  have  vigor- 
ously opposed  the  extreme  statements  which  have  been 
made  by  others,  which  statements,  for  the  most  part,  either 
eliminate  the  Atonement  entirely  or  else  practically  elimi- 
nate the  God  of  the  Bible,  and  substitute  for  Him  an 
imperious  personality  who  orders  everything  according 
to  certain  decrees  which  He  made  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world.  It  may  be  said  that  the  whole  position  of 
the  Disciple  movement  concerning  the  work  of  Christ  in 
the  salvation  of  men  can  be  summed  up  in  the  statement 
of  the  Apostle  contained  in  Romans  v :  8-12 :  "  But  God 
commendeth  His  love  toward  us  in  that,  while  we  were 
yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.  Much  more  then,  being 
now  justified  by  His  blood,  shall  we  be  saved  from  wrath 
through  Him.  For  if,  while  we  were  enemies,  we  were 
reconciled  to  God  through  the  death  of  His  Son,  much 
more  being  reconciled,  shall  we  be  saved  by  His  life;  and 
not  only  so,  but  we  also  rejoice  in  God  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  through  whom  we  have  now  received  the 
reconciliation." 

Without  analysing  fully  this  important  passage  of 
Scripture,  it  is  well  to  notice  the  fact  that  the  Apostle 
distinctly  separates  the  death  of  Christ  from  His  life, 
ascribing  reconciliation  to  the  former  and  salvation  to 
the  latter.  Indeed,  this  is  practically  the  style  of  the 
New  Testament  from  beginning  to  end.  While  un- 
doubtedly it  is  true  that  the  life  of  Christ  gives  character 
and  potency  to  His  death,  this  life  is  never  specifically 
confounded  with  the  death,  when  the  reconcilation  is  under 
consideration. 


52   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Of  course,  in  a  certain  sense,  everything  connected  with 
Christ  enters  into  His  great  work  of  redemption ;  but  this 
in  no  wise  justifies  us  in  confounding  things  that  essen- 
tially differ.  Salvation  is  ascribed  to  faith,  to  the  life 
of  Christ,  to  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  the  grace 
of  God,  to  baptism,  and  to  still  other  things.  Now  this 
fact  must  not  be  construed  to  mean  that  all  these  are  not 
associated  in  the  whole  work  of  saving  men,  but  only  each 
one  of  these  has  its  specific  place  in  the  scheme  of  redemp- 
tion, and,  as  such,  this  place  must  be  kept  clear  of  inter- 
ference by  other  things  that  might  be  substituted  for  it. 
"If  when  we  were  enemies  we  were  reconciled  to  God 
by  the  death  of  His  Son,"  it  follows  conclusively  that, 
after  this  reconciliation  has  been  effected  through  the  death 
of  Christ  for  our  sins,  then  "  we  shall  be  saved  by  His 
life,"  for  the  Christian's  life  is  not  his  own,  but  Christ 
liveth  in  him,  and  it  is  also  true  that  his  "  life  is  hid  with 
Christ  in  God.  "  * 

The  Disciples  have  also  earnestly  and  strongly  con- 
tended for  the  burial  and  resurrection  of  Christ,  making 
His  resurrection  the  crowning  conception  of  His  work. 

We  must  not  only  be  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of 
His  Son,  but  we  must  be  saved  by  His  life;  and  our  re- 
demption must  be  justified  before  the  whole  universe  of 
God,  and  also  Christ  Himself  must  be  justified  in  what 
He  has  done  for  us;  and  this  is  effected  through  His 
resurrection,  for  God  has  given  proof  to  all  men  that  He 
is  the  Christ  in  that  He  has  been  raised  from  the  dead. 

Just  here  it  is  important  to  state  that  the  Disciples 
have  more  than  any  other  people  emphasised  the  fact  that 
Christ  is  the  foundation  of  the  Church,  and  that  He  is  our 
Prophet,  Priest,  and  King.  As  our  Prophet  He  is  our  only 
infallible  teacher;  as  our  Priest  He  is  our  only  inter- 
cessor; as  our  King  He  is  our  only  ruler.  As  our  Prophet 
we  must  hear  what  He  says;  as  our  Priest  we  must  trust 
implicitly  in  the  efBcacy  of  His  intercession,  for  He  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us;  as  our  King  we  must 
unhesitatingly  and  loyally  obey  His  commandments. 

It  may  be  that  other  religious  bodies  have,  to  some  ex- 
tent, given  prominence  to  the  same  conception  of  Christ 
which  the  Disciples  have  set  forth;  but  so  far  as  I  am 
informed  (and  I  think  I  have  gone  carefully  over  the 

*  Vide  "  Plea  of  the  Disciples,"  pp.  21-22,  by  Dr.  Moore. 


INTRODUCTORY 


53 


whole  field  of  investigation),  no  religious  people  have 
emphasised  and  made  prominent  this  conception  of  Christ 
as  the  Disciples  have  done.  From  the  very  beginning  of 
their  movement  they  have  made  faith  personal,  not  doc- 
trinal. They  have  insisted  that  to  believe  in  Christ  with 
the  whole  heart  is  all  that  is  necessary,  so  far  as  faith 
goes,  in  order  to  salvation.  The  great  proposition  that 
"  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  son  of  the  living  God,"  has  been 
fundamental  in  their  religious  movement  ever  since  it  was 
first  inaugurated. 

In  the  presence  of  this  proposition  they  have  met  the 
enemies  of  truth  from  every  point  of  view.  They  have  met 
the  Romanist  by  insisting  that  Fetros  is  only  a  little 
stone,  and  is,  therefore,  insignificant,  while  Fetra,  the 
foundation  of  the  Church,  is  a  rock  of  large  dimensions 
and  immovable  as  the  eternal  hills.  I  myself  have  wit- 
nessed at  Caesarea  Philippi  both  the  little  stone  and  the 
majestic  rock  which  doubtless  Christ  had  in  view  before 
His  eyes  at  the  time  He  made  the  great  declaration  re- 
corded in  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  Matthew.  Hence,  no 
other  foundation  can  any  man  lay  than  that  which  is  laid, 
even  Jesus  the  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 

As  already  intimated,  the  Disciples  have  earnestly  con- 
tended for  the  sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures  as  furnishing 
a  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  But  they  do  not  build  the 
Church  on  the  Scriptures,  or  accept  these  as  having  in 
themselves  the  power  to  save.  They  make  us  wise  unto 
salvation ;  they  guide  us  in  the  way  of  salvation ;  they 
lead  us  to  Him  who  only  can  save  to  the  uttermost  all  who 
come  to  God  by  Him ;  but  the  Church  is  built  on  Christ 
Himself,  who  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever. 

Finally,  there  are  at  least  three  special  points  of  view 
from  which  the  Disciples  have  regarded  the  great  mission 
of  Christ  to  the  world. 

(1.)  As  a  revealer  of  the  Father. 

(2.)  As  the  head  of  the  Church,  reigning  in  and  over 
His  people. 

(3.)  As  the  sovereign  over  all  things,  guiding  and  con- 
trolling the  affairs  of  this  world  to  the  spread  of  His 
kingdom,  until  all  the  earth  shall  be  subject  to  His 
authority. 

What  Philip  desired  is,  to  some  extent,  the  universal 
desire  of  mankind,  wherever  any  knowledge  of  the  Father 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


exists.  We  all  say  in  some  form  or  other,  "  Lord,  show 
us  the  Father,  and  it  suffieeth  us."  The  answer  to  Philip 
by  Jesus  is  His  answer  to  us.  He  still  says,  He  that 
has  seen  Me  has  seen  the  Father." 

If  there  is  anything  that  distinguishes  the  mission  of 
Christ  to  the  world  more  than  another  it  is  this  very  fact 
that  in  Him  is  a  revelation  of  the  Father  to  us.  We  have 
already  seen  that  God  is  Spirit,  and  that_,  therefore,  it  is 
impossible  for  us  to  see  Him  in  His  essence,  for  no  man 
has  seen  Spirit  at  any  time.  But  it  is  possible  for  us  to 
see  the  Father  through  Jesus  Christ,  for  He  is  God  mani- 
fest in  the  flesh. 

I  have  already  intimated  that  a  religion,  in  its  develop- 
ment, follows  the  conception  of  its  author  which  that  re- 
ligion embodies.  Surely,  then,  it  is  of  the  greatest  conse- 
quence that  we  should  have  a  true  conception  of  God, 
if  it  is  desirable  that  the  religion  we  profess  should  itself 
be  a  true  manifestation  of  the  truth.  Jesus  the  Christ 
is  the  embodiment  of  our  conception  of  the  Father,  and 
it  is  therefore  through  Him  that  we  must  see  and  under- 
stand the  religion  which  is  intended  to  represent  the 
Father. 

Jesus  the  Christ  is  also  the  head  of  the  Church,  while 
the  Church  is  declared  to  be  His  body.  This  figure  empha- 
sises a  very  close  relationship  between  Christ  and  His  Dis- 
ciples. As  the  members  of  our  body  receive  all  their 
instructions  from  the  head,  so  the  members  of  the  Church, 
which  is  Christ's  body,  should  receive  all  their  instruc- 
tions from  Him  who  is  the  head.  His  will  must  be  the 
final  authority  in  everything  that  relates  to  the  Christian's 
faith  and  conduct.  A  "  thus  saith  the  Lord  "  must  be 
final  as  regards  everything  that  enters  into  the  Christian 
life. 

In  this  respect,  it  is  believed  that  no  other  religious 
people  have  given  such  emphasis  to  Christ's  mission  as 
have  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  They  have  not  only  recog- 
nised Christ  as  the  foundation  of  the  Church,  but  they 
have  also  insisted  that  He  is  head  over  all,  and  that,  there- 
fore. He  is  the  source  of  all  authority  in  Heaven  and  in 
earth,  as  regards  the  principles  and  practice  of  those  who 
are  his  followers. 

The  Disciples  have  also  strongly  accentuated  the  univer- 
sal Lordship  of  Christ  with  respect  to  all  the  affairs  of 


INTRODUCTORY 


55 


this  world.  They  have  not  dogmatically  insisted  upon 
any  particular  view  of  what  is  called  the  millennium. 
As  a  body  they  are  neither  pre-milleunialists  nor  post- 
millennialists.  They  have  always  allowed  the  widest  pos- 
sible liberty  with  respect  to  questions  of  this  kind,  as 
well  as  eschatological,  or  questions  relating  to  the  future 
life.  The  only  point  with  which  they  are  especially  con- 
cerned is  the  great  fact  that  in  some  way  all  things  are 
working  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  to 
them  who  are  called  according  to  His  purpose.  They  in- 
sist (and  so  strongly  do  they  insist  that  this  is  practically 
an  article  of  their  faith)  that  some  way  or  other  the  final 
outcome  of  the  present  struggle  will  be  the  subjection 
of  this  world's  powers  to  the  authority  of  Him  who  must 
reign  until  all  enemies  are  finally  put  under  His  feet,  and 
He  shall  everywhere  be  recognised  as  the  King  of  kings 
and  Lord  of  lords."  * 

IV. — A  SCRIPTURAL  PNEUMATOLOGY 

There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  when  the 
Disciple  movement  was  first  inaugurated  the  religious 
world  was  under  some  curious  delusions  with  respect  to 
the  Holy  Spirit.  This  was  doubtless  owing  to  a  certain 
reaction  from  the  purely  human  development  of  religion 
during  the  Middle  Ages.  The  Reformation  under  Luther 
turned  the  tide  in  the  opposite  direction.  Slowly  but 
certainly  the  reaction  from  mediaeval  superstitions  and 
humanisms  began  to  develop  toward  a  more  rational  and 
worthy  view  of  things. 

However,  this  reaction  had  not  reached  a  normal  state 
at  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  especially 
was  this  true  as  regards  spiritual  influence.  The  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  more  or  less  identified  with  all 
kinds  of  incantations  and  superstitions,  until  conversion, 
in  the  popular  estimation,  became  real  only  when  it  became 
irrational ;  and  the  Christian  life,  instead  of  being  a  steady 
and  normal  growth,  was  supposed  to  grow  only  through 
jerks  or  sporadic  and  spasmodic  developments. 

Disciples  of  Christ  have  always  recognised  joyfully  and 
earnestly  the  important  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
conversion  and  salvation  of  men.     They  have  been  mis- 

•  See  "  Plea  of  the  Disciples,"  pp.  22-26. 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


understood  and  misrepresented  with  respect  to  this  mat- 
ter; and  doubtless  for  the  reason  that  men  who  occupy 
an  extreme  position  with  regard  to  any  subject  are  usually 
unwilling  to  admit  that  there  is  any  middle  ground  that 
ought  to  be  tolerated.  The  Disciples  have  always,  in 
the  main,  contended  for  a  conservative  position  with  re- 
spect to  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  regard  to  bap- 
tism in  Holy  Spirit  they  have  not  always  spoken  in  the 
language  of  the  Scriptures,  though  their  chief  contention 
has  been  in  the  right  direction,  viz.,  to  teach  the  Christian 
world  that  conversion  is  not  necessarily  attended  with 
signs  and  miracles;  that  God's  power  is  not  in  the  fire, 
the  wind,  nor  the  earthquake,  but  in  the  still  small  voice 
that  speaks  through  the  gospel  of  His  love,  and  through 
all  the  sympathies  of  the  suffering  Christ  who  woos  the 
sinner  to  His  outstretched  arms  of  love  and  bids  him  rest 
in  the  great  Rest-giver  and  Saviour  of  men. 

Disciples  have  used  the  phrase,  "  Baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,"  as  though  it  was  a  legitimate  and  Scriptural 
phrase,  and  have  then  sought  to  get  rid  of  this  Baptism  by 
declaring  that  it  is  always  accompanied  by  the  gift  of 
tongues,  as  in  the  case  of  Pentecost  and  the  house  of 
Cornelius.  But  this  view  of  the  matter  is  not  at  all  neces- 
sary, if  we  stick  to  Scriptural  phraseology.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  the  "  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  or  "  Bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  nor 
is  the  idea,  conveyed  by  that  phrase,  anywhere  found  in 
the  New  Testament.  The  Scriptural  phraseology  is 
"  Baptised  in  Holy  Spirit,"  and  the  idea  conveyed  by  this 
phrase  is  that  Holy  Spirit  is  the  element  in  which  the 
agent  performs  the  Baptism.  Christ  is  the  Agent.  John 
declared  that  he  would  baptise  in  Holy  Spirit  and  fire. 
Consequently  it  is  Christ  that  performs  the  baptism,  and 
Holy  Spirit  is  the  element  in  which  the  subject  is  baptised. 

It  is  also  an  interesting  fact,  and  somewhat  suggestive 
at  this  particular  point  of  our  investigation,  that  the  pre- 
dominant gender  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Scriptures  is 
neuter.  It  is  not  necessary  to  magnify  this  habit  of  the 
inspired  writers,  since  it  is  well  known  that  the  Greek 
gender  does  not  run  parallel  with  the  gender  of  the  Eng- 
lish. Nevertheless,  if  it  was  the  intention  of  the  writers 
of  the  New  Testament  to  emphasise  the  personality  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  it  is  certainly  very  remarkable  that  they 


INTRODUCTORY 


57 


should  have  selected  a  word  which  is  neuter  in  gender 
rather  than  one  that  is  masculine.  The  word  "  paraklee- 
tos  "  is  masculine,  but  this  is  used  only  by  the  Apostle 
John. 

It  is  also  very  suggestive  that  the  exact  equivalent  of 
the  New  Testament  phrase — "  To  Hagion  Pneuma  " —  is 
found  only  three  times  in  the  Old  Testament.  The  He- 
brew style,  for  the  most  part,  is  "  The  Spirit  of  God," 
or  My  Spirit,"  and  not  "  The  Holy  Spirit,"  while  very 
generally  the  gender  is  feminine ;  and  as  there  is  no  neuter 
gender  in  the  Hebrew  language,  many  of  its  feminines  are 
properly  rendered  neuter  genders  in  the  English.  In 
Gen.  i :  2,  the  idea  of  "  brooding "  answers  well  to  the 
feminine  gender  of  Rooach  Elohim  " — The  Spirit  of 
God. 

Is  all  this  accidental?  Must  this  predominant  habit 
of  the  Hebrew  language  be  ignored  entirely  in  a  matter  of 
such  grave  importance  as  that  under  consideration?  I 
think  it  is  quite  probable  that  the  modern  tendency  to 
always  speak  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  masculine  gender 
is  the  foundation  of  much  confusion  in  reference  to  the 
subject  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  office  and  work.  If  we  take 
into  account  the  testimonj^  of  both  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments it  seems  to  me  that  the  translation  of  the  authorised 
version  of  the  Bible  is  justified  when  it  uniformly  trans- 
lates the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  neuter  rather  than  as  a  mascu- 
line gender. 

With  respect  to  spiritual  operations,  Disciple  teachers 
have  very  generally  insisted  upon  limiting  the  Holy  Spirit's 
work  to  that  sphere  where  co-operation  with  the  Word 
of  God  is  distinctly  marked  out.  Possibly  they  have 
pressed  this  point  sometimes  too  strongly,  and  for  the 
reason  that,  in  our  present  fleshly  state,  we  can  know  very 
little  about  spiritual  operations,  and  therefore  it  is  per- 
haps better  not  to  attempt  to  limit  that  which  is  probably 
limitless  in  its  sphere  of  influence.  Nevertheless,  it  is 
wise  to  avoid  rushing  into  a  boundless  ocean  of  darkness, 
where  only  ignorance  and  superstition  are  tlie  controlling 
influences.  We  are  never  safe  unless  we  can  quote  for 
our  religious  position  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,"  and  we 
are  never  in  danger  as  long  as  we  can  say  with  distinct 
emphasis,  "  It  is  written."  This  was  the  safeguard  of 
our  Divine  Lord  when  the  tempter  sought  to  lead  him 


58   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


astray.  He  met  every  assault  of  Satan  with  the  terse 
and  emphatic  saying,  "  It  is  Avritten."  This  w  ith  Christ 
was  the  end  of  all  controversy,  and  while  we  are  following 
His  example,  in  this  regard,  we  need  not  be  concerned 
even  though  ten  thousand  superstitions  should  be  hurled 
at  us. 

Disciples  have  always  believed  and  taught  that  we  are 
now  practically  under  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Christ  has  personally  ascended  into  the  heavens,  and  He 
has  sent  the  Holy  Spirit  to  take  His  place  here,  to  advocate 
His  cause,  to  dwell  in  His  Church,  and  to  make  intercession 
for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered.  At  the 
same  time  Disciples  have  clearly  marked  the  difference 
between  the  Holy  Spirit  as  an  a  gent  and  Holy  Spirit 
indicelliny  the  Christian,  though  they  have  never,  so  far 
as  I  know,  made  the  argument  for  this  distinction,  as 
I  have  just  done,  by  showing  that  the  article  in  the  Greek 
is  always  before  the  Holy  Spirit  when  reference  is  made 
to  the  agency  of  the  Spirit,  or  to  its  objective  relation- 
ship, and  never  before  it,  when  reference  is  made  to  Spirit 
as  an  element,  or  when  it  is  subjectively  used.  From  the 
point  of  view  I  have  considered  the  matter,  the  Disciples' 
contention,  that  we  must  distinguish  between  the  Holy 
Spirit  operating  in  conversion  and  Holy  Spirit  dwelling 
in  the  Christian,  is  not  only  eminently  intelligible,  but 
becomes  at  once  overwhelmingly  supported  by  every  pas- 
sage of  Scripture  in  the  Word  of  God  where  the  word 
"  Spirit is  used.* 

The  distinction  between  the  act  of  baptism  and  the 
element  in  which  this  act  takes  place  is  a  very  important 
one,  and  if  properly  understood  ought  to  clear  up  some 
of  the  confusion  Avith  which  the  baptismal  question  is 
environed.  While  the  Apostle  Paul  distinctly  asserts  in 
his  letter  to  the  Ephesians  that  there  is  one  baptism, 
it  is  highly  probable  that  there  are  at  least  three  elements 
connected  with  this  one  baptism.  The  Apostle  is  probably 
simply  regarding  baptism  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
action  performed,  that  is,  this  one  baptism  is  an  immer- 
sion, but  this  does  not  necessarily  imply  the  element  or 
elements  in  which  the  baptism  takes  place.  However,  if 
we  should  say  that  this  one  baptism  is  connected  with 
at  least  three  elements,  viz.,  water,  spirit,  and  suffering, 

*  See  "  Plea  of  the  Disciples,"  by  W.  T.  Moore. 


INTRODUCTORY 


59 


it  is  more  than  probable  that  this  view  of  the  matter  would 
not  be  far  from  the  truth. 

Nor  is  it  necessary  that  these  elements  should  all  be 
used  at  the  same  time  in  order  to  make  the  "  one  baptism." 
Perhaps  the  first  two  elements  were  united  in  the  baptism 
at  Pentecost,  and  also  at  subsequent  baptisms,  though  not 
attended  by  the  extraordinary  manifestations  which  ac- 
companied the  Pentecostal  occasion.  John  baptised  in 
water,  but  Christ  baptised  in  Holy  Spirit.  Baptism  in 
water  was  therefore  already  in  practice  when  the  day  of 
Pentecost  had  fully  come,  and  consequently  the  human 
side  of  the  ordinance  was  performed  by  man  while  the 
divine  side,  the  baptism  in  Holy  Spirit,  was  performed 
by  Christ  Himself;  and  the  two  elements,  being  united, 
viz.,  the  human  and  the  divine,  the  "  one  baptism  ' '  became 
a  baptism  in  both  water  and  spirit.  The  baptism  in 
suffering  or  sorrow  began  at  the  same  time,  at  least  in 
the  experience  of  the  first  Christians,  for  the  very  first 
word  which  Peter  pronounces,  in  submitting  the  terms 
of  pardon,  is  the  word  "  repent,"  which  involves  self- 
denial  and  turning  away  from  sin,  and  an  acceptance 
of  the  new  life,  with  all  the  tribulations  of  that  life,  at 
the  same  time  a  complete  crucifixion  of  the  flesh.  They 
were  really  baptised  into  a  state  of  sutferiug,  for  Jesus 
had  said  in  substance  that  this  would  be  their  lot.  At 
the  same  time  He  distinctly  told  them  that  in  this  world 
they  would  be  happy,  even  when  persecuted,  and  Avhen 
men  should  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  them  falsely 
for  His  name's  sake.  The  -Joy  of  the  Holy  Spirit  more 
than  compensated  for  the  suffering  of  the  baptism  in  fire. 
Indeed,  this  suffering  of  the  baptism  in  fire  was  a  part 
of  the  discipline.  In  I.  Corinthians  iii:  13-15,  we  have 
a  clear  intimation  that  runs  very  nearly  parallel  with 
the  teaching  in  the  third  chapter  of  Matthew.  This  pas- 
sage shows  that  the  wood,  hay,  and  stubble  of  character 
will  be  burned,  while  the  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones 
will  endure ;  so  that  the  man  himself  shall  be  saved,  "  so 
as  by  fire."  In  both  the  tenth  and  twelfth  verses  of  the 
third  chapter  of  Matthew,  the  figure  is  changed  from  one 
used  in  the  eleventh  verse,  but  the  teaching  is  essentially 
the  same.  It  is  character  that  is  under  consideration. 
The  bad  tree  will  be  cut  down  and  burned  by  the  un- 
quenchable fire.    In  one  case  the  axe  is  used,  in  the  other 


60   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  tribiilum  is  used.  This  latter  instrument  was  em 
ployed  by  the  Romans  in  separating  the  wheat  from  the 
chaff,  and  is  therefore  very  suggestive  when  we  turn  to 
such  passages  as  the  following :  "  Tribulation  worketh 
patience;  patience  experience;  experience  hope;  and  hope 
maketh  not  ashamed."  These  are  they  which  have  come 
up  through  great  tribulation,  having  washed  their  robes 
and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 

All  this  is  exactly  in  harmony  with  the  three-fold  nature 
of  man.  He  has  a  body,  a  soul,  and  a  spirit.  The  fleshly 
nature  must  be  kept  under,  subdued ;  and  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, conquered.  The  psychical  nature  must  be  purified, 
chastened,  and  brought  in  subjection  to  the  higher  Spiritual 
nature.  We  must  not  forget  that  the  Spiritual  Man, 
however  consecrated  he  may  be,  will  have  to  constantly 
contend  against  the  lower  elements  of  his  nature.  He 
is  in  a  tabernacle  of  clay,  he  is  largely  influenced  by  the 
animal;  and  though  he  is  a  new  creation  in  Christ  Jesus, 
he  is  still  more  or  less  influenced  by  the  flesh  and  the 
animal  that  is  in  him. 

It  is  now  easy  to  see  that  there  is  a  fitness  in  the  three 
elements  belonging  to  the  one  baptism,  namely,  water, 
Holy  Spirit,  and  suffering,  and  that  the  last  is  just  as 
important,  as  regards  the  purpose  for  which  it  has  been 
appointed,  as  either  of  the  other  two.  Indeed,  it  takes 
the  three  elements  to  complete  the  one  baptism,  when  this 
is  considered  in  its  full  import.* 

Mr.  Campbell  himself  (and  very  generally  those  who 
were  associated  with  him)  held  to  the  view  that  there  are 
only  two  cases  of  the  baptism  in  Spirit :  one  at  Pentecost, 
and  the  other  at  the  house  of  Cornelius;  and  that  this 
baptism  was  always  accompanied  with  the  gift  of  tongues. 
Consequently  in  the  early  days  of  the  Disciple  movement 
the  baptism  in  Holy  Spirit  was  regarded  as  having  ceased 
to  exist,  though  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  Christians 
was  still  a  precious  legacy.  However,  this  view  is  no 
longer  endorsed  by  many  Biblical  exegetes  among  the 
Disciples.  Indeed,  Dr.  Robert  Richardson,  in  his  lumi- 
nous work  on  the  Holy  Spirit,  holds  strongly  to  the  posi- 
tion that  baptism  in  Holy  Spirit  is  still  a  part  of  the 
believer's  privilege.  But  as  different  views  on  this  subject, 
as  well  as  others,  depend  largely  upon  verbal  criticisms, 
•  Vide  "  Man  Preparing  for  Other  Worlds,"  pp.  397-399,  by  Dr.  Moore. 


INTRODUCTOKY 


61 


especially  where  there  Is  some  doubt  with  respect  to  the 
true  meaning,  these  matters  have  never  been  made  tests 
of  fellowship  among  the  Disciples. 

It  is  a  fact,  however,  of  some  importance,  as  has  already 
been  suggested,  that  the  article  in  the  Greek  is  not  used 
before  Hagion  Pneunia "  when  the  baptism  in  Holy 
Spirit  is  spoken  of.  Indeed,  it  is  rather  a  remarkable 
fact  that  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  spoken  of  subjectively, 
or  in  its  operations,  gifts,  or  manifestations,  hi  uien  the 
article  is  never  used;  but  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  spoken 
of  as  itself,  or  is  regarded  objectively,  then  the  Greek  is 
"  To  Hagion  Pneiima,"  the  article  always  being  supplied. 

Now  a  habit  of  language  so  remarkable  as  this  cannot 
be  regarded  as  simply  accidental.  It  must  mean  some- 
thing very  specific,  and  it  is  highly  probable  that  the 
meaning  is  that,  in  all  subjective  uses  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
reference  is  made  to  Spirit  as  an  element,  or  as  an  essence, 
and  that  for  the  time  being  the  personality  of  Spirit  is 
distinctly  suppressed  in  order  to  make  the  indwelling  of 
Holy  Spirit  a  thinkable  reality.  With  this  idea  before 
us  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  Paul's  statement  to  the 
Corinthians  when  he  says  that  "  in  one  Spirit  were  they 
all  baptised  into  one  body." 

It  is  also  probable  that  some  theologians  have  overdone 
the  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Disciples  have  never 
doubted  the  personality  of  the  Spirit,  and  yet  they  have 
been  careful  not  to  make  too  much  of  what  seems  to  be 
a  secondary  consideration  with  the  Divine  writers.  The 
difficulty  seems  to  be  with  the  words  person  "  and  "  per- 
sonality." These  are  never  used  in  the  Scriptures  with 
respect  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  as  Disciples  have  always 
professed  to  "  speak  where  the  Scriptures  speak,  and  to 
be  silent  where  they  are  silent,"  they  have  been  a  little 
slow  in  emphasising  the  supreme  importance  of  this  dis- 
tinct personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  has  already  been 
seen  that  w^here  the  Holy  Spirit  is  used  subjectively  the 
article  is  always  omitted,  and  doubtless  for  the  reason 
that  the  Divine  record  aims  at  emphasis  on  the  Holy  Spirit 
"  in  esse,"  and  this  fact  itself  is  very  suggestive  with  re- 
spect to  the  matter  under  consideration.  It  should  also 
be  remembered  that  the  word  "  person  "  or  "  personality  " 
when  applied  to  the  Holy  Spirit  does  not  necessarily  mean 
the  same  thing  as  when  it  is  applied  to  ourselves.  Of 


62   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


course  our  idea  of  personality  is  formed  wholly  out  of 
our  couception  of  what  we  are  ourselves.  But  this  con- 
ception may  very  poorly  express  what  the  Scriptures  teach 
with  regard  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 

V. — A  SCRIPTURAL  ANTHROPOLOGY 

God  and  man  .are  so  intimately  associated  in  history 
that  it  is  impossible  to  separate  them  and  at  the  same 
time  treat  either  one  or  the  other  with  satisfactory  ful- 
ness. Disciples  have  always  taught  that  Christianity  is 
thoroughly  adapted  to  man  as  he  is,  and  consequently 
they  have  encouraged  the  understanding  of  a  correct  psy- 
chology, so  as  to  be  able  to  co-ordinate  the  religion  of 
Christ  with  the  needs  of  the  soul.  Speaking  broadly,  the 
Disciples  have  generally  been  trichotamists.  They  h*ave 
accepted  Paul's  definition  in  I.  Thessalonians  iii :  21,  where 
he  speaks  of  the  body,  soul,  and  spirit.  This  three-fold 
character  of  man  is  faintly  adumbrated  under  both  the 
Patriarchal  and  Jewish  Dispensations,  but  the  "  Fneuma/' 
or  Spirit,  as  distinguished  from  the  Soma,"  and 
Psyche,"  is  especially  a  revelation  of  the  Christian  Dis- 
pensation. It  is  true  that  most  theologians  still  continue 
to  follow  Plato  rather  than  Paul,  and  by  doing  so  they 
have  sadly  perplexed  the  Christian  Anthropology. 

It  is  also  doubtless  true  that  a  false  conception  of  man 
has  led  to  many  perversions  of  the  whole  Gospel  scheme 
of  salvation.  The  hyper-Calvin istic  view,  that  man  is 
practically  an  automaton  and  can  act  only  as  he  is  acted 
upon,  really  destroys  the  free  agency  of  man  and  makes 
him  little  more  than  a  machine  without  volition.  But 
the  Scriptures  teach  that  man  was  made  a  little  lower 
than  God,  and  this  high  dignity  accorded  to  him  must 
be  accepted,  if  we  would  find  a  satisfactory  explanation 
for  many  things  in  his  history.  When  it  is  conceded 
that  God  created  him  with  the  power  to  choose  between 
good  and  evil,  man  at  once  takes  his  proper  place  in 
the  Cosmos,  and  the  tragedy  in  Eden  becomes  a  reasonable 
fact  in  his  history.  It  also  serves  to  explain  the  attributes 
of  God,  especially  His  omniscience.  One  of  the  staple 
objections  of  infidelity  to  the  fall  of  man,  as  represented 
in  the  Bible,  is  that  God  foreknew  exactly  what  man  would 
do  when  he  was  placed  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  not- 


INTRODUCTORY 


63 


withstanding  the  fore-warning  he  received,  he  would  cer- 
tainly eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit.  Or,  in  other  words, 
God  placed  before  him  the  temptation  and  then  punished 
him  for  doing  what  God  foreknew  man  would  certainly 
do  as  soon  as  he  was  tempted.  In  short,  God  knew  per- 
fectly well  that  His  prohibition  would  not  hinder  man 
from  eating  the  forbidden  fruit  when  he  told  him  he  must 
not  eat  it. 

Now  it  is  readily  conceded  that  this  is  fallacious  reason- 
ing, though  it  is  generally  plausible  to  unthinking  people, 
and  has  had  a  widespread  influence  in  bringing  the  whole 
story  of  the  temptation  and  fall  into  bad  repute.  But 
there  is  no  need  for  conceding  so  much  in  the  argument 
which  the  Christian  is  in  the  habit  of  making.  It  is  per- 
fectly true  that  God's  foreknowledge  is  different  from  His 
fore-ordination.  One  may  know  that  an  event  will  hap- 
pen, and  yet  not  be  in  way  responsible  for  it.  I  may 
know  that  poison  will  kill  my  friend;  I  may  even  warn 
him  against  taking  it,  but  he  may  act  entirely  contrary 
to  my  advice,  and  so  fall  a  victim  to  his  own  folly.  But 
at  the  same  time,  if  I  put  the  poison  before  him  and  allow 
him  to  be  tempted  to  partake  of  it,  the  matter  assumes 
a  very  dilTerent  form. 

Of  course  the  infidel's  objection  may  be  readily  met 
if  we  at  once  conceive  the  fact  that  God  did  know  that 
man  would  fall  under  the  temptation ;  but  that  the  tempta- 
tion was  necessary  in  order  that  man  might  be  all  God 
had  intended  him  to  be — a  free  agent,  as  free  as  God 
Himself,  in  order  to  choose  his  own  course  of  action. 

In  short,  the  temptation  and  fall  must  be  regarded 
as  part  of  the  whole  plan  of  God  which  he  had  in  view 
when  he  created  man.  In  this  case,  we  must  judge  the 
tragedy  in  Eden  from  the  end  in  view  rather  than  from 
the  beginning,  or  the  process  of  development.  There  is 
certainly  nothing  improbable  in  the  fact,  that  in  the  full 
development  of  man,  in  the  preparation  of  him  for  what 
Tennyson  calls,  "  that  far-off,  divine  event,  to  which  the 
whole  creation  moves,"  the  tragedy  in  Eden  was  a  nec- 
essary factor  in  order  to  reach  what  the  Apostle  Paul 
calls  "  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed  in  us,"  when  the 
final  struggle  is  over,  and  victory  shall  perch  upon  the 
blood-stained  banner  of  the  cross. 

Nevertheless,  there  Is  still  a  more  reasonable  view  of 


64   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  whole  matter.  That  xievr  is  that  God  did  not  cer- 
tainly foreknow  just  ichat  Adam  would  do  when  He  created 
him  and  placed  him  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  under  the 
prohibition  that  he  was  not  to  cat  of  the  tree  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil.  There  is  certainly  nothing  im- 
possible in  this  conception.  Of  course  it  limits  the  fore- 
knowledge of  God  with  respect  to  an  important  matter. 
But  if  God  limited  Himself  in  this  case,  surely  we 
have  no  right  to  complain.  He  has  undoubtedly  limited 
Himself  with  respect  to  many  things,  and  this  was  probably 
necessary  in  order  that  He  might  create  the  universe  as 
He  has  done.  We  cannot  conceive  of  God  changing  many 
of  the  laws  which  we  know  now  exist.  For  instance, 
we  would  regard  it  absurd  for  any  one  to  affirm  that 
God  could  make  2  and  2  equal  5.  John  Stewart  Mill 
has  suggested  that  there  may  be  worlds  where  such  a 
thing  is  possible.  But  in  this  world,  at  least,  the  thing 
is  impossible,  for  the  reason  that  God  has  constructed 
this  world  on  the  principle  of  the  unchanging  fact  that 
2  and  2  are  4,  and  that  ''things  that  are  equal  to  the 
same  thing  are  equal  to  each  other." 

Now  let  us  assume  that  He  has  constructed  the  moral 
universe  on  the  principle  that  He  has  limited  Himself  with 
regard  to  some  things  in  order  that  He  may  grant  a  larger 
freedom  to  others.  Why  should  it  be  thought  an  in- 
credible thing  that  God's  omniscience  was  limited  the 
moment  He  created  another  being  as  free  as  Himself?  Now 
this  is  precisely  what  He  did  when  He  created  Adam,  and 
it  is  almost  certain  that  He  did  not  absolutely  foreknow 
just  what  Adam  would  do  under  the  circumstances;  and, 
furthermore,  He  could  not  know  just  what  He  would  do, 
in  view  of  the  freedom  which  had  been  conferred  upon 
Adam.  In  other  words,  when  God  created  another  being 
as  free  as  Himself,  He  then  and  there  distinctly  limited 
His  foreknowledge  as  to  what  that  being  would  do  under 
certain  conditions,  especially  where  there  was  no  ante- 
cedent history  in  the  case  of  the  one  created  by  which  a 
probable  conclusion  would  be  predicted. 

Now  if  this  view  of  the  matter  is  accepted,  the  last 
shadow  of  a  shade  of  reason  in  the  infidel  objection  at 
once  vanishes  into  thin  air.  It  is  not  here  affirmed  that 
this  last  view  of  the  case  has  been  advocated  by  Disciple 
teachers,  but  it  is  certainly  involved  in  their  Anthropology, 


INTRODUCTORY 


65 


and  ought  to  have  been  made  a  cardinal  feature  in  their 
arguments  against  the  hyper-Calvinism  with  which  they 
had  to  contend,  especially  in  the  early  days  of  their  move- 
ment. 

The  one  thing,  however,  which  has  always  been  empha- 
sised with  respect  to  their  anthropology  is  the  fact  that 
man  is  capable  of  hearing,  believing,  and  obeying  the 
Gospel,  and  that  there  is  no  justification  for  a  final  con- 
demnation, unless  he  is  capable  of  deciding  for  himself 
what  he  will  do  when  the  message  of  heaven  is  clearly 
brought  before  him.  They  have  been  unable,  from  the 
very  beginning  of  their  movement,  to  understand  why 
God  should  exhort  men  to  cease  from  evil  and  learn  to 
do  good,  if  these  men  are  utterly  unable  to  act  for  them- 
selves with  respect  to  their  soul's  salvation.  The  insist- 
ence upon  a  Scriptural  anthropology  has  done  much  to 
popularise  and  make  workable  the  Disciple  movement. 
The  people  have  not  been  slow  to  understand  that  the 
whole  contention  with  respect  to  man's  dignity — though 
he  is  in  ruins;  and  his  free  agency — though  he  uses  this 
sometimes  to  his  own  destruction — are  nevertheless  abso- 
lutely essential  to  make  his  salvation  worth  while.  In- 
deed, this  is  the  only  view  that  can  make  his  condemna- 
tion at  all  co-ordinate  with  justice. 

VI. — A  SCRIPTURAL  SOTERIOLOGY 

A  right  conception  of  man  and  a  right  conception  of 
the  Gospel  are  so  intimately  associated  that  it  is  difficult 
to  treat  them  separately.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  doc- 
trine of  salvation  embraces  practically  the  whole  scheme 
of  redemption,  though  for  the  sake  of  convenience  and 
clearness,  Soteriology  is  treated  as  a  separate  division. 
It  is  probable  that  the  Disciple  advocacy  has  been  more 
satisfactory  at  this  particular  point  than  at  any  other 
in  all  their  contentions.  They  certainly  have  taught  the 
way  of  salvation,  from  a  Scriptural  point  of  view,  as  no 
other  religious  people  have  done.  Prom  the  beginning 
of  their  movement  to  the  present  time  they  have  given 
special  attention  to  the  subject  of  conversion,  and  their 
clear  and  Scriptural  views  have  undoubtedly  wrought  a 
great  change  in  the  evangelistic  systems  of  the  Protestant 
denominations  generally.    While  they  have  earnestly  and 


66  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


persistently  contended  that  every  case  of  conversion  re- 
corded in  tlie  New  Testament  was  begun  and  ended  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  they  have  just  as  earnestlj'  and  per- 
sistently contended  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  just  as  God  does, 
works  through  means  and  never  works  so  as  to  hinder 
or  discount  the  free  agency  of  man  in  his  own  conversion. 

Doubtless  the  main  reason  why  the  office  and  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  have  been  confused,  or  else  completely 
perverted,  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  whole  subject 
of  conversion  has  become  confusion  worse  confounded," 
owing  to  both  a  false  Anthropology  and  a  false  Soteriology. 

That  something  called  conversion  is  taught  in  the  Bible 
no  one  who  reads  aright  can  for  a  moment  question;  but 
that  the  public  understanding  of  it  is  correct  I  think  may 
be  fairly  doubted.  There  is,  perhaps,  no  difference  of 
opinion,  at  least  among  those  who  are  regarded  as  Evan- 
gelicals, as  to  the  need  of  conversion.  I  believe  that  all 
are  in  harmony  at  that  point.  But  when  we  come  to 
consider  what  is  really  meant  by  conversion,  then  there 
is  at  once  a  wide  divergence  between  the  popular  under- 
standing and  that  view  which  a  critical  knowledge  of 
the  subject  must  necessarily  yield.  This  difference  may 
be  clearly  indicated  by  asking  a  few  questions:  Does  the 
man  convert  himself,  or  is  it  something  done  for  him? 
Is  conversion  an  act  of  the  creature  or  of  the  Creator? 
Or,  in  other  words,  is  it  a  human  or  divine  act?  The 
popular  view  is  that  it  is  wholly  a  divine  act;  that  the 
human  is  entirely  passive,  simply  receiving  what  is  done 
through  divine  agency.  Hence,  we  are  constantly  hearing 
such  expressions  as  the  following :  When  I  was  con- 
verted," "  He  went  to  the  meeting  and  was  converted," 
etc.,  etc. ;  all  referring  to  something  which  the  subject 
had  done  for  him  rather  than  something  he  did  himself. 
And  this  view  is  at  least  partially  justified  by  the  Author- 
ised Version.  In  that  Version  the  original  {cpistrepho) 
is  rendered  six  times  hy  the  phrase  Be  ye  converted," 
which  conveys  a  passive  signification,  as  if  the  persons 
referred  to  are  finally  made  to  yield  to  some  foreign 
influence  which  they  were  at  the  time  resisting.  But 
the  idea  of  passivity  is  not  in  the  original  at  all.  The 
original  occurs  thirty-one  times  in  the  New  Testament, 
in  eighteen  of  which  it  expresses  a  mere  physical  act  or 
turning  or  returning;  nineteen  times  it  is  used  to  change 


INTRODUCTORY 


67 


from  evil  to  good,  and  twice  from  good  to  evil.  In  none 
of  these  cases  does  it  ever  express  imssivity  of  the  subject. 
The  corresponding  Hebrew  word  (Shawb)  is  of  very  fre- 
quent use  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  almost  invariably 
carries  with  it  the  force  of  activity  upon  the  part  of  the 
subject.  In  Isaiah  vi :  10,  the  Authorised  Version  gives 
a  correct  rendering  as  regards  the  very  word  under  con- 
sideration. The  passage  reads :  "  Lest  they  see  with  their 
eyes,  and  understand  with  their  heart,  and  convert,"  etc. 
It  will  be  seen  here  that  the  word  convert "  is  in  the 
active  voice,  and  refers  to  something  that  the  people  were 
themselves  to  do,  and  not  to  something  that  was  to  be 
done  in  them  or  for  them.  But  where  this  passage  is 
found  in  the  New  Testament,  as  in  Matthew  xiii :  15, 
Mark  Iv :  12,  John  xii :  40,  the  Authorised  Version  uni- 
formly gives  us  a  rendering  which  regards  the  subjects 
as  entirely  passive,  and  therefore  acted  upon  rather  than 
acting  themselves.  The  Revised  Version  has  done  good 
service  in  giving  a  much  better  translation  of  the  original; 
but  why  epistrepho  should  be  rendered  "turn  again" 
in  Matthew  and  Mark,  and  only  "  turn  "  in  John,  is  cer- 
tainly beyond  the  ken  of  any  Greek  scholar  outside  of 
the  Revision  Committee.  Still,  we  must  do  that  Com- 
mittee justice  by  heartily  commending  their  discrimination 
in  reference  to  the  voice  of  the  verb  in  these  places,  as 
well  as  in  Acts  iii :  19.  In  this  last  passage  the  revisers 
have  given  us  what  is  virtually  a  new  revelation.  As  it 
stands  in  the  Authorised  Version  it  is  really  an  entire 
perversion  of  the  original,  and  has  doubtless  been  largely 
instrumental  in  creating  in  the  public  mind  the  erroneous 
view  to  which  I  am  calling  attention.  It  is  probable  that 
those  who  made  the  Authorised  Version  were  influenced 
in  this  matter  by  the  Latin  Vulgate,  as  it  uses  the  passive 
voice  where  every  other  version  known  to  me  uses  the 
active.  It  is  well  known  that  King  James'  translators 
followed  very  closely  the  Latin  Vulgate,  and  as  regards 
epistrepho,  they  followed  the  Vulgate  slavishly.  Hence 
it  will  be  seen  that  we  are  indebted  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Bible  for  one  of  the  most  blighting  errors  with  which 
modern  Christendom  is  cursed. 

What,  then,  is  the  correct  idea  of  conversion  as  taught 
in  the  Word  of  God?  In  answering  this  question  it  may 
be  well  to  approach  the  final  conclusion  by  successive 


68   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


steps.  Let  it  be  observed,  first  of  all,  that  the  original 
word  everywhere  represents  an  act,  and  in  the  next  place 
that  this  act  is  performed  hy  the  subject,  and  finally  that 
the  subject  by  this  act  turns  from  his  wanderings  to  serve 
the  living  God.  Strictly  speaking,  therefore,  conversion 
denotes  what  the  sinner  does  himself,  and  not  what  is  done 
in  him  or  for  him.  It  is  his  own  act,  and  not  the  act 
of  another.  True,  the  whole  process  may  comprehend 
several  acts  instead  of  one,  as  the  term  simply  indicates 
the  fact  of  turning  rather  than  the  steps  by  which  this 
turning  is  accomplished.  But  whether  many  acts  or  one, 
whatever  is  done,  so  far  as  any  act  is  concerned,  it  must 
be  regarded  as  done  by  the  sinner  himself.  Hence  the 
idea  of  passivity  on  his  part  is  wholly  unscriptural,  and 
is  dangerously  misleading  the  people.  I  feel  conscious 
that  in  thus  speaking  I  am  doing  a  service  for  the  cause 
of  truth.  The  popular  mind  is  saturated  with  the  notion 
that  the  sinner  has  nothing  to  do — can,  indeed,  do  nothing 
— as  he  is  wholly  passive,  and  must,  therefore,  wait  for 
some  irresistihilis  gratia  to  act  for  him.  Thus  human 
responsibility  is  practically  destroyed,  while  the  work  of 
saving  souls  is  turned  from  its  legitimate  course  to  try 
expedients  which  are  as  unscriptural  and  dangerous  as 
the  popular  view  of  conversion  is  erroneous  and  mis- 
leading.* 

Now  this  view  of  conversion  has  strongly  appealed  to 
the  people  generally.  It  thoroughly  harmonises  with  the 
anthropology  for  which  the  Disciples  have  always  con- 
tended; and  the  two,  when  properly  co-ordinated,  exactly 
fit  each  other,  and  what  is  better,  they  appear  to  fit  exactly 
all  the  Scriptural  teaching  on  the  subject. 

No  wonder  the  Disciples  have  gained  such  signal  tri- 
umphs in  their  evangelistic  preaching.  It  is  probable  that 
sometimes,  while  trying  to  escape  from  Babylon,  they  have 
gone  by  Jerusalem  in  their  earnest  contention  against 
the  mystic  theology  which  reigned  everywhere,  especially 
during  the  early  days  of  their  movement.  Undoubtedly, 
there  has  been  a  great  change  of  views  of  many  eminent 
theologians  of  the  present  day  with  regard  to  the  whole 
subject  of  salvation,  and  more  especially  with  regard  to 
the  matters  for  which  the  Disciples  have  been  such  earnest 
advocates.    Time  was  when  both  their  Anthropology  and 

*  See  "Conversion  of  the  World,"  by  Dr.  Moore. 


INTRODUCTORY 


G9 


Soteriology  were  severely  condemned,  and  even  by  many, 
regarded  as  the  quintessence  of  heterodoxy.  But  it  is 
perhaps  true  that  this  very  heterodoxy  has  been  one  of 
their  strongest  contentions  during  the  whole  period  of 
their  religious  history.  But  however  this  may  be,  it  is 
certain  that  the  religious  world  is  rapidly  coming  to 
accept  the  position  of  the  Disciples  with  respect  to  the 
plan  of  salvation,  though  there  is  still  much  hesitancy 
in  adopting  the  views,  conceded  as  correct,  with  respect 
to  some  of  the  conditions  of  the  Gospel  which  are  clearly 
involved  in  a  Scriptural  Soteriology. 

VII. — A  SCRIPTURAL  ECCLESIOLOGY 

While  the  term  ecclesiology  sometimes  refers  to  a  church 
building  and  its  decoration,  it  is  equally  appropriate  when 
it  is  used  to  describe  the  ecclesia  of  the  New  Testament, 
or  God's  building,  as  the  Apostle  calls  it,  or  the  depart- 
ment of  religious  science  that  treats  of  the  organisation 
and  development  of  the  Church.  The  Disciples  have  been 
careful  to  build  the  Church  according  to  the  model  pre- 
scribed by  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  have  studiously  avoided 
the  building  of  an  ecclesiasticism,  such  as  is  represented 
by  some  of  the  leading  denominations.  They  have  pre- 
ferred the  family  idea  to  any  other,  even  where  there  is 
authority-  for  the  other  in  the  New  Testament.  Other 
ideas  are  not  rejected,  where  they  are  supported  by  the 
Scriptures,  but  the  fatherhood  and  brotherhood  idea,  as 
is  constantly  suggested  when  the  Church  is  regarded  as 
a  family,  has  been  a  favourite  conception  of  the  Disciples 
from  the  beginning  of  their  religious  movement  to  the 
present  time.  The  Divine  family  is  evidently  the  con- 
ception of  Christ  with  respect  to  His  Church.  The  mem- 
bers of  this  family  are  born  from  above,  or  are  born  of 
God,  and  hence  the  whole  household  of  faith  constitute 
a  spiritual  brotherhood : 

"  Where  each  can  feel  a  brother's  sigh. 
And  with  him  bear  a  part, 
Where  sorrow  flows  from  eye  to  eye. 
And  joy  from  heart  to  heart." 

This  holy  brotherhood  fellowship  has  been  one  of  the 
distinguishing  characteristics  of  the  Disciples  wherever 


70   HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


they  have  gathered  themselves  together  for  worship,  or 
wherever  they  have  come  in  touch  with  each  other  in  the 
affairs  of  human  life. 

During  the  Middle  Ages  the  Church  practically  became 
almost  everything,  while  real  religion  amounted  to  very 
little.  Even  at  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century 
the  difference  between  a  church  and  a  religion  was  very 
dimly  seen,  if  seen  at  all,  by  a  great  majority  of  Protest- 
ants; and  yet  the  distinction  between  these  is  of  the  very 
greatest  importance.  A  splendid  ideal  for  a  church  may 
be  a  very  poor  ideal  for  a  religion.  The  Roman  Catholic 
Church  is  a  magnificent  ecclesiasticism  which  really 
eclipses  all  other  religious  organisations,  but  we  are  ac- 
customed to  think  that  its  realisation  of  religion  is  far 
from  what  it  ought  to  be.  A  church  is  only  valuable  so 
far  as  it  fitly  represents  the  religion  of  Christ.  Religion 
must  be  regarded  as  paramount,  and  all  our  estimates 
with  regard  to  a  particular  church  must  be  made  through 
that  religion,  rather  than  judging  of  the  religion  through 
any  church,  no  matter  what  its  claims  may  be.  If  we 
generalise  the  New  Testament  Church,  for  which  the  Dis- 
ciples have  always  contended,  at  least  three  character- 
istics come  prominently  into  view: 

(1)  Its  Spirituality. 

(2)  Its  Universality. 

(3)  Its  Oneness. 

Undoubtedly  the  Spirituality  of  the  Church  is  a  cardinal 
feature  of  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament,  and  yet  it 
is  probable  that  this  conception  of  the  Church  has  re- 
ceived too  scant  attention  in  the  practice  of  the  Church. 
It  has  perhaps  been  recognised  in  theory,  but  not  many 
churches  have  exemplified  the  teaching  of  the  Apostles 
that  the  Church  is  "  A  spiritual  house,  a  holy  priesthood, 
to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ." 

The  Universality  of  the  Church  is  as  clearly  revealed 
as  the  Gospel  message,  which  is  world-wide  in  its  extent. 
The  Gospel  is  to  be  taken  into  all  the  world  and  preached 
to  every  creature,  and  consequently  the  Church  is  intended 
for  all  the  nations  and  cannot,  therefore,  be  limited  by 
any  act  of  Parliament  or  any  sectarian  spirit  which  would 
confine  the  Church  to  any  particular  country. 

The  Oneness  of  Christ's  Disciples  is  the  very  thing  for 


INTRODUCTORY 


71 


which  He  so  fervently  prayed  in  that  remarkable  prayer 
recorded  in  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  John.  However, 
it  is  well  to  distinguish  between  this  oneness  for  which 
Christ  prayed,  or  Christian  Unity,  and  the  Christian  Union 
for  which  the  Disciples  have  been  distinguished  advocates. 
Christian  Unity  is  one  thing,  and  Christian  Union  is  quite 
another.  Unity  is  a  Divine  gift;  Union  is  a  human  ex- 
pedient. We  cannot  create  oneness  or  unity  of  spirit, 
but  we  may  "  endeavour  to  keep  it."  Union  is  the  legiti- 
mate outcome  of  unity.  Probably  the  chief  difiQculty  in 
effecting  Christian  Union  is  in  the  fact  that  there  is  too 
little  Christian  Unity  out  of  which  this  union  can  come. 
Christian  Union  presupposes  the  existence  of  actual 
Christians  who  have  been  made  one  in  Christ,  as  He  and 
the  Father  are  one;  then  out  of  this  oneness  union  ought 
to  follow  as  an  effect  follows  cause.  But  if  we  do  not 
"  keep  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,"  we 
cannot  have  Christian  Union,  no  matter  what  the  starting 
point  may  be.  A  bad  beginning  may  have  a  good  ending, 
but  a  bad  beginning  never  did  and  never  will  make  a  good 
ending. 

"  Just  here,  if  I  mistake  not,  we  touch  one  of  the  most 
vital  questions  of  our  Church  union  problem.  It  may 
be  that  many  doctrinal  differences  will  have  to  be  broken 
down  before  we  can  realise  our  union  ideal;  but,  in  my 
opinion,  the  first  and  most  important  difflculties  in  our 
way  lie  on  the  practical  side  of  Christianity  rather  than 
on  the  doctrinal  side.  When  we  have  ceased  to  hinder 
the  fullest  development  of  spiritual  oneness,  by  refusing 
any  longer  to  recognise  in  our  churches  the  distinction 
between  Jew  and  Greek,  bond  and  free,  male  and  female, 
we  shall  then  begin  at  least  to  realise  the  New  Testament 
ideal  of  the  Church  in  which  racial  unity,  social  unity, 
and  family  unity  are  all  practically  assured.  And  it 
is  not  difficult  to  see  that,  when  this  oneness  is  clearly 
manifested  in  our  churches,  the  problem  of  either  Chris- 
tian union  or  Church  union  can  be  easily  solved.  Con- 
sequently, it  is  my  firm  conviction  that  the  real  obstacles 
with  which  we  have  to  contend  are  not  so  much  doctrinal 
differences,  the  '  historic  episcopate,'  or  any  other  kind 
of  episcopate,  as  racial  distinctions,  national  boundary 
lines,  traditional  customs,  the  reign  of  caste,  and  the  un- 
worthy, ungallant,  and  unscriptural  insistence  that  woman 


72   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


must  occupy  a  very  subordinate  place  in  the  Church.  And 
it  is  furthermore  my  deep  conviction  that  all  efiforts  to 
realise  a  Christian  union  that  would  be  of  much  permanent 
benefit  will  ultimately  end  in  complete  failure  unless  the 
practical  obstacles  to  which  I  have  called  attention  are 
efifectually  removed  out  of  the  way. 

"  Of  course  there  are  other  things  relating  to  the  Church 
which  might  be  mentioned,  and  which  the  Disciples  have 
specially  emphasised,  but  as  I  am  aiming  to  consider 
their  religious  position  from  a  comprehensive  point  of  view 
rather  than  from  the  view  of  special  details,  I  deem  it 
unnecessary  to  occupy  attention  any  further  with  respect 
to  their  conception  of  the  Church.  However,  enough  has 
been  said  to  show  that  their  conception  of  the  Church, 
in  many  respects,  is  essentially  different  from  that  which 
is  held  by  many  other  religious  bodies;  and  it  is  believed 
that  their  conception  is  not  only  Scriptural,  but  is  really 
the  one  which  can  be  made  practical  for  all  the  purposes 
for  which  the  Church  exists;  and  consequently,  their  con- 
ception of  the  Church  is  the  only  one  that  can  possibly 
become  efficient  in  bringing  all  the  discordant  elements 
of  Christendom  into  practical  unity."  * 

With  a  true  conception  of  the  Bible,  a  true  conception 
of  God,  a  true  conception  of  Christ,  a  true  conception  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  a  true  conception  of  man,  a  true  concep- 
tion of  the  Gospel,  and  a  true  conception  of  the  Church,  the 
Disciples  hold  an  impregnable  position  from  which  they 
can  work  for  the  salvation  of  the  world.  In  view  of 
their  earnest  contention  for  a  Scriptural  presentation  of 
all  these,  it  is  not  strange  that  their  plea  must  be  reck- 
oned with  before  we  can  hope  for  a  successful  movement 
on  the  nations  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  that 
have  not  yet  been  successfully  evangelised  by  the  pure 
Gospel  of  Christ. 

In  view  of  the  foregoing  considerations,  it  may  be  worth 
while  to  inquire  why  the  plea  of  the  Disciples  has  been 
such  a  decided  success,  notwithstanding  it  received,  for 
a  long  time  at  least,  the  almost  united  opposition  of  the 
forces  of  Christendom.  That  it  has  been  a  success  no 
one  will  doubt  who  will  become  sufficiently  acquainted 
with  the  rise,  progress,  and  present  status  of  the  move- 
ment as  to  be  able  to  form  an  intelligent  judgment.  In- 

*  "  Plea  of  the  Disciples." 


INTRODUCTORY 


73 


deed,  it  is  now  very  generally  conceded  that  the  Disciples 
are  making  more  substantial  progress  than  any  other  re- 
ligious people  in  the  United  States;  and  this  fact  is  all 
the  more  remarkable  because  they  have  very  few,  if  any, 
additions  from  foreign  countries.  As  we  have  already 
seen,  the  movement  is  distinctly  American  in  its  char- 
acter. While  the  light  came  from  the  East  with  the 
men  who  inaugurated  and  propagated  its  principles  at 
the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  it  is  a  fact,  never- 
theless, that  the  movement  has  been  from  the  beginning 
to  the  present  time  characteristically  American,  and  has 
travelled  Westward  exactly  in  the  line  of  the  law  of  prog- 
ress and  in  harmony  with  the  movement  of  population. 
It  is,  therefore,  interesting  and  instructive  to  briefly  ex- 
amine some  of  the  reasons  why  the  plea  has  met  with 
such  signai  triumphs  in  the  face  of  such  persistent  opposi- 
tion. The  following  reasons  will  be  sufficient  for  the 
present  purpose: 

(1)  The  Scriptiiralness  of  the  Plea. 

Perhaps  no  other  religious  people  have  emphasised  more 
earnestly  the  importance  of  having  a  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord "  for  everything  for  which  they  contend  in  faith 
and  practice.  The  people  generally  wish  something  as- 
suring with  respect  to  their  religious  life.  In  His  con- 
test with  Satan,  our  Divine  Lord  met  all  the  assaults 
of  the  adversary  with  the  emphatic  phrase,  "  It  is  writ- 
ten." This  seems  to  have  been  the  only  weapon  which 
our  Lord  used,  but  it  was  eminently  successful  in  putting 
Satan  to  flight.  The  Disciples  have  very  generallj^  relied 
upon  the  Scriptures  in  all  their  contests  with  their  op- 
ponents. This  particular  fact  has  given  their  evangel- 
istic efforts  remarkable  potency.  Their  evangelists  con- 
stantly quoted  the  Scriptures  for  every  step  they  wished 
the  sinner  to  take  in  order  that  he  might  become  a  Chris- 
tian. They  relied  exclusively  upon  Divine  instruction 
with  respect  to  the  whole  plan  of  salvation,  and  utterly 
refused  to  accept  human  testimony  with  reference  to  what 
the  sinner  must  do  to  be  saved.  They  quoted  not  only 
the  commission  of  our  Divine  Lord,  but  also  all  the  cases 
of  conversion  recorded  in  the  New  Testament,  and  con- 
stantly and  persistently  insisted  that  the  Divine  pattern 
should  be  followed  in  all  things,  in  order  that  those  who 
turned  away  from  their  sins  and  became  Christians  should 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


have  the  full  assurance  of  faith  which  is  guaranteed  only 
by  haying  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  "  for  all  the  steps  that 
are  taken. 

(2)  The  Reasonableness  of  the  Plea. 

It  has  already  been  remarked  that  the  movement  was, 
first  of  all  in  its  development,  a  protest  against  darkness 
and  a  plea  for  light.  While  the  early  pioneers  of  the 
movement  said  very  little  about  the  scientific  character 
of  their  plea,  it  is  evident  to  the  careful  student  of  their 
history  that  the  plea  is  scientific  in  a  very  high  degree. 
It  evidently  fits  in  with  all  the  known  facts  of  nature, 
and  thus  co-ordinates  nature  and  grace,  making  them  co- 
operants,  instead  of  opponents,  as  many  did,  especially 
in  the  early  days  of  the  movement.  The  Disciples  have 
always  contended  that  there  is  no  necessary  antagonism 
between  science  and  religion,  when  both  of  these  are  well 
understood  and  occupy  their  respectively  legitimate  posi- 
tions. Antagonism  between  them  is  only  possible  where 
there  is  ignorance  with  respect  to  one  or  the  other,  or 
both. 

This  special  contention  of  the  Disciples  brought  their 
plea  into  direct  line  with  a  predominant  characteristic 
of  the  age,  and,  therefore,  helped  to  commend  the  Disciple 
plea  to  many  who  would  have  otherwise  rejected  it.  In 
contending  for  the  "  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the 
saints  "  the  Disciples  rejected  speculative  science,  as  well 
as  speculative  theology',  but  they  have  always  been  willing 
to  accept  any  well-established  facts  whether  in  nature 
or  in  grace.  This  made  their  plea  reasonable,  and  has 
done  much  in  helping  to  popularise  it  with  those  who 
demand  a  reason  for  the  hope  that  is  in  us  before  they 
will  give  earnest  attention  to  what  we  say. 

(3)  The  Simplicity  of  the  Flea. 

The  whole  complex  revelation  of  both  Testaments  was 
reduced  to  the  simple  formula  that  Jesus  of  Xazareth  is 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  It  was  contended 
that  this  is  the  proposition  upon  which  Christ  built  His 
Church,  and  that  it  is  what  was  preached  everywhere  by 
the  Apostles,  though  the  manner  of  stating  it  is  somewhat 
different  under  different  circumstances.  But  this  propo- 
sition is  substantially  what  must  be  preached,  and  there- 
fore, what  is  to  be  believed  by  those  who  desire  to  be 
Christians.    This  at  once  takes  faith  out  of  the  category 


INTRODUCTORY 


75 


of  doctrines  and  makes  it  simple,  because  it  is  personal. 
It  is  not  a  belief  in  some  theological  formula,  but  in  a 
glorious  Person  in  whom  the  people  may  trust. 

One  of  the  chief  difficulties  with  which  Protestants  have 
had  to  contend  in  their  conflicts  with  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  has  been  the  complexity  of  the  machinery  of 
Protestantism.  While  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  has 
moved  steadily  on,  under  the  influence  of  a  single  inspira- 
tion, maintaining  her  unity  in  all  countries  and  under 
all  circumstances,  the  Protestant  Churches  have  divided 
their  influence  in  a  warfare  among  themselves,  as  well 
as  greatly  weakened  each  individual  effort  by  the  com- 
plex conditions  of  Protestantism  itself.  The  Protestant 
theory  is  to  oppose  an  infallible  Church  with  an  infallible 
Bible,  but  the  Protestant  practice  has  been  to  weaken 
this  plea  by  claiming  the  necessity  of  human  creeds,  and 
consequently  the  Protestant  movement,  as  a  whole,  has 
been  greatly  retarded  in  its  progress  by  adding  to  the 
pure,  simple  Word  of  God,  the  decrees  of  Augsburg,  West- 
minster, and  such  like  ecclesiastical  utterances.  The  Dis- 
ciples have  always  contended  that  these  human  creeds  are 
unnecessary  and  divisive  in  their  character,  and  ought, 
therefore,  to  be  abandoned,  while  the  Disciple  creed, 
namely :  that  "  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God,"  should  be  accepted  everywhere  as  the  only  thing 
necessary  to  be  believed  in  order  to  the  salvation  of 
the  world.  This  contention  for  a  simple,  personal  creed 
has  been  a  source  of  great  strength  with  the  Disciples  from 
the  beginning  of  their  movement  to  the  present  time. 

The  Protestant  creeds  have  all  failed  to  ijerceive  that 
the  faith  of  the  Gospel  is  not  belief  in  some  particular 
representation  of  Jesus,  some  definite  formula  which  ex- 
presses a  philosophical  conception  of  Him,  but  belief  in 
Jesus  Himself — in  Him  who  was  dead,  but  is  alive  for 
evermore.  This  the  scholasticism  of  the  Mediaeval  Church 
would  not  permit,  but  insisted  upon  a  scientific  formula, 
which,  whether  true  or  false,  ought  now  to  be  rejected 
by  every  intelligent  Christian,  not  because  it  is  true  or 
false,  but  because  it  is  a  theory,  and  as  such,  is  a 
perversion  of  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the 
saints." 

The  modern  Church  has  not  given  as  much  attention 
to  the  speculations  concerning  Christ  as  the  Medifeval 


76  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Church  did,  but  it  has  not  been  by  any  means  indifferent 
to  philosophical  questions.  What  the  theologians  at 
Nicaea,  Constantinople,  Ephesus,  and  Chalcedon  regarded 
as  the  vital  questions  in  Theology  and  Christology  our 
modern  divines  have  been  disposed  to  consider  of  second- 
ary importance,  while  they  have  given  the  first  place  to 
the  subjects  of  Anthropology,  Soteriology,  and  Eschatol- 
ogy.  These  subjects  have  furnished  the  weapons  for 
modern  theological  pugilism,  and,  as  a  consequence,  our 
symbolical  literature  is  full  of  abstract  statements  con- 
cerning original  sin ;  the  doctrine  of  satisfaction ;  the  resur- 
rection and  final  state  of  man.  The  thing  that  the  Church 
needs  to  understand  is  not  that  the  Calvinistic  Anthro- 
pology is  superior  to  the  Arminian,  or  that  the  Arminian 
Soteriology  is  superior  to  the  Calvinistic,  but  that  these 
are  questions  which  belong  to  the  schools,  not  to  the 
Church,  and  must  not,  therefore,  be  allowed  to  enter  into 
the  question  of  any  one's  faith.  These  are  matters  con- 
cerning which  it  is  all-important  to  have  correct  views; 
but  they  do  not  properly  belong  to  the  question  of  the 
churches'  creed,  and  hence  should  not  be  made  barriers 
in  the  way  of  Christian  union  and  communion.  And  until 
theologians  shall  abandon  their  fruitless  discussions  about 
things  which  do  not  properly  belong  to  the  Christian  faith, 
it  is  impossible  to  hope  for  "  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the 
bond  of  peace." 

But,  after  all,  there  is  a  point  of  view  from  which  this 
simplicity  has  had  its  draAvbacks.  The  theologians  could 
not  understand  the  Disciples.  This  was  so  much  the  case 
that  many  have  wondered  why  the  Disciples  were  so  con- 
stantly and  so  persistently  misrepresented  in  the  early 
days  of  the  movement.  But  the  answer  is  not  far  to 
seek.  We  might  ask  with  equal  propriety,  why  was  Christ 
so  constantly  and  persistently  misunderstood?  No  one 
ever  spoke  with  greater  simplicity,  and  yet  no  one  per- 
haps was  more  shamefully  misunderstood.  The  common 
people  heard  Him  gladly,  but  the  theologians  could  not 
understand  Him. 

The  same  was  true  as  regarded  the  plea  of  the  Disciples. 
It  was  so  far  removed  from  the  theological  zone  that 
many  of  the  theologians  felt  that  it  was  entirely  outside 
of  the  world's  great  need.  These  theologians  had  long 
been  trained  in  the  school  of  doctrines,  philosophies,  and 


INTRODUCTORY 


77 


metaphysical  speculations.  Their  view  of  religion  was 
largely  infiueuced  by  the  colour  of  the  spectacles  they  wore; 
consequently,  when  the  Disciples  insisted  that  these  spec- 
tacles should  all  be  remanded  to  the  waste  basket,  while 
the  clear,  white  light  of  the  simple  Gospel  should  be 
allowed  to  shine,  without  passing  through  the  colored 
glasses  of  men's  invention,  it  was  all  simple,  and  yet  so 
revolutionary,  that  many  honest  souls  actually  believed 
that  there  was  nothing  in  it,  and  that  the  religion  which 
it  professed  to  advocate  was  really  nothing  more  than 
a  superficial  representation  of  what  true  religion  ought 
to  be. 

Of  course  there  were  those  who  misrepresented  the  Dis- 
ciples because  they  were  blinded  by  bigotry,  and  others 
because  they  could  not  see  through  their  ignorance,  but 
it  is  charitable  to  conclude  that  most  of  the  misrepresenta- 
tions, and  especially  those  made  by  the  preachers  of  the 
various  denominations,  may  be  charged  to  the  account 
of  the  simplicity  of  the  plea  which  the  Disciples  made. 
Mr.  Barnum  was  not  far  wrong  when  he  said  "  the  people 
love  to  be  humbugged."  Patent  medicine  vendors  under- 
stand this  weakness  of  human  nature,  and  consequently, 
they  place  upon  their  nostrums  some  mysterious  label 
which  at  once  covers  up  the  simple  ingredients  entering 
into  the  compound.  If  the  average  man  knows  exactly 
what  is  in  the  compound  he  is  not  inclined  to  patronise 
it,  but  if  it  comes  to  him  labelled  with  some  mysterious 
name,  he  at  once  accepts  this  fact  as  an  assurance  that 
the  medicine  will  meet  his  case. 

No  doubt  there  are  other  reasons  why  the  Disciples  were 
misrepresented,  but  it  is  probable  that  the  very  simplicity 
of  their  plea  was  the  ground  of  nearly  all  the  honest 
misunderstandings  with  respect  to  their  teaching.  This 
seems  paradoxical,  but  it  is  a  fact  nevertheless,  and  the 
proof  of  it  will  be  found  in  the  subsequent  history  of 
their  movement.  In  recent  years  they  are  beginning  to 
be  clearly  understood,  and  misrepresentations  are  no 
longer  the  general  rule.  The  reason  for  this  is  not  that 
their  plea  has  changed,  but  the  point  of  view  of  the 
denominations  has  changed.  These  denominations  have 
ceased  to  look  at  the  Disciples  through  the  spectacles  that 
were  generally  used  in  the  early  days  of  the  Disciple 
movement,  and  this  makes  all  the  difference  as  regards 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  appearance  of  the  Disciple  position  to  these  denomina- 
tions. It  ma}^  be  true,  and  probably  is  true,  that  the 
Disciples  have  at  least  in  some  respects  removed  the  em- 
phasis from  some  of  the  things  they  once  advocated,  but 
it  is  an  entire  misrepresentation  of  their  position  when 
it  is  stated  that  they  have  given  up  any  important  con- 
tention that  was  in  their  plea  when  it  had  been  fairly 
developed. 

But,  however  this  may  be,  it  cannot  be  doubted  that 
with  the  people  generally  the  simplicity  of  the  principles 
the  Disciples  advocated  was  of  very  great  advantage  in 
gaining  converts.  The  average  mind  could  understand 
the  Disciple  preachers,  and  it  was  a  great  relief  to  the 
masses  to  hear  a  Gospel  which  was  really  good  news, 
and  not  a  perplexing  riddle  which  was  no  longer  any 
account  when  its  mystery  was  solved.  At  any  rate,  the 
common  people  heard  the  Disciples  gladly,  and  it  was 
among  these  people  where  the  preachers  made  most  of 
their  converts. 

(4)  Comprehensiveness  of  the  Plea. 

While  the  creed  insisted  upon  by  the  Disciples  is  simple, 
it  is  at  the  same  time  widely  comprehensive.  As  regards 
time,  it  reaches  over  the  whole  area  of  human  history. 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever; 
He,  therefore,  comprehends  the  past,  present,  and  future. 
But  His  universality  must  be  admitted  also  hy  all  who  un- 
derstand His  character.  He  not  only  meets  the  condition 
of  all  ages,  but  of  all  the  people  of  these  ages.  He  is  the 
universal  man,  as  well  as  the  universal  Saviour.  The 
high  and  the  low,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  bond  and  the 
free,  the  Jew  and  the  Greek,  the  male  and  the  female, 
all  become  one  in  Christ  Jesus,  because  in  Him  is  the 
universal  solvent  of  all  questions,  at  least,  the  distinctions 
suggested  by  these  classes  do  not  count.  They  exist,  no 
doubt,  but  when  properly  co-ordinated  with  Jesus  Christ 
all  distinctions  are  lost  in  a  great  comprehensiveness 
which  is  found  nowhere  except  in  our  Divine  Lord.  Con- 
sequently, Disciples  have  contended  that  there  is  no  need 
for  anything  else  to  be  submitted  to  our  faith,  since  he 
who  believes  in  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  Son  of  the  living 
God,  has  the  very  faith  that  covers  the  whole  ground  of 
human  need  and  human  responsibility. 

It  ought  to  be  evident  that  when  we  believe  in  Christ, 


INTRODUCTORY 


79 


we  accept  all  that  He  has  said  as  divine,  and  consequently 
as  authoritative.  His  word,  then,  becomes  law  to  us — 
an  infallible  rule  of  action.  If  He  was  what  He  claimed 
to  be,  then  the  New  Testament  is  what  it  claims  to  be; 
but  if  He  was  an  impostor,  it  is  certainly  a  cunningly- 
devised  fable,"  and  entirely  unworthy  of  our  confidence. 
Hence,  that  which  is  addressed  to  our  faith  is  the  divinity 
of  Christ;  while  that  which  determines  our  action  is  the 
aiitlioritij  of  Christ.  But  His  authority  depends  on  His 
divinity.  If  He  is  divine.  His  word  is  binding  on  all  His 
followers,  and  every  commandment  in  that  word  must 
be  implicitly  obeyed.  We  conclude,  therefore,  that  it  is 
not  strictly  proper  to  say  the  New  Testament  is  our  creed, 
but  we  can  say  it  is  our  rule  of  duty.  We  believe  in 
Christ  because  we  are  convinced  that  He  is  divine;  we 
obey  Him  because  the  acknowledgment  of  His  divinity  con- 
cedes His  right  to  command.  Hence  the  proposition  af- 
firming the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  is  the  creed  of  the  Church 
— the  foundation  upon  which  the  Church  is  built — while 
all  else  in  the  New  Testament  in  some  way  relates  to 
this  primary  truth.  This  view  of  the  matter  turns  the 
mind  aw^ay  from  every  other  question,  to  consider  the 
one  which  is  most  vital  in  the  Christian  religion,  namely, 
"  What  think  ye  of  the  Christ,  whose  son  is  He?  "  This 
question  is  fundamental,  and  a  proper  answer  to  it  will 
give  us  the  only  divinely  authorised  Confession  of  Faith 
that  the  world  has  ever  known  since  the  introduction  of 
Christianity. 

(5)  Unity  of  the  Plea. 

We  have  already  seen  that  the  Disciples  have  always 
co-ordinated  everything  around  one  great  personality. 
Protestantism  has  always  given  evidence  of  certain  de- 
cided elements  of  power  within  it ;  but  these  elements  have 
been  manifested  only  in  special  directions.  There  has 
been  no  regular,  harmonious  development;  and  conse- 
quently the  strength  of  Protestantism  has  been  unequal 
to  the  task  of  successfully  meeting  the  influence  of  Rome, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  influence  of  Paganism,  which  must 
be  overcome  before  the  final  triumphs  of  Christianity  can 
be  assured.  The  work  of  Wyclif,  Luther,  Melancthon, 
Zwingle,  Calvin,  Wesley,  and  others,  did  much  toward 
breaking  off  the  shackles  of  religious  despotism  and  re- 
storing the  ancient  order  of  things  with  respect  to  the 


80   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Gospel  and  the  Church.  No  intelligent,  consistent  his- 
torian can  fail  to  know  this  fact.  But  it  is  likewise  true 
that  no  candid  historian  can  fail  to  admit  that  there  was 
a  great  want  of  unity  in  the  plea  which  they  made.  Some 
of  the  elements  of  truth,  which  they  eliminated  from  the 
mass  of  error  which  had  overwhelmed  the  religious  con- 
dition of  their  age,  came  out  clearly,  distinctly,  and  un- 
mistakably on  the  side  of  Primitive  Christianity ;  but  there 
were  so  many  evidences  of  mixture  with  the  corruptions 
of  Rome,  in  other  things  for  which  they  contended,  that 
the  unity  of  their  cause  was  greatly  disfigured  and  broken 
by  these  uneven  developments  of  truth.  The  strength  and 
efficiency  of  their  plea  were  also  impaired  in  the  exact 
ratio  that  this  want  of  unity  was  manifested.  A  chain 
may  be  very  strong  in  certain  parts;  but  on  account  of 
some  weak  links  the  strength  of  the  whole  may  be  greatly 
weakened  and  the  chain  may  be  rendered  useless.  Pre- 
cisely so  is  it  with  Protestantism.  In  some  of  its  parts 
it  has  always  been  strong,  but  taken  as  a  whole  it  is  un- 
fortunately weak  because  of  a  lack  of  unity  in  all  its 
parts. 

The  plea  of  the  Disciples  is  to  accept  all  the  strong 
points  of  Protestantism,  as  it  has  gradually  developed 
since  the  days  of  Wyclif,  and  to  reject  all  that  is  weak 
in  it,  and  thereby  restore  the  chain  of  truth,  with  all  the 
links  unimpaired,  which  Protestantism  has  made  weak 
by  admixtures  with  error.  This  unity  of  their  plea  is  a 
great  source  of  strength. 

(6)  The  Consistency  of  the  Plea. 

Much  more  is  meant  by  consistency  than  simply  the  har- 
mony of  the  various  parts  of  the  plea.  It  is  meant  rather 
that  the  plea  is  in  harmony  with  truth  and  that  it  is 
practically  what  it  professes  to  be.  Protestants,  very 
generally,  are  inconsistent  in  the  plea  which  they  make. 
While  contending  for  the  right  of  individual  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Scriptures,  they  stultify  this  plea  by  making 
human  creeds  authoritative,  and  thereby  limiting  the  right 
of  the  individual  to  think  and  act  for  himself.  Conse- 
quently, while  the  Protestant  clergy  have  theoretically 
denied  the  Papal  assumption  of  right  to  interpret  the 
Word  of  God  for  the  masses,  they  have  too  frequently 
stultified  their  own  theory  by  practically  sitting  in  judg- 
ment upon  the  faith  of  others.    Had  Protestantism  been 


INTRODUCTORY 


81 


consistent  with  itself  and  full}'  exemplified  what  it  pro- 
fesses, much,  very  much,  might  have  been  done,  even  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  toward  staying  the  tide  of  religious 
despotism  which  was  then  sweeping  over  the  whole  of 
Europe.  Something,  indeed,  was  done;  but  nothing  in 
comparison  with  what  should  have  been  accomplished. 
Truth  is  always  consistent  with  itself,  and  it  was  natural, 
therefore,  for  men  to  suspect  the  purposes  and  doubt  the 
correctness  of  the  position  of  their  new  masters  when 
these  were  found  little  less  exacting  upon  the  conscience 
than  their  Papal  predecessors.  This  palpable  inconsist- 
ency— this  determined  opposition  to  Rome,  on  account 
of  her  assumptions  of  right  to  interpret  the  Bible  for 
the  Church,  while  at  the  same  time  claiming  the  right 
for  Protestants  to  do  the  same  thing,  by  forcing  upon 
the  people  an  almost  indefinite  number  of  theological  dog- 
mas— is,  beyond  question,  a  very  weak  point  of  Protest- 
antism. Try  to  apologise  for  it  as  we  may,  the  conclu- 
sion, nevertheless,  forces  itself  upon  us  that  just  here 
is  a  plain  and  monstrous  inconsistency. 

To  remedy  this  unmistakable  evil,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  enable  us  to  meet  successfully  the  encroachments  upon 
civil  and  religious  liberty,  the  plea  of  the  Campbellian 
Reformation  has  been  and  is  now,  not  only  to  theoretically 
allow,  but  also  earnestly  and  practically  to  enforce  upon 
society  the  right  of  the  individual  conscience  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  religion.  The  Disciples  have  held  to  the 
view  that  there  is  no  middle  ground  between  the  papacy 
and  this  position.  They  claim  that  the  people  must  be 
left  free  to  interpret  the  Word  of  God  for  themselves, 
or  else  the  clergy  must  do  it  for  them.  A  domineering 
priesthood  or  a  free  people  is  the  logical  and  necessary 
consequence  growing  out  of  these  conditions.  The  people 
have  not  been  slow  to  see  the  justness  of  the  position  of 
the  Disciples  upon  this  subject,  and  consequently  their 
cause  has  gained  great  strength  from  this  source,  wherever 
it  has  been  faithfully  presented.  Just  here  is  the  secret, 
to  some  extent,  of  their  popularity  among  the  masses; 
and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  take  into  con- 
sideration the  fact  that  they  are  the  only  people  among 
Protestants  who  practically  as  well  as  theoretically  strike 
for  the  freedom  of  conscience  and  the  right  of  individual 
interpretation ;  at  least  they  are  the  only  people  that  have 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


made  this  contention  a  prominent  feature  in  their  religious 
movement. 

( 7 )  The  Practicality  of  their  Flea. 

This  has  always  been  a  marked  characteristic.  Ex- 
perience has  proved  that  the  plea  is  workable.  Doubtless, 
in  some  respects,  it  has  not  always  brought  results  com- 
mensurate with  reasonable  expectations.  Nevertheless, 
a  careful  examination  of  the  whole  ground  will  show  that 
the  plea  has  proved  itself  to  be  eminently  practical,  and 
in  many  respects  it  is  decidedly  workable. 

This  workable  characteristic  of  the  plea  has  done  much 
to  commend  it  to  the  people.  As  a  rule,  the  common 
people,  at  least,  are  not  captivated  by  a  theory,  however 
plausible  that  theory  may  be,  when,  if  put  to  the  test, 
it  is  shown  to  be  unworkable.  Some  dreamers  have  spent 
fortunes  in  trying  to  invent  a  perpetual  motion.  They 
have  demonstrated  to  themselves,  and  even  to  others,  the 
correctness  of  their  theory ;  but  after  all  when  their  theory 
has  been  put  to  a  practical  test  it  has  proved  to  be  un- 
workable. No  religious  plea  will,  in  the  last  analysis, 
receive  the  public  applause,  which,  when  thoroughly  tested, 
proves  to  be  impracticable. 

It  is  no  doubt  true  that  the  plea  of  the  Disciples  was 
at  first  regarded  as  an  impracticable  dream ;  but  the  sub- 
sequent history  has  proved  conclusively,  to  those  who  have 
watched  the  development  of  this  remarkable  religious 
body,  that  what  they  contend  for  is  eminently  practicable, 
since  it  is  conceded  that  they  are  even  now  making  more 
rapid  progress  than  any  other  religious  people  in  the 
United  States.  Nor  is  this  progress  confined  simply  to 
their  evangelistic  efforts.  In  this  particular  field  they 
are  undoubtedly  without  a  rival.  Whether  their  modern 
methods  can  be  wholly  justified  or  not,  they  are  surely 
an  improvement  upon  the  methods  adopted  by  any  other 
religious  people.  Furthermore,  it  is  certain  that  from 
the  very  beginning  they  have  been  without  a  rival  in  the 
practical  way  they  preach  the  Gospel.  This  practicality 
of  their  preaching  comes  largely  from  its  definiteness  and 
Scripturalness.  It  fixes  something;  and  settles  some- 
thing; it  concentrates  everything  into  one  great  proposi- 
tion, and  while  this  is  presented  from  different  points  of 
view,  as  it  is  in  the  New  Testament,  at  the  same  time 
it  focalises  the  whole  Gospel  message,  so  that  the  un- 


INTRODUCTORY 


83 


converted  can  see  and  understand  just  what  the  message 
is,  and  furthermore,  just  when  they  will  be  accepted  of 
God  after  they  turn  from  their  sins  and  do  what  the 
Gospel  requires.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  fact 
that  this  simple,  yet  comprehensive  and  definite  Gospel 
has  done  much  to  make  the  evangelistic  work  of  the  Dis- 
ciples a  conspicuous  success. 

At  the  same  time  it  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  that  their 
success  in  other  fields  has  been  almost  equally  as  great. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  they  are  comparatively,  from 
a  historical  point  of  view,  a  young  people,  with  only  one 
hundred  years  behind  them,  and  a  large  number  of  these 
years  were  spent  in  the  Creative  and  Chaotic  Periods. 
Nevertheless  the  Disciples  have  grown  almost  wonderfully 
in  their  missionary  operations,  their  educational  develop- 
ment, their  literature,  and  also  in  the  spiritual  advance 
of  their  churches.  It  is  readily  admitted  that  their 
growth  in  every  respect  is  not  always  the  same  at  all 
points  and  in  all  places.  But,  looking  at  their  history, 
as  a  whole,  it  must  be  conceded  by  any  competent  and 
impartial  judge  that  they  have  proved  the  truth  of  their 
contention  largely  by  showing  that  their  plea  is  eminently 
practical  in  accomplishing  the  things  for  which  the  Dis- 
ciples contend. 

(8)  Their  Plea  is  Conservative. 

The  Disciples  have  always  recognised  that  some  things 
must  be  settled,  must  be  taken  for  granted,  must  be  ac- 
cepted as  truth;  and  to  these  things  we  must  hold  fast 
if  we  do  not  wish  to  be  moved  by  every  wind  of  doctrine, 
etc.,  that  may  come  along  to  disturb  the  keeping  of  the 
unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace."  They  recognise 
the  exhortation  of  the  Apostles  that  there  are  certain 
things  that  must  be  "  held  fast,"  and  certain  things  in 
which  we  must  "  stand  fast "  in  order  that  we  may  be 
able  to  make  progress  at  all.  There  are  some  people,  so 
fascinated  with  the  idea  of  progress,  that  they  would 
sweep  from  under  us  the  very  ground  upon  which  progress 
makes  its  steps.  But  we  cannot  walk  even  phj^sically 
without  something  permanent  upon  which  our  steps  may 
be  taken ;  much  less  can  we  make  religious  progress  unless 
we  hold  fast  the  immutable  things  which  are  revealed  to 
us  in  the  Word  of  God,  which  Word  itself  is  a  permanent 
assurance  for  every  step  we  take,  for  it  abides  forever. 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Conservatism,  in  its  right  place,  is  just  as  important  as 
liberalism;  and  certainly  the  former  is  more  important, 
when  in  the  right  place,  than  the  latter  is,  when  in  the 
wrong  place. 

The  people  have  not  been  slow  to  see  this  in  the  Disciple 
movement.  They  have  been  charmed  with  this  particular 
feature,  because  it  gives  the  soul  something  definite  and 
permanent  upon  which  it  can  rely.  A  soul  without  chart 
or  compass,  while  on  the  great  sea  of  life,  is  always  more 
or  less  a  lost  soul,  sailing  hither  and  thither  without 
knowing  whether  it  will  ever  land  at  port  or  not.  Dis- 
ciples have  inspired  the  people  with  the  Scriptural  assur- 
ance that  the  hope  for  which  they  contend  is  sure  and 
steadfast,  and  enters  into  the  vail  where  Jesus  Christ,  the 
forerunner,  has  entered;  a  priest  for  ever  after  the  order 
of  Melchisedec.  This  assurance  is  worth  ten  thousand 
pleas  where  the  name  of  liberty  is  used,  as  said  by  Madame 
Roland,  at  the  Guillotine,  in  order  to  justify  crime. 

(9)  The  Plea  is  Eminently  Liberal. 

Notwithstanding  all  that  has  been  said,  with  respect 
to  the  conservative  side  of  the  plea,  it  is,  nevertheless,  a 
great  plea  for  liberty;  and  this  is  one  of  its  most  dis- 
tinguishing characteristics.  But  what  is  liberty?  This 
is  not  so  easily  defined,  but  for  general  purposes,  at  least 
for  a  working  basis,  we  may  affirm  that  it  is  the  privilege 
to  do  right.  But  even  this  definition  contains  at  least 
two  somewhat  ambiguous  terms.  What  is  privilege?  and 
again  what  is  right?  There  are  no  questions  more  difficult 
to  determine  than  those  of  casuistry.  In  settling  what 
is  right  and  what  is  wrong  we  must  always  be  influenced, 
somewhat  at  least,  by  certain  conditions  of  environment 
and  perspectiA^e,  and  consequently  Avhat  may  be  right  in 
a  given  case  may  be  wrong  in  another;  and  what  may  be 
wrong  in  one  set  of  circumstances  may  be  right  in  another. 
The  determining  factor  is  nearly  always  a  variable  quan- 
tity, and  this  is  precisely  why  we  cannot  formulate  a 
definite  rule  to  meet  all  cases.  Nevertheless,  the  rule 
just  given  is  sufficient  for  practical  purposes;  hence  it  is 
well  to  stick  to  the  definition  that  liberty  is  the  privilege 
to  do  right,  while  what  "  privilege  "  and  "  right  "  are  must 
be  left  for  determination  in  each  case  as  it  arises. 

There  is  another  difficulty  in  dealing  with  the  question, 
and  that  arises  from  the  liberty  which  we  claim  for  our- 


INTRODUCTOKY 


85 


selres,  and  what  we  are  willing  to  grant  to  others.  We 
are  all  anxious  to  have  the  liberty  to  think,  speak,  and 
act  for  ourselves,  within  legitimate  bounds,  without  any 
obtrusive  interference  from  any  person  or  persons  who 
may  seek  to  limit  our  liberty ;  but  are  we  at  the  same  time 
willing  to  grant  the  liberty  which  we  claim  for  ourselves 
to  all  other  persons?  The  first  end  of  this  statement  will 
no  doubt  be  heartily  agreed  to  by  all  classes,  but  it  may 
be  seriously  doubted  whether  the  latter  part  of  it  will 
be  practically  accepted  by  very  many.  It  is  so  easy  to 
believe  that  our  own  way  of  thinking  is  best,  that,  even 
from  a  benevolent  point  of  view,  we  are  sometimes  anxious 
to  have  others  accept  our  notions  of  truth,  nolens  volens. 
Indeed,  our  anxiety  to  press  our  own  conclusions  upon 
others  is  so  intense  that  it  not  infrequently  happens  that 
we  persecute  those  who  are  not  willing  to  think,  speak,  and 
act  as  we  do;  and  when  this  persecution  takes  the  form  of 
fagot  or  sword,  we  cry  out  against  it  as  unworthy  of  an 
enlightened  civilisation,  to  say  nothing  of  a  Christian 
civilisation.  But  the  principle  is  precisely  the  same  what- 
ever may  be  the  form  of  the  persecution.  There  are  many 
petty  persecutions  at  this  time  that  are  just  as  wrong  in 
principle  as  those  which  characterised  the  period  of  the 
Dark  Ages.  The  principle  of  religious  liberty  is  perhaps 
violated  just  as  often  now- — and  that,  too,  by  Protestants 
themselves — as  was  done  in  the  fifteenth  century  by  Roman 
Catholics.  The  fonii  of  the  violation  is  different,  that 
is  all. 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  have  always  recognised  the  true 
principle  of  religious  liberty  at  least  in  tlieonj,  though 
like  all  other  people  who  are  liable  to  err,  they  have  some- 
times failed  to  practically  illustrate  the  great  principles 
for  which  they  have  contended.  But  their  right  conten- 
tion has  done  much  to  leaven  religious  society  with  correct 
views  as  regards  the  rights  of  the  individual  conscience, 
with  respect  to  all  religious  matters.  It  is  perhaps  true 
that  the  liberty  for  which  they  have  contended  has  been 
abused,  and  no  doubt  frequently  perverted,  so  that  its  true 
meaning  has  been  obscured.  But  this  only  proves  the 
weakness  of  human  nature  rather  than  the  weakness  of 
the  principles  involved  in  the  contention  of  the  Disciples. 
Liberty  has  its  limitations  and  cannot  be  pressed  beyond 
these  limitations,  without  disastrous  results  following. 


86   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Perhaps  one  of  the  chief  difficulties  in  the  way  of  dealing 
with  the  question  of  liberty  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  some 
people  think  they  must  always  do  the  thing  which  they  have 
a  right  to  do,  and  that  there  must  be  no  limitations.  But 
the  Apostle  Paul  did  not  so  reason.  He  had  the  right,  he 
said,  to  eat  meat,  but  he  would  not  do  so  while  the  world 
stands  if  it  would  cause  his  brother  to  stumble  or  grow 
weak.  We  certainly  ought  not  to  do  what  is  not  right  in 
the  name  of  Liberty,  but  even  when  we  have  the  privilege  to 
do  right,  we  ought  not  to  exercise  this  privilege  when  the 
result  is  likely  to  be  more  harm  than  good.  In  Ethics  the 
highest  reach  of  service  is  the  sionminn  bonum — the  chief 
good.  It  is  not  what  is  riglit,  but  what  is  good,  that  stands 
as  the  highest  ideal  for  endeavour. 

But  no  matter  how  the  foregoing  consideration  may  be 
regarded,  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  Disciples'  plea 
for  liberty,  united  with  their  plea  for  conservatism,  has 
been  a  most  potent  factor  in  their  success  as  a  religious 
people.  They  have  stood  for  something  that  abides — even 
faith,  hope,  and  love, — but  they  have  stood  also  for  a 
legitimate  liberty  in  the  exercise  of  the  individual  con- 
science. The  people  have  not  been  slow  to  recognise  the 
value  of  their  plea  in  this  respect,  and  consequently  much 
of  their  success  may  be  attributed  to  this  union  of  these 
apparently  contradictory  principles. 

(10)  The  Plea  is  Progressive. 

This  characteristic  has  been  anticipated  in  the  elements 
already  considered.  If  what  has  been  stated  is  true  of 
the  plea,  it  would  be  impossible  for  the  Disciples  not  to 
be  a  progressive  people.  Progress  is  possible  only  where 
there  is  co-ordination  and  co-operation  of  the  things  that 
make  for  progress.  The  Disciples  have  insisted,  as  per- 
haps no  other  religious  people  have  done,  that  revelation 
itself  is  a  progressive  development ;  hence  they  have  divided 
the  history  of  religion  into  three  dispensations,  namely, 
Patriarchal,  Jewish,  and  Christian;  or  as  Mr.  Campbell 
was  wont  to  express  this  fact,  the  Starlight  Age,  the 
Moonlight  Age,  and  the  Sunlight  Age. 

In  the  light  of  this  division.  Disciples  have  never  had 
any  difficulty  in  harmonizing  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 
They  have  constantly  and  earnestly  insisted  upon  the 
fact  that  the  revelation  of  God  Himself  has  been  progres- 
sive; that  the  view  of  God  under  the  Patriarchal  Dispen- 


INTRODUCTORY 


87 


sation  is  somewhat  dififerent  from  what  it  is  under  the 
Jewish  Dispensation;  and  it  is  still  different  under  the 
Christian  Dispensation,  The  recognition  of  this  fact  has 
enabled  them  to  understand  the  character  of  God  without 
affirming  that  the  Old  Testament  revelation  concerning 
Him  is  not  to  be  trusted,  because  it  was  influenced  by 
the  environment  in  which  the  Old  Testament  records  were 
produced.  Disciples  have  contended  that  each  revelation 
is  exactly'  what  it  ought  to  be,  in  view  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  age  to  which  it  belongs.  All  the  light  did  not  shine 
during  the  Starlight,  or  Moonlight  Age.  It  was  reserved 
for  the  time,  when  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  should  arise 
with  healing  in  His  beams,  for  a  full  revelation  of  the 
character  of  God.  At  this  time  He  is  revealed  as  the  lov- 
ing Father  who  constantly  careth  for  His  children. 

Disciples  have  also  always  distinguished  between  prin- 
ciple and  method.  Perhaps  this  statement  needs  some 
qualification.  It  is  certainly  true  of  the  more  enlightened 
portion  of  Disciples,  but  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  some 
of  them  have  not  always  made  this  distinction  in  their 
reasoning  with  respect  to  their  methods  of  work.  Never- 
theless, the  predominent  contention  of  the  Disciples  has 
been  that  principles  are  eternal,  and  consequently  do  not 
change,  but  methods  are  transcient  and  may  change  from 
time  to  time  according  to  the  special  requirements  of  a 
given  case.  This  distinction  has  enabled  the  Disciples  to 
go  forward  with  many  things  in  a  somewhat  different 
method  from  that  which  characterised  the  work  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  early  days  of  the  movement.  In  the  begin- 
ning, Mr.  Campbell  denounced  many  things  which  he 
afterwards  advocated.  At  first,  this  was,  perhaps,  neces- 
sary, for  the  things  which  he  denounced  w'ere  at  that  time 
great  hindrances  in  the  way  of  the  progress  of  truth.  The 
methods  had  run  away  with  the  principles  until  practically 
little  more  than  the  methods  remained,  and  these  were 
decidedly  vicious.  But  many  theologians,  who  did  not 
make  the  proper  distinction  between  principles  and 
methods,  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Mr.  Campbell  was 
opposed  to  the  principles  involved,  simply  because  he  de- 
nounced the  abuse  of  these  principles,  which  abuse  had 
become  so  prominent  a  character  of  the  times  as  to  com- 
pletely overshadow  the  principles  themselves. 

Speaking  broadly,  it  can  safely  be  affirmed  that  the  Dis- 


88   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ciples  have  alwaA's  been  a  progressive  people;  using  all 
the  light  that  is  available  from  every  source  whatever. 
While  their  final  appeal  has  always  been  to  the  Word  of 
God,  they  have  constantly  accepted  all  the  help  from  other 
sources  that  may  be  legitimately  used  in  order  to  clearly 
understand  what  the  A^'ord  of  God  means.  When  Ezra 
stood  in  the  pulpit  of  wood  and  read  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
which  had  been  so  much  neglected,  he  helped  the  people  to 
understand  its  meaning,  and  this  has  been  a  cardinal 
function  of  the  Disciple  teachers.  They  have  constantly 
endeavoured  to  make  the  people  understand  the  Word  of 
God,  hence  they  have  been  willing  to  use  all  the  light  that 
science,  history",  or  learning  can  possibh^  throw  upon  the 
pages  of  the  Bible.  This  has  enabled  them  to  become  a 
virile,  active,  and  progressive  people  with  regard  to  all 
the  great  matters  with  which  they  have  to  deal  in  their 
day  and  generation. 

( 11 )  Tlic  InfaUihle  Certainty  which  the  Plea  Assures. 

The  soul  is  constantly  seeking  for  rest,  but  this  rest 
cannot  be  found  in  am'thing  short  of  infallibility.  Until 
this  is  found,  like  Noah's  weary  dove,  the  soul  wanders 
over  a  sea  of  doubts  and  dilficulties.  The  Roman  Catholic 
position  is  strong  in  this  respect,  though  it  is  weak  com- 
pared with  the  Protestant  position,  if  Protestants  were 
true  to  the  plea  they  make.  The  Romanist  believes  in  an 
infallible  pope,  or  an  infallible  church,  but  neither  of  these 
can  be  trusted,  and  therefore,  in  the  last  analysis,  they 
break  down  in  supplying  the  need  of  the  human  heart, 
which  requires  not  only  personality,  but  a  personality  that 
is  certainly  infallible,  and  that  can  be  perfectly  trusted. 
The  Disciple  plea  meets  this  demand  in  every  respect,  and 
when  the  plea  is  faithfully  tested,  in  the  experience  of 
Christians,  it  has  been  found  to  be  worthy  of  acceptation. 

It  has  already  been  seen  that  Christ  is  made  the 
centre  of  everything  in  the  contention  of  the  Disciples. 
He  is  the  first  and  the  last,  the  beginning  and  the  end, 
the  Alpha  and  Omega,  and  He  is  the  same  yesterday, 
to-day,  and  forever;  and  this  being  true,  it  is  no  mere 
experiment  when  we  follow  His  gracious  invitation  to 
come  to  Him  and  He  will  give  us  rest.  He  is  the  great 
rest-giver;  and  while  Disciples  have  very  generally  held 
to  the  infallibilitj'  of  the  Bible,  as  a  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  they  have  regarded  this  Bible  as  valuable  chiefly 


INTRODUCTORY 


89 


because  it  leads  to  Christ,  wlio  is  the  absolutely  infallible 
authority  with  respect  to  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
Christian  life.  To  believe  implicitly  in  Him,  to  unre- 
servedly commit  ourselves  to  His  leadership,  to  obey  with- 
out question  His  commandments,  is  life  here  and  life  ever- 
lasting in  that  "  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in 
the  heavens." 

In  contending  for  Christ  as  the  final  authority  in  all 
religious  matters,  the  Disciples  have  always  co-ordinated 
with  Christ  the  human  reason  and  revelation.  They  have 
persistently  held  to  the  fact  that  there  is  no  necessary 
conflict  with  respect  to  these,  and  that  when  they  are  all 
properly  understood  and  made  to  occupy  their  rightful 
positions,  there  is  not  the  least  conflict  in  any  respect 
whatever.  They  have  uniformly  contended  that  while 
Christ  is  the  object  of  faith,  at  the  same  time  this  faith 
comes  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God;  or 
in  other  words,  the  human  reason,  or  the  poAver  to  perceive 
and  understand  truth,  enables  the  earnest  inquirer  to 
examine  the  Word  of  God,  and  this  examination,  or  in- 
vestigation, leads  up  to  the  acceptance  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
the  infallible  rest-giver. 

All  this  has  been  intelligible  to  the  people  generally, 
and  they  have  not  been  slow  to  appreciate  the  Disciples' 
position  in  this  respect.  Perhaps  no  one  thing  has  con- 
tributed more  to  their  success  as  a  religious  people  than 
the  particular  point  to  which  we  are  now  calling  attention. 
This  infallibility  of  the  Christ,  rather  than  the  infallibility 
of  the  pope,  is  a  cardinal  feature  with  the  Disciples,  and 
while  doubtless  other  religious  people  have  held  to  prac- 
tically the  same  position,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  the 
Disciples  have  emphasised  the  importance  of  this  more 
than  others  simply  because  their  rejection  of  human  creeds 
necessarily  magnifies  the  importance  of  the  Word  of  God, 
and  makes  Christ  not  only  the  foundation  of  the  Church, 
but  the  centre  of  the  whole  religious  system. 

(12)  The  Unsectarianism  of  the  Plea. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  their  movement  the  Dis- 
ciples have  constantly  protested  against  sectarianism. 
The  burden  of  the  great  "  Declaration  and  Address,"  by 
Thomas  Campbell,  was  a  plea  against  sects  and  for  Chris- 
tian union.  The  Campbells  never  intended  to  act  as  a 
separate  body  when  they  issued  that  address.    They  fondly 


90   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


hoped  to  induce  the  Christian  denominations  to  abandon 
their  sectarian  positions  and  all  work  together  in  a  com- 
mon effort  for  the  conversion  of  the  world.  Thej  taught 
that  all  that  was  necessary  to  Christian  union  was  to 
abandon  the  things  that  divide  Christians,  and  accept  the 
common  platform  of  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ 
Himself  being  the  chief  cornerstone;  and  be  it  said  to  the 
credit  of  the  Campbells,  and  those  who  were  at  first  asso- 
ciated with  them,  that  they  began  this  work  of  Reforma- 
tion, or  Restoration,  as  it  has  been  called,  in  their  own 
households,  they  themselves  deciding  in  their  own  case 
to  accept  of  nothing  for  which  the}"  could  not  find  in  the 
Scriptures  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord "  in  either  an  ex- 
pressed precept  or  a  clearly  revealed  example.  In  this 
matter  they  asked  nothing  of  the  Christian  world  that 
they  themselves  were  not  willing  to  practice.  They  really 
began  the  Reformation  among  themselves;  and  this  fact 
goes  far  to  relieve  the  movement  from  any  selfish,  personal 
interest.  Furthermore,  when  it  became  evident  that  they 
would  be  compelled  to  occupy  the  position  of  a  separate 
religious  people,  the  Disciples  refused  to  insist  upon  any- 
thing in  their  plea  of  a  speculative  character  concerning 
which  men  might  rightfully  differ.  As  an  illustration  of 
this  fact,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  Campbells  were  both 
moderate  Calvinists,  and  remained  so  till  their  death, 
but  they  utterly  refused  to  recognise  either  Calvinism  or 
Arminianism  in  their  plea  for  Christian  union.  They  and 
the  Disciples  generally  held  to  many  things  that  were  never 
made  tests  of  fellowship  in  their  churches.  Whatever  was 
necessary  to  produce  and  sustain  the  Christian  life  was 
the  only  test  that  they  made  with  respect  to  Christian 
fellowship.  A  very  large  latitude  was  allowed  outside 
of  what  they  regarded  as  plainly  taught  in  the  Word  of 
God  with  respect  to  the  Christian  faith,  state,  and  life. 
They  held  that  their  religious  position  must  be  common 
ground,  or  it  would  be  impossible  to  bring  the  Christian 
world  to  adopt  it. 

Just  here  it  is  worth  while  to  indicate  the  grounds  on 
which  they  based  their  plea  of  un-sectarianism.  Un- 
doubtedly many  religious  people  have  regarded  the  move- 
ment, from  the  very  beginning,  as  practically  a  sect  to 
some  extent  like  all  the  other  sects  of  Christendom.  This 
the  Disciples  have  refused  to  admit,  and  the  reason  for 


INTRODUCTORY 


91 


their  contention  is  found  in  the  fact  that  their  plea  is 
not  made  in  the  interests  of  denominational  union,  but  in 
the  interest  of  Christian  union.  They  have  always  and 
everywhere  contended  that,  as  a  finality,  nothing  but 
Christian  union  is  desirable,  and  nothing  but  this  could 
possibly  be  permanent.  This  very  fact  has  caused  them 
to  place  very  great  emphasis  upon  the  conditions  of  the 
Gospel,  the  acceptance  of  which  is  necessary  to  the  Chris- 
tian life  and  character.  It  is  possible  that  some  of  their 
advocates  have  carried  this  contention  a  little  too  far,  and 
have  thereby  partially  at  least  justified  the  charge  against 
the  Disciples  that  they  are  narrow  and  exclusive,  and  that 
their  plea  for  Christian  union  is  simply  a  plea  for  all  the 
sects  in  Christendom  to  join  them.  But  this  would  be  a 
very  unworthy  estimate  of  the  plea,  as  it  has  been  advo- 
cated by  the  more  intelligent  portion  of  their  ministry. 
They  have  held  to  the  notion  that  the  divided  state  of 
Christendom  is  abnormal,  and  that  very  generally  the 
lines  of  division  among  the  sects  are  not  necessary  to 
the  Christian  life  and  character,  and  therefore,  these  lines 
should  be  obliterated,  or  at  least  not  counted  in  any  plea 
for  Christian  union ;  but  in  cases  where  there  are  essential 
differences,  the  Disciples  have  always  appealed  to  the  law 
and  to  the  testimony,  saying,  "  By  the  Word  of  God,  we 
stand  or  fall." 

It  is  unquestionably  true  that  the  call  to  Christian 
union  rather  than  to  denominational  union  has  much  in 
it  that  is  plausible,  and  perhaps  all  that  is  in  it  is  really 
Scriptural.  The  difficulty  in  making  this  plea  ef¥ective 
has  been,  from  the  very  beginning,  the  unfriendly  position 
of  the  Protestant  sects,  owing  doubtless  to  the  fact  that 
sectarianism  is  essentially  selfish,  and  is  in  most  cases  an 
inheritance;  and  consequently  any  call,  asking  the  people 
to  give  up  their  household  gods,  is  sure  to  be  resisted. 
Nevertheless,  the  Christian  world,  at  the  time  the  move- 
ment took  on  its  separate  form,  was  undoubtedly  greatly 
in  need  of  just  such  a  plea  as  the  Disciples  have  made. 
The  following  extract,  from  Professor  Max  Miiller's 
"  Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,"  is  from  the  preface  of 
that  great  work,  and  states  some  facts  so  entirely  in 
harmony  with  the  plea  of  the  Disciples  that  the  authorship 
might  easily  be  ascribed  to  Alexander  Campbell  himself. 

"  If  there  is  one  thing  which  a  comparative  study  of 


92   HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


religion  places  in  the  clearest  light,  it  is  the  inevitable 
decaj'  to  which  every  religion  is  exposed.  It  may  seem 
almost  like  a  truism  that  no  religion  can  continue  to  be 
what  it  was  during  the  lifetime  of  its  founder  and  its 
first  apostles.  Yet  it  is  but  seldom  borne  in  mind  that 
without  constant  reformation,  i.  e.,  without  a  constant 
return  to  its  fountainhead,  every  religion,  even  the  most 
perfect,  nay,  the  most  perfect  on  account  of  its  very  per- 
fection, more  even  than  others,  suffers  from  its  contact 
with  the  world,  as  the  purest  air  suffers  from  the  mere 
fact  of  its  being  breathed. 

"  Whenever  we  can  trace  back  a  religion  to  its  first  be- 
ginnings, we  find  it  free  from  many  of  the  blemishes  that 
offend  us  in  its  later  phases.  The  founders  of  the  ancient 
religions  of  the  world,  as  far  as  we  can  judge,  were  men 
of  high  stamp,  full  of  noble  aspirations,  yearning  for  truth, 
devoted  to  the  welfare  of  their  neighbours,  examples 
of  purity  and  unselfishness.  What  they  desired  to  found 
upon  earth  was  but  seldom  realised,  and  their  sayings, 
if  preserved  in  their  original  form,  offer  often  a  strange 
contrast  to  the  practice  of  those  who  profess  to  be  their 
Disciples.  As  soon  as  a  religion  is  established,  and  more 
particularly  when  it  has  become  the  religion  of  a  powerful 
state,  the  foreign  and  worldly  elements  encroach  more  and 
more  on  original  foundation,  and  human  interests  mar 
the  simplicity  and  purity  of  the  plan,  which  the  founder 
had  conceived  in  his  own  heart  and  matured  in  his  com- 
munings with  his  God.  Even  those  who  lived  with  Buddha 
misunderstood  his  words,  and,  at  the  great  council  which 
had  to  settle  the  Buddhist  canon,  Asoka,  the  Indian  Con- 
stantine,  had  to  remind  the  assembled  priests  that  '  what 
had  been  said  by  Buddha,  and  that  alone,  was  well  said,' 
and  that  certain  works  ascribed  to  Buddha,  as,  for  instance, 
the  instruction  given  to  his  son,  Rahula,  were  apoc- 
ryphal, if  not  heretical.  With  every  century  Buddhism, 
when  it  was  accepted  by  nations  differing  as  widely  as 
Mongols  and  Hindus,  when  its  sacred  writings  were  trans- 
lated into  languages  as  wide  apart  as  Sanskrit  and 
Chinese,  assumed  widely  different  aspects,  till,  at  last, 
the  Buddhism  of  the  Shamans,  in  the  steppes  of  Tartary, 
is  as  different  from  the  teaching  of  the  original  Samana 
as  the  Christianity  of  the  leader  of  the  Chinese  rebels  is 
from  the  teaching  of  Christ.    If  missionaries  could  show 


INTRODUCTORY 


93 


to  the  Brahmans,  the  Buddhists,  the  Zoroastrians,  nay, 
even  to  the  Mohammedans  how  much  their  present  faith 
differs  from  the  faith  of  their  forefathers  and  founders, 
if  they  could  place  in  their  hands  and  read  with  them, 
in  a  kindly  spirit,  the  original  documents  on  which  these 
various  religions  profess  to  be  founded,  and  enable  them 
to  distinguish  between  the  doctrines  of  their  own  sacred 
books  and  the  editions  of  later  ages,  an  important  ad- 
vantage would  be  gained,  and  the  choice  between  Christ 
and  other  masters  would  be  rendered  far  more  easy  to  a 
truth-seeking  soul.  But  for  that  purpose,  it  is  necessary 
that  we,  too,  should  see  the  beam  in  our  own  eyes,  and 
learn  to  distinguish  between  the  Christianity  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  and  the  religion  of  Christ.  If  we  find 
that  the  Christianity  of  the  nineteenth  century  does  not 
win  as  many  hearts  in  India  and  China  as  it  ought,  let 
us  remember  that  it  was  the  Christianity  of  the  first  cen- 
tury, in  all  its  dogmatic  simplicity,  but  with  its  overpower- 
ing love  of  God  and  man,  that  conquered  the  world,  and 
superseded  religions  and  philosophies  more  difficult  to 
conquer  than  the  religious  and  philosophical  systems  of 
Hindus  and  Buddhists.  If  we  can  teach  something  to  the 
Brahmans  in  reading  with  them  their  sacred  hymns,  they, 
too,  can  teach  us  something  when  reading  with  us  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  deep  despond- 
ency of  a  Hindu  convert,  a  real  martyr  to  his  faith,  who 
had  pictured  to  himself,  from  the  pages  of  the  New 
Testament,  what  a  Christian  country  must  be,  and  who, 
Avhen  he  came  to  Europe,  found  everything  so  different 
from  what  he  had  imagined  in  his  lonely  meditations  at 
Benares.  It  was  the  Bible  only  that  saved  him  from 
returning  to  his  old  religion,  and  helped  him  to  discern, 
beneath  theological  futilities  accumulated  nearly  two 
thousand  years,  beneath  pharisaical  hypocrisy,  infidelity, 
and  want  of  charity,  the  buried  but  still  living  seed  com- 
mitted to  the  earth  by  Christ  and  His  Apostles.  How  can 
a  missionary,  in  such  circumstances,  meet  the  surprise  and 
questions  of  his  pupils  unless  he  may  point  to  that  seed 
and  tell  them  what  Christianity'  was  meant  to  be;  unless 
he  may  show  that,  like  all  other  religions,  Christianity, 
too,  has  had  its  history;  that  the  Christianity  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  is  not  the  Christianity  of  the  Middle  Ages; 
that  the  Christianity  of  the  Middle  Ages  was  not  that  of 


94   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tlie  early  councils ;  that  the  Christianity  of  the  early  coun- 
cils was  not  that  of  the  Apostles,  and  '  that  w  hat  has  been 
said  by  Christ,  that  alone  was  well  said? '  " 

In  view  of  the  foregoing;  considerations  the  intelligent 
reader  will  not  have  much  difficulty  in  recognising  the 
validity  of  the  claim  that  has  been  made  for  the  providen- 
tial guidance  of  the  Disciple  movement.  It  is  no  longer 
doubtful  that  the  very  charge  of  exclusiveness  which  was 
made  against  the  movement,  when  the  Disciples  were 
driven  into  a  separate  people,  is,  after  all,  easily  accounted 
for,  from  a  sectarian  point  of  view.  Doubtless  the  denom- 
inations could  not  see  the  matter  in  any  other  light.  The 
Disciple  plea  meant  their  overthrow,  at  least  the  overthrow 
of  everything  that  made  them  denominations,  or  differ- 
entiated them  from  one  another.  But  when  this  apparent 
exclusiveness  is  carefully  analysed  and  co-ordinated  with 
all  the  facts  of  the  case,  it  will  be  seen  that  no  other 
consistent  ground  could  be  taken  by  the  Disciples,  in  view 
of  the  great  end  which  they  had  in  view.  Nor  is  it  possible 
to  maintain  the  charge  of  sectarianism  against  them,  for 
the  reason  that  they  contended  for  nothing  in  their  plea 
that  is  not  practically  admitted  as  Scriptural  and  right 
by  all  the  leading  denominations  of  Christendom.  It  was 
the  strong  and  persistent  opposition  of  the  Disciples  to 
the  things  that  are  unscriptural  and  that,  therefore,  make 
for  division  rather  than  for  union  that  offended  the  de- 
nominations. Mr.  Campbell,  time  and  again,  affirmed 
that  he  was  perfectly  willing  to  meet  all  the  denominations 
of  Christendom  and  agree  to  unite  upon  a  platform  which 
all  would  agree  is  thoroughly  scriptural,  simply  leaving 
out  those  things  about  which  the  denominations  differ; 
and  this  has  been  the  position  of  the  Disciples  throughout 
their  entire  history,  since  they  have  occupied  a  separate 
religious  position.  They  have  earnestly  contended  that 
there  is  enough  Scriptural  truth  among  all  denomina- 
tions, wherein  they  are  all  agreed,  to  form  a  substantial 
basis  for  the  union  of  Christendom,  and  that  such  union 
would  compel  the  overthrow  of  the  differences  which  now 
divide  the  Christian  world.  The  Disciples  have  further- 
more insisted  that  a  union  is  impossible  simply  on  a  doc- 
trinal basis,  for  such  a  basis  always  magnifies  the  differ- 
ences rather  than  the  points  of  agreement.  But  if  the 
points  of  agreement  are  accepted  and  Christians  will 


INTRODUCTORY 


95 


thereby  ascend  to  the  high  summit  of  love,  the  differences 
which  now  divide  them  into  antagonistic  denominations 
will  dwindle  into  insignificance  and  become  so  infinitesimal 
in  the  eyes  of  those  who  have  learned  to  love  one  another, 
because  they  iove  and  honor  a  common  Lord,  that  union 
will  be  an  accomplished  fact  simply  because  Christians 
will  no  longer  see  the  differences,  even  where  they  may 
exist  with  respect  to  doctrines  and  opinions.  They  will 
behold  only  the  great  things,  the  essential  things,  in  the 
expansive  view  which  love  gives. 

Undoubtedly  love  must  reign  in  the  council  of  Chris- 
tians if  we  may  hope  to  ever  realise  Christian  union. 
Love  not  only  covers  a  multitude  of  sins,  but  it  also  covers 
a  multitude  of  our  petty  differences.  When  we  are  in  the 
mountainous  regions  of  the  Alps,  it  is  very  easy  to  notice 
the  fact  that  when  we  are  in  the  valleys,  or  in  the  lowlands, 
it  is  then  that  the  cleavage  between  the  mountains  is  very 
distinct,  and  the  distance  which  separates  them  appears 
very  considerable.  But  when  we  ascend  to  one  of  the 
lofty  peaks,  such  as  the  Wetterhorn,  or  the  Jungfrau, 
the  valleys  practically  disappear.  Even  a  view  from  the 
Scheideck  greatly  reduces  the  size  and  importance  of  the 
cleavage  between  the  mountains.  It  is  the  low  view 
which  magnifies  the  lines  of  separation.  In  the  wide  sweep 
of  a  higher  view  the  lines  of  separation  are  practically 
lost.  Love  is  our  Wetterhorn  or  our  great  Scheideck, 
from  which  we  must  contemplate  our  differences.  Seen 
from  this  lofty  summit,  the  valleys  which  separate  us  are 
either  no  longer  visible  at  all,  or  else  appear  as  insignifi- 
cant fissures  in  the  endless  chain  of  towering  mountains, 
which  mountains  fitly  represent  great  facts  and  principles 
in  which  all  the  churches,  even  now,  are  substantially 
agreed. 

We  must,  therefore,  study  the  problem  under  considera- 
tion from  the  high  summit  of  Love.  This  will  at  once 
make  possible  what  would  otherwise  be  a  hopeless  task. 
We  must  remember  that  there  is  a  logic  of  the  heart  as 
well  as  the  head ;  and  while  the  former  has  its  proper 
place,  there  is  really  no  place  which  is  not  proper  for 
the  latter  to  occupy.  The  Bible  tells  us  that  the  heart 
has  eyes,  and  this  is  a  most  important  statement  as  regards 
the  question  of  Christian  union.  We  must  look  at  the 
question  from  the  heart  rather  tluiii  from  the  liend.  In 


96   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


short,  we  must  let  Love  reign  in  all  our  hearts,  and  then 
the  controlling  vision  will  be  "  through  the  eyes  of  the 
heart,"  and  this  will  give  us  exactly  the  view  that  is 
necessary  to  see  things  in  their  right  proportion.  And 
the  very  moment  all  our  hearts  shall  be  filled  with  love 
toward  one  another,  that  moment  will  we  see  only  the 
lofty  peaks  of  our  common  Christianity  while  our  minor 
differences,  our  insignificant  cleavages,  our  separating 
valleys,  will  be  lost  in  the  overshadowing  mountains  of 
truth,  which  are  seen  to  be  everywhere  united  in  our  ex- 
tended horizon. 

From  this  point  of  view,  the  Disciples  have  been  willing 
to  consider  the  whole  question  of  Christian  union,  and 
they  have  earnestly  contended  that  when  we  occupy  this 
high  summit  of  love  the  differences,  which  have  so  long 
separated  the  denominations,  will  be  lost  to  view  in  the 
glorious  vision  which  will  then  take  their  place  in  a  united 
Church,  moving  forward  to  take  the  nations  for  Christ. 
From  the  summit  of  the  Wetterhorn  the  Bernese-overland 
seems  to  be  one  continuous  chain  of  mountain  tops,  prac- 
tically blended  together  with  only  just  enough  differentia- 
tion to  lend  a  charm  to  the  great  picture  which  opens 
up  to  view.  So  it  will  be  when  we  reach  the  high  summit 
of  love.  The  differences  of  temperament,  philosophical 
views,  and  everything  else  which  now  hinders  the  union 
of  the  people  of  God,  will  then  lend  a  charm  to  the  picture 
by  blending  all  the  mountain  tops  into  one  great  extended 
spiritual  "  Bernese-overland  "  of  Christian  union,  where 
all  the  people  of  God,  notwithstanding  unimportant  differ- 
ences, shall  be  blended  into  one  harmonious  whole,  and 
a  united  Church  shall  proclaim  the  One  Lord,  one  faith, 
and  one  baptism,"  while  marching  Westward  to  the  con- 
quest of  the  nations. 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD  THE  CAMPBELLS 

THOMAS  CAMPBELL  was  undoubtedly  the  father  of 
the  religious  movement  historically  known  as  the 
Reformation  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.  His  son, 
Alexander,  was  the  chief  advocate  of  the  movement,  and 
has,  therefore,  practically  eclipsed  his  father  with  respect 
to  the  position  legitimately  occupied  by  the  latter.  Never- 
theless, it  is  a  fact,  that  needs  to  be  emphasised,  that  to 
Thomas  Campbell  belongs  the  credit  of  inaugurating  the 
movement,  and  laying  down  the  principles  by  which  his 
son  was  guided  in  his  superb  advocacy  which  followed. 
Let  it  be  said  also,  to  the  credit  of  the  son,  that  he  himself, 
in  his  life  of  his  father,  emphasised  the  fact  that  the  latter 
was  the  real  founder  of  the  movement,  as  well  as  the  author 
of  the  "  Declaration  and  Address,"  in  which  its  fundamental 
principles  were'stated  and  finally  given  to  the  world. 

However,  it  must  not  be  understood  by  this  statement 
that  Thomas  Campbell  was  the  first  in  the  United  States 
to  advocate  many  of  the  principles  set  forth  in  his  "  Decla- 
ration and  Address."  In  this  respect  he  had  been  ante- 
dated by  Barton  Warren  Stone  and  others,  associated  with 
him  in  Kentucky;  but  the  question  of  time  is  not  the 
main  question  to  be  determined  in  a  matter  of  this  kind. 
Undoubtedly  the  Stone  movement  is  entitled  to  much 
credit,  and  this  will  be  duly  conceded  when  this  movement 
shall  be  considered.  However,  it  matters  very  little 
whether  the  beginning  of  the  Disciple  movement  is  dated 
from  1804,  when  the  Last  Will  and  Testament  of  the 
Springfield  Presbytery  "  was  issued  by  Robert  Marshall, 
John  Dunlavy,  Richard  M'Nemar,  B.  W.  Stone,  John 
Thompson,  and  David  Purviance,  or  in  1809,  when  the 
"  Declaration  and  Address,"  written  by  Thomas  Campbell, 
was  issued  by  the  Christian  Association.  The  principles 
underlying  both  of  these  papers  are  practically  the  same, 

97 


98   HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


though  in  the  latter  paper  they  are  set  forth  much  more 
full}'',  and  the  paper  is  intended  as  an  earnest  public  pro- 
test against  sectarianism,  wherever  it  is  found,  and  at 
the  same  time  it  is  an  urgent  and  eloquent  call  to  Chris- 
tian Union  of  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  more 
than  party  or  sect. 

It  is  not  diflQcult  to  see  the  hand  of  Providence  in  the 
initial  facts  of  both  of  these  great  movements.  But  it  is 
no  disparagement  to  any  one  else  to  say  that  Thomas 
Campbell,  by  special  natural  gifts,  education,  character, 
and  experience  was  remarkably  well  fitted  to  take  the  lead 
in  the  movement  which  was  inaugurated  in  1809.  He 
was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  February  1,  1763. 
He  was  educated  in  Glasgow  University  and  Divinity 
Hall.  His  father,  who  was  at  first  a  Roman  Catholic, 
finally  renounced  Romanism  for  the  Church  of  England, 
and  died  in  its  communion,  in  his  eighty-eighth  year. 

Thomas  was  several  years  a  Presbyterian  minister  of 
the  New  Market  Presbytery  in  the  North  of  Ireland;  and 
during  that  time  he  was  distinguished  for  his  scholarly 
attainments,  his  amiable  qualities,  and  his  pronounced 
opposition  to  divisions  in  the  Church.  His  house  was  a 
centre  of  religious  instruction  and  prayer,  and  his  parish 
is  said  to  have  been  the  most  exemplary  in  the  country. 
In  his  church  relationship  he  had  ample  opportunity  to 
feel  the  influence  of  the  sectarian  spirit.  The  conflict 
between  the  Burghers  and  the  Anti-Burghers  was  very 
intense,  and  sometimes  very  bitter,  while  sectarianism  in 
other  forms  very  distinctly  characterised  the  religious  de- 
velopment of  the  times  in  which  he  lived.  Out  of  a  pro- 
test against  the  Established  Churches  there  had  grown  up 
in  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  numerous  religious  de- 
nominations which,  when  not  fighting  what  was  regarded 
by  them  as  the  common  enemy,  namely,  the  Established 
Churches,  they  set  to  fighting  one  another,  and  often  they 
illustrated  their  sectarianism  by  engaging  in  the  bitterest 
controversy, 

"  And  proved  their  doctrine  Orthodox, 
By  Apostolic  blows  and  knocks." 

Such  was  the  religious  environment  in  which  Thomas 
Campbell  was  reared  and  began  his  public  ministry.  It 
is  not  surprising  that  a  man  of  his  amiable  disposition. 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD 


99 


catholic  spirit,  and  deeply  spirit ifal  nature  should  find 
himself  out  of  sympathy  with  the  people  with  whom  he 
was  denominationally  identified ;  for  among  these  were 
some  graceless  bigots  who  were  enough  to  vex  the  soul  of 
any  one,  to  say  nothing  of  such  a  soul  as  that  of  Thomas 
Campbell. 

But,  after  all,  it  was  perhaps  purely  providential  that 
this  godly  man  Avas  subjected  to  these  early  influences. 
In  this  way  he  became  acquainted  with  the  evils  of  sec- 
tarianism, and  learned  to  abhor  its  spirit  and  to  long 
for  something  better  than  a  divided  Christendom.  He 
was  settled  at  Rich  Hill  where  he  conducted  an  Academy, 
at  the  same  time  preaching  for  a  church  at  Aliorey  in  the 
county.  His  first  public  act  was  in  the  interest  of  Chris- 
tian Union.  Doubtless  because  of  his  amiable  disposition 
and  catholic  spirit  he  was  appointed  by  the  Anti-Burghers 
to  make  an  effort  for  union  between  them  and  the 
Burghers.  In  this  effort  he  failed.  He  was  then  sent  to 
the  General  Associate  Senate  to  request  an  increased  inde- 
pendence for  the  Irish  Churches.  In  this  he  was  also 
unsuccessful.  While  somewhat  discouraged,  he  did  not 
give  up  his  favorite  thought  of  Christian  Union. 

At  this  time  his  health  was  very  feeble,  and  with  a  view 
of  benefiting  this  he  decided  to  visit  America,  though 
with  no  intention  of  remaining  there  should  his  health 
be  restored.  Accordingly,  in  the  year  1807,  he  set  sail 
for  America,  bearing  credentials  from  the  Presbyterian 
Association,  of  which  he  was  a  member;  and  near  the 
middle  of  May  of  that  year  he  arrived  at  Philadelphia, 
and  found  the  Synod  of  the  same  faith  and  order  in  session, 
and  to  this  Synod  he  presented  his  credentials,  and  was 
cordially  received  and  recommended  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Chartiers,  located  chiefly  in  the  county  of  Washington, 
Pennsylvania,  and  its  vicinity. 

He  was  immediately  assigned  to  a  field  of  labour,  and 
began  an  active  ministry  in  behalf  of  the  Seceder  Church. 
But  he  soon  found  that  his  new  associations  were  no  better 
than  those  he  had  left  in  Ireland.  •  The  same  sectarian 
spirit  prevailed  in  the  new  world  that  had  prevailed  in 
the  old.  The  religious  body  with  which  he  was  associated 
was  very  much  circumscribed  in  its  influence  by  the  narrow 
spirit  which  its  leaders  manifested.  Nevertheless,  owing 
to  his  natural  ability,  scholarship,  and  literary  culture, 


100    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


he  gained  considerable  influence  in  his  new  religious  asso- 
ciations, and  the  preachers  of  the  Presbj^tery  began  to 
look  to  him  for  guidance  with  respect  to  religious  matters. 

But  this  state  of  things  did  not  last  very  long.  The 
narrow  spirit,  illiberal  rules  and  habits  of  the  Seceder 
Church  became  a  barrier  in  the  way  of  propagating  his 
catholic  views,  and  he  became  restive  under  the  restric- 
tions by  Avhich  he  seemed  to  be  bound.  There  were  in  his 
new  community  a  number  of  excellent  church  people, 
who  had  come  over  from  Ireland,  some  of  whom  had  been 
his  acquaintances  and  cherished  friends  in  his  native  land, 
all  of  whom  were  Presbyterians  and  Independents. 
Naturally  enough  these  sought  religious  association  with 
him;  he,  without  hesitation,  accepting  their  proffered 
fellowship  and  offering  them  his  church  ministrations  in 
both  his  public  and  private  ministry. 

This  freedom  gave  offence  to  his  Seceder  brethren.  But 
this  was  not  all.  He  was  sent  on  a  missionary  tour  in  West- 
ern Pennsylvania  to  hold  a  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per among  the  scattered  Seceders  of  that  then  sparsely 
settled  region.  On  this  tour  he  found  many  members  of 
other  Presbyterian  bodies  who  had  not  for  many  years  en- 
joyed the  privilege  of  sitting  down  together  at  the  Lord's 
Table.  Mr.  Campbell's  heart  was  at  once  in  sympathy  with 
these  scattered  Presbyterians,  and  though  some  of  them  did 
not  belong  to  his  special  Church,  in  his  introductory 
sermon  he  deplored  the  divisions  existing  among  the 
churches  and  earnestly  invited  all  the  pious  among  his 
hearers  to  participate  in  the  communion  service.  This 
action  gave  great  offence  to  his  Seceder  brethren.  He 
had  with  him  as  a  travelling  companion  and  fellow-worker 
a  young  Mr.  Wilson,  who  became  convinced  that  his  senior 
brother  was  not  sound  in  the  Seceder  faith,  and  he  found 
it  his  duty  to  bring  the  matter  before  the  Presbytery  at 
its  next  meeting. 

The  charge  against  Mr.  Campbell  contained  several  com- 
plaints, but  the  principal  one  was  with  respect  to  his  open 
communion  practice.  When  questioned  with  regard  to 
his  views,  Mr.  Campbell  stated,  without  reservation,  that 
he  had  always  been  opposed  to  religious  partyism,  while 
at  the  same  time  he  insisted  that  he  had  not  violated  any 
precept  of  the  sacred  volume.  In  all  the  questions  that 
were  asked  him,  and  these  were  many,  he  answered  in  a 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD  101 

candid  conciliatory  spirit,  being  desirous  to  avoid  severing 
his  friendly  relations  with  his  brethren,  and  above  all 
to  avoid  a  rupture  with  the  Church,  as  division  was  with 
him  a  greater  sin  than  difference  of  opinion  with  regard 
to  much  that  belongs  to  faith  and  practice. 

So  narrow  was  the  view  of  the  Presbytery  that  tried 
him  that  their  final  decision  was  one  of  censure.  Mr. 
Campbell  appealed  to  the  Synod,  and  he  hoped  that  this 
higher  court  would  reverse  the  decision  of  the  lower.  But 
in  this  he  was  disappointed.  The  Synod  found  irregu- 
larities in  the  action  of  the  Presbytery,  but  the  censure  was 
allowed  to  remain. 

In  view  of  his  great  affection  for  the  people  with  whom 
he  had  been  religiously  associated,  and  his  earnest  views 
with  respect  to  Christian  Union,  he  at  first  submitted 
to  the  ruling  of  the  Synod;  but  finding  that  his  course 
only  intensified  the  bitter  feeling  against  him  he  sent  a 
formal  renunciation  of  the  authority  of  the  Synod  and 
withdrew  from  the  Seceders  altogether. 

It  is  impossible  to  express  in  words  the  pain  he  ex- 
perienced on  account  of  this  separation.  Every  instinct 
of  his  nature,  and  all  his  deep  convictions,  were  opposed 
to  sectarianism,  and  when  he  realised  that  Jie  was  cut 
off  from  the  brethren  with  whom  he  had  been  associated, 
although  feeling  that  he  had  done  nothing  for  which  he 
should  have  been  censured,  his  remorse  was  long  and 
painful,  and  he  found  comfort  only  in  the  fact  that  his 
actions,  as  he  believed,  had  all  been  in  harmony  with  the 
Word  of  God.  His  defence  before  the  Synod  was  in 
many  respects  remarkable.  It  contained  some  of  the 
germs  of  the  later  "  Declaration  and  Address,"  as  the 
following  extract  will  show : 

"  How  great  the  injustice,"  he  exclaims  in  this  appeal,  "  how 
greatly  aggravated  the  injury  will  appear,  to  thrust  out  from 
communion  a  Christian  brother,  a  fellow-minister,  for  saying 
and  doing  none  other  things  than  those  which  our  Divine  Lord 
and  his  holy  apostles  have  taught,  and  enjoined  to  be  spoken 
and  done  by  all  his  people.  Or  have  I  in  any  instance  pro- 
posed to  say  or  do  otherwise?  ...  I  hope  it  is  no  pre- 
sumption to  believe  that  saying  and  doing  the  very  same  things 
that  are  said  and  done  before  our  eyes  on  the  sacred  page, 
is  infallibly  right,  as  well  as  all-suf3Scient,  for  the  edification 
of  the  church,  whose  duty  and  perfection  is  in  all  things  to 
be  confirmed  by  the  original  standard.    It  is  therefore  be- 


102    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


cause  I  have  no  confidence  in  mj  own  infallibility  or  in  that 
of  others,  that  I  absolutely  refuse,  as  inadmissible  and  schis- 
matic, the  introduction  of  human  opinions  and  human  in- 
ventions into  the  faith  and  worship  of  the  Church.  It  is, 
therefore,  because  I  plead  the  cause  of  the  scriptural  and 
apostolic  worship  of  the  Church,  in  opposition  to  the  various 
errors  and  schisms  which  have  so  awfully  corrupted  and  di- 
vided it,  that  the  brethren  of  the  Union  should  feel  it  difficult 
to  admit  me  as  their  fellow-labourer  in  that  blessed  work.  I 
sincerely  rejoice  with  them  in  what  they  have  done;  and 
surely  they  have  no  just  objection  to  go  further.  Nor  do  I 
presume  to  dictate  to  them  or  to  others  how  they  should 
proceed  for  the  glorious  purpose  of  promoting  the  unity  and 
purity  oi  the  Church ;  but  on\y  beg  leave,  for  my  own  part, 
to  walk  upon  that  sure  and  peaceable  ground  that  I  may  have 
nothing  to  do  with  human  controversy  about  the  right  or 
wrong  side  of  any  opinion  whatsoever,  by  simply  acquiescing 
in  what  is  written,  as  quite  sufficient  for  every  purpose  of 
faith  and  duty,  and  thereby  to  influence  as  many  as  possible 
to  depart  from  human  controversy,  to  betake  themselves  to 
the  Scriptures,  and  in  so  doing,  to  the  study  and  practice  of 
faith,  holiness  and  love." 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  extract  that,  even  at  this  early 
date,  Thomas  Campbell  was  richly  imbued  with  great 
principles  which  finally  became  the  slogan  of  the  hosts 
of  Disciples'of  Christ  in  their  contest  against  Sectarianism. 

In  reading  the  whole  of  this  appeal,  it  is  difificult  to 
understand  how  the  Synod  could  rule  as  it  did.  Mr. 
Campbell's  evident  earnestness,  his  broad,  catholic  spirit, 
his  willingness  to  abide  by  the  teachings  of  the  Word  of 
God,  his  protest  against  denominational  opinionism,  and 
his  perfect  readiness  to  submit  to  every  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,'-  should  have  influenced  the  Synod  to  commend  his 
conduct  rather  than  to  find  fault  with  it.  But  those  were 
days  when  Sectarianism  counted  for  more  than  Chris- 
tianity, and  when  ignorance  being  "bliss"  it  was  "folly 
to  be  wise." 

Was  there  a  providence  in  all  this?  What  if  he  had 
remained  with  the  Seceders?  Would  he  have  been  able 
to  lead  them  out  of  their  narrow  channels  into  the  broader 
views  for  which  he  himself  contended?  No  one  will  be- 
lieve that  he  could  ever  have  done  this.  Human  history 
furnishes  many  examples  similar  to  the  one  now  under 
consideration.  To  go  not  far  from  home,  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  refer  to  the  case  of  the  American  colonies.  Per- 
haps this  great  country  would  have  continued  to  have  been 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD 


103 


a  sort  of  vassal  to  England,  bad  it  not  been  for  tbe  oppres- 
sive measures  wbicb  compelled  a  separation.  It  may  be 
tbat  disunion  is  generally  a  wrong,  and  sometimes  a  crime; 
but  these  breaks  "  in  human  history  are  not  infrequently 
like  the  breaks  in  the  physical  development  of  the  earth. 
A  certain  line  of  development  runs  to  its  limit,  and  then 
it  must  be  reinforced  with  new  elements  from  without 
before  it  can  continue  in  the  line  of  progress.  On  the 
other  side  of  these  "  breaks  "  we  are  accustomed  to  regard 
the  new  development  as  having  really  no  connection  with 
what  went  before  it.  But  really  what  went  before  it  was 
necessary  in  order  that  something  better  might  follow. 
Thomas  Campbell's  education  among  the  Seceders  was 
no  doubt  a  providential  preparation  for  the  greater  work 
which  he  had  to  do.  But  before  this  work  could  take  on 
definite  form  and  become  an  organised  religious  force, 
it  was  really  necessary,  when  the  proper  time  had  ap- 
proached, for  the  separation  to  take  place  which  was  pre- 
cipitated by  the  action  of  the  Synod  in  sustaining  the 
censure  of  the  Presbytery. 

Mr.  Campbell's  withdrawal  from  the  Seceders  did  not 
interrupt  his  ministerial  labors.  He  had  already  acquired 
great  personal  influence  with  his  neighbours,  and  also 
with  many  in  the  counties  of  Washington  and  Allegheny. 
Consequently  very  many  people,  interested  in  his  plea 
for  Christian  Liberty  and  Christian  Union,  continued 
to  attend  his  ministrations  wherever  he  had  an  opportunity 
to  hold  meetings.  Sometimes  these  meetings  were  held 
in  private  houses,  sometimes  in  shaded  groves,  during  the 
summer  season,  but  seldom  in  any  meeting  houses;  as, 
for  the  most  part,  these  were  shut  against  him  by  reason 
of  what  were  supposed  to  be  his  heretical  notions. 

Finally  he  decided  to  call  his  neighbours  and  friends 
together  in  order  to  confer  with  respect  to  the  course  which 
should  be  pursued  in  the  future  as  to  religious  matters. 
Many  of  his  old-time  friends,  some  of  whom  still  held 
membership  in  the  Seceder  or  Presbyterian  Churches, 
heartily  sympathised  with  him  in  the  principles  which 
he  had  enunciated  in  his  preaching  and  teaching  among 
them.  The  proposition  for  a  conference  meeting  was, 
therefore,  readily  acceded  to,  and  a  meeting  was  accord- 
ingly arranged  at  the  house  of  Abraham  Altars,  who  lived 
near  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  and  who,  though  not  a 


104    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

member  of  any  Church,  had  show  n  himself  to  be  an  earnest 
friend  of  the  principles  advocated  by  Mr.  Campbell. 

It  is  perhaps  impossible  to  over-estimate  the  importance 
of  this  conference  meeting.  Most  of  those  attending  were 
members  of  some  of  the  numerous  sectarian  churches  in 
the  counties  of  Washington  and  Allegheny.  We  have 
already  seen  that  a  very  exclusive  sectarian  spirit  pre- 
vailed in  these  churches,  but  in  most  of  them  there  were 
a  few  noble  souls  who  had  grown  tired  of  the  jangling 
voices  of  denominational  Christendom  and  were  ready  to 
hear  an  earnest  plea  for  the  union  of  all  who  loved  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  better  than  mere  religious  partyism. 
It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  these  earnest  seekers 
after  truth  came  together  with  a  determination  to  follow 
wherever  Truth  might  lead. 

Undoubtedly  no  one  anticipated  just  what  the  result 
of  the  meeting  would  be.  Certainly  it  was  not  in  the  mind 
of  any  one  to  form  a  new  religious  denomination.  Mr. 
Campbell  himself  had  so  long  proclaimed  against  the 
divisions  of  Christendom  that  even  the  thought  of  extend- 
ing these  divisions  was  practically  impossible  with  him. 
But  man  proposes  and  God  disposes.  We  shall  see  to 
what  this  meeting  led. 

Thomas  Campbell  opened  the  meeting  and  led  in  an 
earnest  prayer,  invoking  divine  guidance  with  respect  to 
the  matters  to  be  considered.  He  then  proceeded  to  re- 
view the  facts  which  had  brought  them  together,  dwelling 
with  unusual  force  upon  the  evils  resulting  from  the 
divisions  among  Christians.  He  further  urged  that  these 
divisions  were  as  unnecessary  as  they  were  injurious,  since 
God  had  provided  in  His  sacred  Word  an  infallible  stand- 
ard, which  was  all-suflScient,  as  a  basis  of  union  and 
Christian  co-operation. 

He  showed,  however,  that  men  had  not  been  satisfied  with 
its  teachings,  but  had  gone  outside  of  the  Bible,  to  frame 
for  themselves  religious  theories,  opinions  and  speculations, 
which  were  the  real  occasions  of  the  unhappy  controversies 
and  strifes  which  had  so  long  desolated  the  religious  world. 
He,  therefore,  insisted  with  great  earnestness  upon  a  return 
to  the  simple  teachings  of  the  Scriptures,  and  upon  the  entire 
abandonment  of  everything  in  religion  for  which  there  could 
not  be  produced  a  divine  warrant.  Finally,  after  having 
again  and  again  reviewed  the  ground  they  occupied  in  the 
reformation  which  they  felt  it  their  duty  to  urge  upon  religious 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD  105 

society,  he  went  on  to  announce,  in  the  most  simple  and  em- 
phatic terms,  the  great  principle  or  rule  upon  which  he  under- 
stood they  were  then  acting,  and  upon  which,  he  trusted, 
they  would  continue  to  act,  consistently  and  perseveringly  to 
the  end.  "That  rule,  my  highly  respected  hearers,"  said  he 
in  conclusion,  "  is  this,  that  where  the  Scriptures  speak,  we 
speak;  and  where  the  Scriptures  are  silent,  we  are  silent* 

This  speech  of  Mr.  Campbell  made  a  profound  im- 
pression upon  his  hearers.  For  some  time  silence  per- 
vaded the  Assembly.  While  most  of  his  hearers  had 
become  somewhat  familiar  with  his  plea  for  Christian 
Union  they  had  never  before  understood  its  great  sim- 
plicity, and  yet  its  far-reaching  comprehensiveness.  The 
effect  of  Mr.  Campbell's  address  was  almost  magical. 
It  was  sometime  before  any  one  presumed  to  break  the 
silence.  However,  finally,  a  Scotch  Seceder,  Andrew 
Munro,  who  was  a  bookseller  and  postmaster  at  Canons- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  arose  and  said :  "  Mr.  Campbell,  if 
we  adopt  that  as  a  basis,  then  there  is  an  end  of  infant 
baptism." 

So  far,  Mr.  Campbell  had  not  considered  consequences 
at  all.  He  had  been  solely  absorbed  with  principles.  With 
him,  to  do  right  was  the  chief  consideration,  then  to  leave 
the  consequences  with  Him  who  doeth  all  things  well. 
Nevertheless  it  was  evident  that  the  shrewd  Scotchman, 
with  his  keen  logical  perception  of  the  relation  of  things, 
had  forecasted  a  result,  which  to  some  present  w'ould 
likely  be  a  stumbling  block  in  the  way  of  carrying  out 
the  principles  which  Mr.  Campbell  had  enunciated. 

But  Mr.  Campbell  himself,  though  doubtless  he  had  not 
thought  of  the  particular  point  which  had  been  made, 
was  nevertheless  ready  with  his  answer.  "  Of  course," 
said  he  in  reply,  "  if  infant  baptism  cannot  be  found  in 
the  Scriptures,  we  can  have  nothing  to  do  with  it."  What 
followed  is  tersely  stated  by  Dr.  Richardson: 

Upon  this  Thomas  Acheson,  of  Washington,  who  was  a  man 
of  warm  impulses,  rose,  and  advancing  a  short  distance, 
greatly  excited,  exclaimed,  laying  his  hand  upon  his  heart: 
"  I  hope  I  may  never  see  the  day  when  my  heart  will  re- 
nounce that  blessed  saying  of  the  Scripture,  '  Suffer  the  little 
children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of  such 

*  "  Memoirs  of  Alexander  Campbell,"  by  Robert  Richardson,  Vol.  I.,  p.  236. 
*  Millennial  Earbitigcr,  pp.  280-283. 


106    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven."  Upon  quoting  this,  he  was  so 
much  affected  that  he  burst  into  tears,  and  while  a  deep 
sympathetic  feeling  pervaded  the  entire  assembly,  he  was 
about  to  retire  to  an  adjoining  room,  when  James  Foster,  not 
willing  that  this  misapplication  of  Scripture  should  pass  un- 
challenged, cried  out,  "  Mr.  Acheson,  I  would  remark  that  in 
the  portion  of  Scriptures  you  have  quoted  there  is  no  reference, 
ichatever,  to  infant  baptism.''  Without  offering  a  reply,  Mr. 
Acheson  passed  out  to  weep  alone;  but  this  incident,  while  it 
foreshadowed  some  of  the  trials  which  the  future  had  in  store, 
failed  to  abate,  in  the  least,  the  confidence  which  the  majority 
of  those  present  placed  in  the  principles  to  which  they  were 
committed.  The  rule  which  Mr.  Campbell  had  announced 
seemed  to  cover  the  whole  ground,  and  to  be  so  obviously  just 
and  proper,  that  after  further  discussion  and  conference,  it 
was  adopted  with  apparent  unanimity,  no  valid  objection 
being  urged  against  it. 

Whatever  may  have  been  immediately  thought  of  Mr. 
Campbell's  address,  he  had  evidently  enunciated,  in  very 
distinct  and  forcible  language,  a  statement  which  became 
the  keynote  in  the  religious  movement  which  followed, 
and  it  has  always  been  among  the  Disciples  the  rule  by 
which  both  their  faith  and  practice  have  been  determined. 
"  Where  the  Scriptures  speak,  we  speak ;  where  they  are 
silent,  we  are  silent,"  was  entirely  a  new  way  of  stating 
religious  obligation  and  duty.  Instead  of  this,  the  de- 
nominations might  have  more  truthfully  stated  their  rule 
of  action  in  the  following  language :  "  Where  our  creeds 
speak,  we  speak;  where  they  are  silent,  we  are  silent." 

In  short,  these  creeds  had  the  same  binding  force  upon 
the  conscience  of  Christians  as  the  Scriptures  had  from 
Mr.  Campbell's  point  of  view.  His  dictum  was  a  complete 
change  in  the  point  of  view  of  appeal.  Instead  of  appeal- 
ing to  the  confessions  of  faith,  however  valuable  these 
may  have  been  in  some  respects,  Mr.  Campbell  regarded 
them,  as,  upon  the  whole,  disastrous  to  the  "  unity  of  the 
spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace."  His  dictum,  therefore,  was 
intended  to  practically  set  aside  the  authority  of  these 
human  confessions,  while  it  would  establish  the  paramount 
authority  of  the  Scriptures  in  everything  relating  to  faith 
and  practice. 

It  was  also  intended,  iu  its  ultimate  reach,  to  support 
a  legitimate  individual  liberty,  as  human  creeds  should 
not  be  made  finally  binding  upon  the  conscience,  and  con- 
sequently ecclesiastical  assemblies  for  the  purpose  of 


THE  CREATIVE  PEKIOD 


107 


formulating  these  creeds  were  quite  unnecessary.  No  set 
of  men,  however  wise,  could  make  a  creed  simple  enough 
and  at  the  same  time  comprehensive  enough  for  the  whole 
of  mankind.  Only  divine  wisdom  was  capable  of  such  an 
undertaking.  Hence  Mr.  Campbell  appealed  from  eccle- 
siastical councils  to  Christ  and  His  Apostles,  making 
the  Holy  Scriptures  all-sufficient  and  alone  sufficient  to 
guide  in  all  things  pertaining  to  the  Christian  life. 

This  was  a  great  step  forward.  It  was  as  the  breaking 
forth  of  the  sun  from  behind  a  dark  cloud ;  it  was  a  clear, 
ringing  voice  in  the  wilderness  of  Sectarianism,  crying: 
Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord;  make  His  path  straight. 
But  it  is  probable  that  no  one  at  that  time,  in  that  little 
assembly',  where  this  utterance  was  first  spoken,  had  any 
idea  of  its  far-reaching  consequences.  Some  of  those  who 
were  present  had  a  very  high  regard  for  the  statement, 
and  thought  it  ought  to  be  written  in  letters  of  gold;  but 
even  these  never  dreamed  of  what  effect  it  would  ulti- 
mately have  upon  the  religious  progress  of  the  world. 
Evidently  Thomas  Campbell  himself  did  not  seem  to  realise 
what  was  involved  in  it.  ^Although  he  had  declared  he 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  infant  baptism,  if  it  could 
not  be  found  in  the  Scriptures,  it  is  very  certain  that  he 
hesitated  when  he  saw  that  the  rule  which  he  had  formu- 
lated would  undoubtedly  cut  off  infant  baptism.  He  tried 
to  apologise  for  his  practice  in  this  respect,  and  even 
became  irritated  when  lold  that  he  could  not  baptise  an 
infant  and  be  consistent  with  the  rule  he  had  stated.  He 
tried  to  justify  the  practice  on  other  grounds  than  an 
appeal  to  the  ScripturesJ  a'nd  for  a  time  it  seemed  to  be  a 
question  with  him  as  to  whether  he  should  go  forward 
or  backward  in  the  matter. 

There  is  to  the  careful  student  of  history  nothing  strange 
in  this  hesitancy.  Perhaps  if  he  had  seen  the  end  as  he 
had  seen  the  beginning,  Mr.  Campbell  never  would  have 
stated  the  rule  precisely  as  he  did.  He  was  so  absorbed 
with  his  deep  convictions  that  something  ought  to  be  done 
in  the  interest  of  Christian  union,  and  realised  so  fully 
that  nothing  could  be  effectually  done  until  those  who  pro- 
fessed to  be  Christians  would  abandon  all  humanisms  and 
traditions  of  the  fathers  and  return  to  the  simplicity  of 
the  Scriptures,  that  he  did  not  distinctly  see  where  his 
plea  would  lead  him  religiously,  nor  did  he  seem  to  care 


108    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


at  that  time,  so  mightily  was  he  under  the  influence  of 
the  great  principles  which  he  believed  were ,  involved  in 
a  return  to  the  Apostolic  faith  and  practice,  'i^  tVhen,  how- 
ever, his  plea  began  to  be  put  into  practical  operation, 
by  an  honest  application  of  it  to  his  own  faith  and  practice, 
he  found  himself  almost  unequal  to  the  task  of  giving  up 
what  had  been  cherished  religious  convictions.  Never- 
theless, in  the  end  he  conquered^  as  we  shall  see  as  we 
proceed. 

The  case  of  Thomas  Campbell  ought  to  make  us  chari- 
table towards  those  who  are  bound  in  the  shackles  of  human 
traditions.  These  will  often  accept  readily  the  teaching 
of  the  Scriptures  on  a  particular  matter,  while  at  the  same 
time  they  will  continue  to  follow  their  creeds,  notwith- 
standing their  actions  are  contrary  to  what  the  Scriptures 
plainly  teach.  This  very  fact  is  perhaps  the  most  potent 
influence  which  stands  in  the  way  of  Christian  Union. 
Most  professed  Christians  will,  without  hesitation,  accept 
the  Scriptures  as  their  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  but  they 
do  this  with  a  sort  of  tacit  understanding  that  the  Scrip- 
tures (in  some  way)  must  be  made  to  correspond  to  their 
confession  of  faith.  Even  now  there  are  not  many  who 
would  attempt  to  find  fault  with  the  dictum  of  Thomas 
Campbell,  nevertheless  it  is  unquestionably  true  that  thou- 
sands of  those  who  will  accept  the  dictum,  just  as  it  is 
stated,  continue  to  practise  what  it  clearly  demands  should 
be  surrendered.  It  is  uncharitable  to  affirm  that  these 
Christians  are  not  conscientious.  They  either  put  an  ab- 
normal construction  upon  Mr.  Campbell's  dictum,  or  else 
they  excuse  themselves  for  making  a  rigid  application  of 
it  in  their  own  case,  on  the  ground  that  there  are  con- 
siderations outside  of  the  Scriptures  which  must  be  taken 
into  account,  even  where  the  Scriptures  speak  clearly  as 
to  what  duty  is. 

This  was  the  chief  difficulty  in  making  a  practical 
application  of  Mr.  Campbell's  great  utterance.  We  have 
seen  that  he  himself  hesitated,  when  he  saw  exactly  what 
he  would  be  compelled  to  give  up,  if  he  carried  out  strictly 
all  that  the  rule  he  had  formulated  required.  But  he 
was  not  the  only  one  who  hesitated  at  the  demand  that 
this  dictum  made  on  the  conscience.  Several  of  those  who 
first  approved,  finally  went  back,  when  they  found  out  just 
what  was  required  of  them.    In  this  fact  we  are  reminded 


THE  CREATIVE  PEHIOD 


109 


of  how  some  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus  treated  Him  when 
He  uttered  a  hard  saying  which  severely  tried  their  faith. 
We  are  told  that  these  went  back  and  followed  Him  no 
more. 

Following  Christ  has  never  been  an  easy  matter.  He 
himself  said  that  if  any  man  would  come  after  Him,  he 
must  deny  himself,  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  Him. 
Denying  one's  self  is  at  the  very  beginning  a  difficult  thing 
to  do.  Taking  up  the  Cross  and  following  Christ  is  any- 
thing but  easy  work.  To  turn  away  from  early  religious 
associations,  especially  when  these  have  been  accepted 
conscientiously  and  heartily,  and  surrender  old  friends 
and  sacred  memories,  while  at  the  same  time  facing  a 
thousand  difficulties,  which  clearly  seem  to  rise  up  in  the 
path  of  a  forward  movement,  are  conditions  that  are 
sure  to  try  men's  souls,  and  generally  it  will  happen 
that  only  those  who  are  capable  of  becoming  heroes  will 
be  able  to  stand  such  a  test.  Mr.  Campbell  himself  finally 
burned  the  bridges  and  gave  himself  up  thoroughly  to 
the  guidance  of  the  rule  which  he  had  formulated,  heartily 
accepting  the  consequences,  and  trusting  implicitly  in 
Him,  who  promised  to  be  with  His  disciples  always,  even 
to  the  end  of  the  world. 

In  accordance  with  this  resolution  and  with  a  view  to 
carrying  out  his  purpose  more  effectively,  it  was  resolved, 
at  a  meeting  held  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Buffalo, 
August  17,  1809,  that  the  brethren  who  had  remained  with 
him  would  form  themselves  into  a  religious  association 
under  the  name  of  The  Christian  Association  of  Wash- 
ington." At  this  time  a  committee  of  twenty-one  of  their 
number  was  appointed  to  meet  and  confer  together,  with 
the  assistance  of  Thomas  Campbell,  to  decide  upon  the 
proper  meaures  to  be  adopted  in  carrying  into  effect  the 
important  aims  of  the  Association. 

With  a  view  to  having  a  regular  place  of  meeting,  so 
that  the  objects  of  the  Association  could  be  better  ad- 
vanced, the  neighbours  came  together  and  erected  a  log 
building  on  the  Sinclair  farm,  about  three  miles  from 
Mount  Pleasant,  upon  the  road  leading  from  Washington 
to  that  place.  This  building  was  designed  so  it  could  be 
used  also  for  a  common  schoolhouse  which  was  greatly 
needed  in  that  neighbourhood.  In  this  log  building 
Thomas  Campbell  continued  to  meet  his  hearers  regularly, 


110    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


at  the  same  time  residing  with  Mr.  Welch,  a  respectable 
farmer,  living  uearbr.  A  little  chamber  in  Mr.  Welch's 
house  was  assigned  the  distinguished  preacher,  and  in 
this  unpretentious  room  he  spent  most  of  his  time  in  study 
and  writing.  It  was  in  this  room  that  he  wrote  his  famous 
"  Declaration  and  Address  "  which  became  practically  the 
magna  charta  of  the  Disciple  movement  (although  it  never 
received  any  legislative  endorsement),  or  to  designate  it 
by  a  certain  phrase  which  is  equally  expressive  and  truth- 
ful, the  whole  document  was  a  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, though  in  its  fundamental  aim  it  differed  somewhat 
from  the  aim  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  written 
by  Thomas  Jefferson.  While  it  was  a  protest  against 
tyranny  (and  in  this  respect  the  two  Declarations  run 
parallel)  the  "Declaration  and  Address''  of  Thomas 
Campbell,  not  only  declared  for  independence,  but  for 
the  union  of  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

As  this  great  address  embodies  the  main  principles  for 
which  the  Disciples  have  always  contended,  it  is  well  to 
call  attention  to  some  of  its  parts,  in  order  that  the  reader 
may  become  acquainted  with  the  principles  and  aims  which 
have  characterised  the  Disciple  movement  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  present  time. 

As  this  address  is  now  very  easily  accessible  to  every 
reader  who  desires  to  examine  it,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
give  more  than  a  short  analysis  here  of  its  contents. 

The  whole  document  is  divided  into  three  parts: 

1.  The  "  Declaration,''  which  gives  the  plan  and  pur- 
pose of  the  Association  which  is  issuing  the  Address,'' 
for  the  Address  was  issued  by  direction  of  the  Christian 
Association  which  had  been  formed  with  a  view  to  promote 
the  cause  of  Christian  Union.  In  this  Declaration " 
it  was  declared  "  that  being  well  aware  from  sad  experi- 
ence of  the  heinous  nature  and  pernicious  tendency  of 
religious  controversy  among  Christians;  tired  and  sick 
of  the  bitter  jarrings  and  janglings  of  a  party  spirit,  we 
would  desire  to  be  at  rest;  and  were  it  possible,  we  would 
also  desire  to  adopt  and  recommend  such  measures  as 
would  give  rest  to  our  bretliren  throughout  all  our 
churches;  as  would  restore  unity,  peace  and  purity  to 
the  whole  Church  of  God.''  Then  after  expressing  utter 
despair,  in  seeking  to  find  rest  by  continuing  amid  the 
diversity  and  rancour  of  party  contentions,  the  veering 


BUILDINGS  IDENTIFIED  WITH  THE  EAKLIEST  WORKERS 


1.  The  old  Session  House  nt  Aliovey,  which  Thomas  Campbell  used. 
2,  The  church  at  Ahorey,  Ireland,  where  Thomas  Cainjibell  preached  his 
farewell  sermon  before  coming  to  America.  3,  The  old  Brush  Run  Church. 
4.  The  Church  at  Wellsburg,  W.  Va.,  now  the  oldest  in  the  Cam])bellian 
Reformation.    5,  The  Caneridge  Church.    6,  The  Manse  at  Ahorey,  Ireland. 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD 


111 


uncertainty  and  clashings  of  human  opinions,  it  declare!^ 
^'  our  desire,  therefore,  for  ourselves  and  our  brethren 
would  be,  that,  rejecting  human  opinions  and  the  inven- 
tions of  men  as  of  any  authority,  or  as  having  any  place 
in  the  Church  of  God,  we  might  forever  cease  from  further 
contentions  about  such  things;  returning  to  and  holding 
fast  by  the  original  standard ;  taking  the  Divine  Word 
alone  for  our  rule;  the  Holy  Spirit  for  our  teacher  and 
guide,  to  lead  us  into  the  all  truth;  and  Christ  alone,  as 
exhibited  in  the  Word,  for  our  salvation;  that,  by  so  do- 
ing, we  may  be  at  peace  among  ourselves,  follow  peace 
with  all  men  and  holiness,  without  which  no  man  shall 
see  the  Lord." 

Tlien  follow  seven  specifications  as  to  the  formation 
of  the  Christian  Association,  its  aims,  powers,  etc.,  in 
which  it  is  declared: 

(1.)  "That  this  Society  by  no  means  considers  itself 
a  Church,  nor  does  it  at  all  assume  to  itself  the  powers 
peculiar  to  such  a  society;  nor  do  the  members,  as  such, 
consider  themselves  as  standing  connected  in  that  rela- 
tion; nor  as  at  all  associated  for  the  peculiar  purposes 
of  Church  Association ;  but  merely  as  voluntary  advocates 
for  Church  reformation ;  and,  as  possessing  the  powers 
common  to  all  individuals,  who  may  please  to  associate 
in  a  peaceable  and  orderly  manner,  for  any  lawful  pur- 
pose, namely,  the  disposal  of  their  time,  council  and 
property,  as  they  may  see  cause." 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  that,  in  the  formation  of  the 
Christian  Association,  Thomas  Campbell  had  no  idea  of 
starting  another  religious  denomination,  the  main  purpose 
of  the  Association  being  to  promote  Evangelical  religion 
and  Christian  Unity.  It  is  well  to  emphasise  this  fact 
at  this  particular  place,  as  Christian  Union  and  not 
division  was  the  aim  of  the  Disciple  movement  from  the 
very  beginning. 

(2.)  The  "  Address  "  proper  follows  this  "  Declaration." 

The  first  part  of  the  "  Address  "  is  devoted  to  a  discus- 
sion of  the  grand  design  and  native  tendency  of  the  re- 
ligion of  Christians,  together  with  the  evils  of  division, 
and  especially  the  evils  of  the  predominant  Sectarian 
spirit  which  at  that  time  prevailed  so  extensively  among 
the  numerous  denominations.  This  part  of  the  "  Address  " 
is  as  remarkable  for  its  kindly  spirit  as  it  is  for  its 


112    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


marvellous  arraignment  of  the  evils  of  Sectarianism  and 
its  splendid  comprehension  of  the  principles  which  could 
alone  cure  the  evils  of  a  divided  Christendom.  Never 
perhaps  before  or  since,  in  the  history  of  Christianity, 
have  this  arraignment  and  this  comprehension  been  so 
fully,  faithfully,  and  kindly  set  forth.  The  "  Address " 
is  practically  faultless  in  style,  while  it  is  equally  faultless 
in  spirit.  From  beginning  to  end  it  is  a  faithful  portrait 
of  the  condition  of  a  divided  Christendom  as  it  at  that 
time  existed,  and  an  earnest,  affectionate,  and  intelligent 
call  to  the  only  principles  by  which  these  divisions  could 
be  healed,  and  thereby  the  union  of  God's  people  prac- 
tically assured.  As  a  specimen  of  this  part  of  the  Ad- 
dress," the  following  liberal  extracts  are  given: 

It  is,  to  us,  a  pleasing  consideration  that  all  the  Churches 
of  Christ  which  mutually  acknowledge  each  other  as  such, 
are  not  only  agreed  in  the  great  doctrines  of  faith  and  holi- 
ness, but  are  also  materially  agreed  as  to  the  positive  ordi- 
nances of  the  Gospel  institution;  so  that  our  differences,  at 
most,  are  about  the  things  in  which  the  Kingdom  of  God  does 
not  consist,  that  is,  about  matters  of  private  opinion  or  human 
invention.  What  a  pity  that  the  kingdom  of  God  should 
be  divided  about  such  things  I  Who,  then,  would  not  be 
the  first  among  us  to  give  up  human  inventions  in 
the  worship  of  God,  and  to  cease  from  imposing  his 
private  opinions  upon  his  brethren,  that  our  breaches 
might  thus  be  healed?  Who  would  not  willingly  conform  to 
the  original  pattern  laid  down  in  the  New  Testament,  for  this 
happy  purpose?  Our  dear  brethren  of  all  denominations  will 
please  to  consider  that  we  have  our  educational  prejudices 
and  particular  customs  to  struggle  against  as  well  as  they. 
But  this  we  do  sincerely  declare,  that  there  is  nothing  we  have 
hitherto  received  as  matter  of  faith  or  practice,  which  is  not 
expressly  taught  and  enjoined  in  the  Word  of  God,  either  in 
express  terms  or  approved  precedent,  that  we  would  not 
heartily  relinquish,  so  that  we  might  return  to  the  original 
constitutional  unity  of  the  Christian  Church ;  and  in  this 
happy  unity,  enjoy  full  communion  with  all  our  brethren  in 
peace  and  charity.  The  like  dutiful  condescension  we  can- 
didly expect  of  all  that  are  seriously  impressed  with  a  sense 
of  the  dut\'  they  owe  to  God,  to  each  other,  and  to  their 
perishing  brethren  of  mankind.  To  this  we  call,  we  invite,  our 
dear  brethren  of  all  denominations,  by  all  the  sacred  motives 
which  we  have  avouched  as  the  impulsive  reasons  of  our  thus 
addressing  them.  You  are  all,  dear  brethren,  equally  included 
as  the  objects  of  our  esteem  and  love.  With  you  all  we  desire 
to  unite  in  the  bonds  of  an  entire  Christian  unity — Christ 
alone  being  the  head,  the  centre,  His  word  the  rule;  an  ex 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD 


113 


plicit  belief  of,  and  manifest  conformity  to  it,  in  all  things, 
the  terms.  More  than  this,  you  will  not  require  of  us ;  and 
less  we  cannot  require  of  you;  nor,  indeed,  can  you  reason- 
ably suppose  any  would  desire  it,  for  what  good  purpose  would 
it  serve?  We  dare  neither  assume  nor  propose  the  trite,  in- 
definite distinction  between  essentials  and  non-essentials,  in 
matters  of  revealed  truth  and  duty ;  firmly  persuaded,  that, 
whatever  may  be  their  comparative  importance,  simply  con- 
sidered, the  high  obligation  of  the  Divine  authority  revealing, 
or  enjoining  them,  renders  the  belief  or  performance  of  them 
absoluteh'  essential  to  us,  in  so  far  as  we  know  them.  And 
to  be  ignorant  of  anything  God  had  revealed  can  neither  be 
our  duty  nor  our  privilege.  We  humbly  presume,  then,  dear 
brethren,  you  will  have  no  relevant  objection  to  meet  us  upon 
this  ground.  And,  we  again  beseech  you,  let  it  be  known  that 
it  is  the  invitation  of  but  few;  by  your  accession  we  shall  be 
many;  and  whether  few,  or  many,  in  the  first  instance,  it  is 
all  one  with  respect  to  the  event  which  must  ultimately  await 
the  full  information  and  hearty  concurrence  of  all.  Besides, 
whatever  is  done,  must  begin,  some  time,  some  where;  and 
no  matter  where,  nor  by  whom,  if  the  Lord  puts  his  hand  to 
the  work,  it  must  surely  prosper.  And  has  he  not  been 
graciously  pleased,  upon  many  signal  occasions,  to  bring  to 
pass  the  greatest  events  from  very  small  beginnings,  and 
even  by  means  the  most  unlikely !  Duty  then  is  ours ;  but 
events  belong  to  God. 

We  hope,  then,  what  we  urge  will  neither  be  deemed  an  un- 
reasonable nor  an  unseasonable  undertaking.  Why  should  it 
be  thought  unseasonable?  Can  any  time  be  assigned,  while 
things  continue  as  they  are,  that  would  prove  more  favourable 
for  such  an  attempt,  or  what  could  be  supposed  to  make  it  so? 
Might  it  be  the  approximation  of  parties  to  a  greater  near- 
ness, in  point  of  public  profession  and  similarity  of  customs? 
Or  might  it  be  expected  from  a  gradual  decline  of  bigotry? 
As  to  the  former,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  where  the  dif- 
ference is  least,  the  opposition  is  always  managed  with  a 
degree  of  vehemence  inversely  proportioned  to  the  merits  of 
the  cause.  With  respect  to  the  latter,  though,  we  are  happy 
to  say,  that  in  some  cases  and  places,  and,  we  hope,  univer- 
sally, bigotry  is  upon  the  decline;  yet  we  are  not  warranted, 
either  by  the  past  or  present,  to  act  upon  that  supposition. 
We  have,  as  yet,  by  this  means  seen  no  such  effect  produced; 
nor  indeed  could  we  reasonably  expect  it;  for  there  will 
always  be  multitudes  of  weak  persons  in  the  Church,  and 
these  are  generally  most  subject  to  bigotry;  add  to  this,  that 
while  divisions  exist,  there  will  always  be  found  interested 
men  who  will  not  fail  to  support  them ;  nor  can  we  at  all  sup- 
pose that  Satan  will  be  idle  to  improve  an  advantage  so 
important  to  the  interests  of  his  kingdom.  And,  let  it  be  fur- 
tlier  observed  upon  the  whole,  that,  in  matters  of  similar  im- 
portance to  our  secular  interests,  we  would  by  no  means  con- 


114    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  ClIKIST 


tent  ourselves  with  such  kind  of  reasoning.  We  might  further 
add,  that  the  attempt  here  suggested,  not  being  of  a  partial, 
but  of  general  nature,  it  can  have  no  just  tendency  to  excite 
the  jealousy,  or  hurt  the  feelings  of  any  party.  On  the  con- 
trary, every  effort  toward  a  permanent  Scriptural  unity  among 
the  churches,  upon  the  solid  basis  of  universally  acknowledged 
and  self-evident  truths,  must  have  the  happiest  tendency  to 
enlighten  and  conciliate,  by  thus  manifesting  to  each  other 
their  mutual  charity  and  zeal  for  the  truth:  "Whom  I  love 
in  the  truth,"  said  the  apostle,  "  and  not  I  only,  but  also  all 
they  that  have  known  the  truth;  for  the  truth's  sake,  which  is 
in  us,  and  shall  be  with  us  forever."  Indeed,  if  no  such  Divine 
and  adequate  basis  of  union  can  be  fairly  exhibited,  as  will 
meet  the  approbation  of  every  upright  and  intelligent  Chris- 
tian, nor  such  mode  of  procedure  adopted  in  favour  of  the 
weak  as  will  not  oppress  their  consciences,  then  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  grand  object  upon  principle  must  be  for- 
ever impossible.  There  would,  upon  this  supposition,  remain 
no  other  way  of  accomplishing  it,  but  merely  by  voluntary 
compromise,  and  good-natured  accommodation.  That  such  a 
thing,  however,  will  be  accomplished,  one  way  or  the  other, 
will  not  be  questioned  by  any  that  allow  themselves  to  believe 
that  the  commands  and  prayers  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will 
not  utterly  prove  inetfectual.  Whatever  way,  then,  it  is  to  be 
effected,  whether  upon  the  solid  basis  of  Divinely  revealed 
truth,  or  the  good-natured  principle  of  Christian  forbear- 
ance and  gracious  condescension,  is  it  not  equally  prac- 
ticable, equally  eligible  to  us,  as  ever  it  can  be  to  any; 
unless  we  should  suppose  ourselves  destitute  of  that 
Christian  temper  and  discernment  which  is  essentially  neces- 
sary to  qualify  us  to  do  the  will  of  our  gracious  Redeemer 
whose  express  command  to  his  people  is,  that  there  be  "  no 
divisions  among  them ;  but  that  they  all  walk  by  the  same  rule, 
speak  the  same  thing,  and  be  perfectly  joined  together  in  the 
same  mind,  and  in  the  same  judgment?" — We  believe  then  it 
is  as  practicable  as  it  is  eligible.  Let  us  attempt  it.  "  Up, 
and  be  doing,  and  the  Lord  will  be  with  us." 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  the  aim  of  Thomas 
Campbell  was  so  noble,  so  unselfish,  so  entirely  free  from 
a  sectarian  spirit,  and  so  profoundly  catholic,  that  it  is 
almost  inexplicable  that  such  sentiments  as  he  expressed 
were  not  cordially  accepted  by  the  whole  of  Christendom 
at  the  time  this  "  Address  "  was  published.  After  further 
enlarging  upon  the  points  already  indicated,  the  "  Ad- 
dress "  becomes  somewhat  more  specific,  as  the  following 
extract  will  show: 

In  a  matter,  therefore,  of  such  confessed  importance,  our 
Christian  brethren,  however  unhappily  distinguished  by  party 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD 


115 


names,  will  not,. cannot,  withhold  their  helping  hand.  We  are 
as  heartily  willing  to  be  their  debtors,  as  thej  are  indispensably 
bound  to  be  our  benefactors.  Come  then,  dear  brethren,  we 
most  humbly  beseech  you,  cause  your  light  to  shine  upon  our 
weak  beginnings,  that  we  may  see  to  work  by  it.  Evince  your 
zeal  for  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  the  spiritual  welfare  of  your 
fellow  Christians,  by  your  hearty  and  zealous  co-operation 
to  promote  the  unity,  purity,  and  prosperity  of  His  Church. 

Let  none  imagine  that  the  subjoined  propositions  are  at  all 
intended  as  an  overture  toward  a  new  creed  or  standard  for 
the  Church,  or  as  in  any  wise  designed  to  be  made  a  term 
of  communion;  nothing  can  be  further  from  our  intention. 
They  are  merely  designed  for  opening  up  the  way,  that  we  may 
come  fairly  and  firmly  to  original  ground  upon  clear  and 
certain  premises,  and  take  up  things  just  as  the  apostles  left 
them ;  that  thus  disentangled  from  the  accruing  embarrass- 
ments of  the  intervening  ages,  we  may  stand  with  evidence 
upon  the  same  ground  on  which  the  Church  stood  at  the 
beginning.  Having  said  so  much  to  solicit  attention  and 
prevent  mistake,  we  submit  as  follows: 

Prop.  1.  That  the  Church  of  Christ  upon  earth  is  essentially, 
intentionally,  and  constitutionally  one;  consisting  of  all  those 
in  every  place  that  profess  their  faith  in  Christ  and  obedience 
to  him  in  all  things  according  to  the  Scriptures,  and  that  mani- 
fest the  same  by  their  tempers  and  conduct,  and  of  none  else; 
as  none  else  can  be  truly  and  properly  called  Christians. 

(2.)  That  although  the  Church  of  Christ  upon  earth  must 
necessarily  exist  in  particular  and  distinct  societies,  locally 
separate  one  from  another,  yet  there  ought  to  be  no  schisms, 
no  uncharitable  divisions  among  them.  They  ought  to  re- 
ceive each  other  as  Christ  Jesus  hath  also  received  them,  to 
the  glory  of  God.  And  for  this  purpose  they  ought  all  to 
walk  by  the  same  rule,  to  mind  and  speak  the  same  thing; 
and  to  be  perfectly  joined  together  in  the  same  mind,  and  in 
the  same  judgment. 

(3.)  That  in  order  to  this,  nothing  ought  to  be  inculcated 
upon  Christians  as  articles  of  faith ;  nor  required  of  them  as 
terms  of  communion,  but  what  is  expressly  taught  and  en- 
joined upon  them  in  the  Word  of  God.  Nor  ought  anything 
to  be  admitted,  as  of  Divine  obligation,  in  their  Church  consti- 
tution and  managements,  but  what  is  expressly  enjoined  by  the 
authority  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles  upon  the 
New  Testament  Church;  either  in  express  terms  or  by  ap- 
proved precedent. 

(4.)  That  although  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  are  inseparably  connected,  making  together  but 
one  perfect  and  entire  revelation  of  the  Divine  will,  for  the 
edification  and  salvation  of  the  Church,  and  therefore  in  that 
respect  cannot  be  separated;  yet  as  to  what  directly  and 
pi'operly  belongs  to  their  immediate  object,  the  New  Testa- 
ment is  as  perfect  a  constitution  for  the  worship,  discipline, 


116    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


and  government  of  the  New  Testament  Church,  and  as  perfect 
a  rule  for  the  particular  duties  of  its  members,  as  the  Old 
Testament  was  for  the  worship,  discipline,  and  government 
of  the  Old  Testament  Church,  and  the  particular  duties  of 
its  members. 

l5. )  That  with  respect  to  the  commands  and  ordinances  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  where  the  Scriptures  are  silent  as  to 
the  express  time  or  manner  of  performance,  if  any  such  there 
be.  no  human  authority  has  power  to  interfere,  in  order  to 
supply  the  supposed  deficiency  by  making  laws  for  the  Church; 
nor  can  anything  more  be  required  of  Christians  in  such 
cases,  but  only  that  they  so  observe  these  commands  and 
ordinances  as  will  evidently  answer  the  declared  and  obvious 
end  of  their  institution.  Much  less  has  any  human  authority 
power  to  impose  new  commands  or  ordinances  upon  the 
Church,  which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  not  enjoined. 
Nothing  ought  to  be  received  into  the  faith  or  worship  of  the 
Church,  or  to  be  made  a  term  of  communion  among  Christians, 
that  is  not  as  old  as  the  New  Testament. 

(6.)  That  although  inferences  and  deductions  from  Scrip- 
ture premises,  when  fairly  inferred,  may  be  truly  called  the  doc- 
trine of  God's  holy  word,  yet  are  they  not  formally  binding 
upon  the  consciences  of  Christians  farther  than  they  per- 
ceive the  connection,  and  evidently  see  that  they  are  so;  for 
their  faith  must  not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men.  but  in  the 
power  and  veracity  of  God.  Therefore,  no  such  deductions 
can  be  made  terms  of  communion,  but  do  prox)erly  belong  to 
the  after  and  progressive  edification  of  the  Church.  Hence, 
it  is  evident  that  no  such  deductions  or  inferential  truths 
ought  to  have  any  place  in  the  Church's  confession. 

(7.)  That  although  doctrinal  exhibitions  of  the  great  system 
of  Divine  truths,  and  defensive  testimonies  in  opposition  to 
prevailing  errors,  be  highly  expedient,  and  the  more  full  and 
explicit  they  be  for  those  purposes,  the  better :  yet.  as  these 
must  be  in  a  great  measure  the  effect  of  human  reasoning,  and 
of  course  must  contain  many  inferential  truths,  they  ought 
not  to  be  made  terms  of  Christian  communion ;  unless  we  sup- 
pose, what  is  contrary  to  fact,  that  none  have  a  right  to  the 
communion  of  the  Church,  but  such  as  possess  a  very  clear 
and  deci-sive  judgment,  or  are  come  to  a  very  high  degree  of 
doctrinal  information :  whereas  the  Church  from  the  beginning 
did.  and  ever  will,  consist  of  little  children  and  young  men. 
as  well  as  fathers. 

(8.)  That  as  it  is  not  necessary  that  persons  should  have  a 
particular  knowledge  or  distinct  apprehension  of  all  Divinely 
revealed  truths  in  order  to  entitle  them  to  a  place  in  the 
Church ;  neither  .should  they,  for  this  purpo.«:e.  be  required  to 
make  a  profession  more  extensive  than  their  knowledge;  but 
that,  on  the  contrary,  their  having  a  due  measure  of  Scrip- 
tural self-knowledge  respecting  their  lost  and  perishing  con- 
dition by  nature  and  practice,  and  of  the  way  of  Salvation 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD 


117 


through  Jesus  Christ,  accompanied  with  a  profession  of  their 
faith  in  and  obedience  to  him,  in  all  things,  according  to  his 
word,  is  all  that  is  absolutely  necessary  to  qualify  them  for 
admission  into  his  Church. 

(9.)  That  all  that  are  enabled  through  grace  to  make  such 
a  profession,  and  to  manifest  the  reality  of  it  in  their  tempers 
and  conduct,  should  consider  each  other  as  the  precious  saints 
of  God,  should  love  each  other  as  brethren,  children  of  the 
same  family  and  Father,  temples  of  the  same  Spirit,  members 
of  the  same  body,  subjects  of  the  same  grace,  objects  of  the 
same  Divine  love,  bought  with  the  same  price,  and  joint-heirs 
of  the  same  inheritance.  Whom  God  hath  thus  joined  together 
no  man  should  dare  to  put  asunder. 

(10.)  That  division  among  the  Christians  is  a  horrid  evil, 
fraught  with  many  evils.  It  is  anti-Christian,  as  it  destroys 
the  visible  unity  of  the  body  of  Christ;  as  if  he  were  divided 
against  himself,  excluding  and  excommunicating  a  part  of 
himself.  It  is  anti-Scriptural,  as  being  strictly  prohibited  by 
his  sovereign  authority ;  a  direct  violation  of  his  express  com- 
mand. It  is  anti-natural,  as  it  excites  Christians  to  condemn, 
to  hate,  and  oppose  one  another,  who  are  bound  by  the  highest 
and  most  endearing  obligations  to  love  each  other  as  brethren, 
even  as  Christ  has  loved  them.  In  a  word,  it  is  productive  of 
confusion  and  of  every  evil  work. 

(11.)  That  (in  some  instances)  a  partial  neglect  of  the 
expressly  revealed  will  of  God,  and  (in  others)  an  assumed 
authority  for  making  the  approbation  of  human  opinions  and 
human  inventions  a  term  of  communion,  by  introducing  them 
into  the  constitution,  faith,  or  worship  of  the  Church,  are,  and 
have  been,  the  immediate,  obvious,  and  universally  acknowl- 
edged causes  of  all  the  corruptions  and  divisions  that  ever 
have  taken  place  in  the  Church  of  God. 

(12.)  That  all  that  is  necessary  to  the  highest  state  of  per- 
fection and  purity  of  the  Church  upon  earth  is,  first,  that  none 
be  received  as  members  but  such  as  having  that  due  measure 
of  Scriptural  self-knowledge  described  above,  do  profess  their 
faith  in  Christ  and  obedience  to  Him  in  all  things  according 
to  the  Scriptures;  nor,  secondly,  that  any  be  retained  in  her 
communion  longer  than  they  continue  to  manifest  the  reality 
of  their  profession  by  their  tempers  and  conduct.  Thirdly, 
that  her  ministers,  duly  and  Scripturally  qualified,  inculcate 
none  other  things  than  those  very  articles  of  faith  and  holiness 
expressly  revealed  and  enjoined  in  the  Word  of  God.  Lastly, 
that  in  all  their  administrations  they  keep  close  by  the  ob- 
servance of  all  Divine  ordinances,  after  the  example  of  the 
primitive  Church,  exhibited  in  the  New  Testament;  without 
any  additions  whatsoever  of  human  opinions  or  inventions  of 
men. 

(13.)  Lastly.  That  if  any  circumstantials  indispensably 
necessary  to  the  observance  of  Divine  ordinances  be  not  found 
upon  the  page  of  express  revelation,  such,  and  such  only,  as 


118    HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


are  absolutely  necessary  for  this  purpose  should  be  adopted 
under  the  title  of  human  expedients,  without  any  pretence  to  a 
more  sacred  origin,  so  that  any  subsequent  alteration  or  dif- 
ference in  the  observance  of  these  things  might  produce  no 
contention  nor  division  in  the  Church. 

In  these  thirteen  propositions  we  have  clearly  presented 
the  fundamental  principles  and  aims  which  the  Christian 
Association  had  in  view;  and  it  certainly  is  worthy  of 
record  that  no  one  has  ever  attempted  any  serious  protest 
against  any  of  the  positions  which  were  assumed  in  this 
remarkable  "  Address."  Surely  this  fact  of  itself  speaks 
well  for  the  truth  which  the  document  contains  and  for 
the  spirit  which  characterises  every  word  in  it.  The 
"  Declaration  and  Address"  was  signed  by  Thomas  Camp- 
bell, Secretary-,  and  Thomas  Acheson,  Treasurer,  but  it 
is  well  understood  that  the  Address  itself  was  written 
by  Thomas  Campbell,  though  it  was  submitted  to  the 
Christian  Association  and  adopted  by  that  body. 

The  "  Address  "  was  followed  by  an  "  Appendix,^'  the 
object  of  which  was  to  explain  more  fully  some  of  the 
points  made  in  the  ^'  Address,"  so  that  no  possible  mis- 
understanding could  be  had  with  respect  to  the  meaning 
of  the  movement  Avhich  had  been  inaugurated  by  the 
formation  of  the  Christian  Association.  This  "  Appen- 
dix," while  in  places  somewhat  a  repetition  of  the  "  Ad- 
dress "  itself,  is  nevertheless  a  very  illuminating  docu- 
ment, and  is  well  worthy  of  the  pen  of  him  who  indicted 
the  "  Address."  •  At  present,  it  is  only  necessary  to  give 
one  extract  which  deals  with  an  important  point,  as  it 
relates  to  the  history  of  the  Disciple  movement : 

First,  then,  we  beg  leave  to  assure  our  brethren  that  we 
have  no  intention  to  interfere,  either  directly  or  indirectly, 
with  the  peace  and  order  of  the  settled  Churches,  by  directing 
any  ministerial  assistance  with  which  the  Lord  may  please  to 
favour  us,  to  make  inroads  upon  such;  or  by  endeavouring 
to  erect  Churches  out  of  Churches,  to  distract  and  divide  con- 
gregations. We  have  no  nostrum,  no  peculiar  discovery  of 
our  own  to  propose  to  fellow-Christians,  for  the  fancied  im- 
portance of  which  they  should  become  followers  of  us.  We 
propose  to  patronise  nothing  but  the  inculcation  of  the  ex- 
press word  of  God,  either  as  to  matter  of  faith  or  practice; 
but  every  one  that  has  a  Bible,  and  can  read  it,  can  read  this 
for  himself.  Therefore,  we  have  nothing  new.  Neither  do 
we  pretend  to  acknowledge  persons  to  be  ministers  of  Christ, 


THE  CREATIVE  PERIOD 


119 


and,  at  the  same  time,  consider  it  our  duty  to  forbid  or  dis- 
courage people  to  go  to  hear  tliem,  merely  because  they  may 
hold  some  things  disagreeable  to  us;  much  less  to  encourage 
their  people  to  leave  them  on  that  account.  And  such  do  we 
esteem  all  who  preach  a  free,  unconditional  salvation  through 
the  blood  of  Jesus  to  perishing  sinners  of  every  description, 
and  who  manifestly  connect  with  this  a  life  of  holiness  and 
pastoral  diligence  in  the  performance  of  all  the  duties  of  their 
sacred  office,  according  to  the  t^criptures;  even  all  of  whom, 
as  to  all  appearance,  it  may  be  truly  said  to  the  object  of  their 
charge:  "They  seek  not  yours,  but  you."  May  the  good  Lord 
prosper  all  such,  by  whatever  name  they  are  called,  and  fast 
hasten  that  happy  period  when  Zion's  watchmen  shall  see  eye 
to  eye,  and  all  be  called  by  the  same  name.  Such,  then, 
have  nothing  to  fear  from  our  association,  were  our  resources 
equal  to  our  utmost  wishes.  But  all  others  we  esteem  as 
hirelings,  as  idle  shepherds,  and  should  be  glad  to  see  the 
Lord's  flock  delivered  from  their  mouth,  according  to  his 
promise.  Our  principal  and  proper  design,  then,  with  respect 
to  ministerial  assistants,  such  as  we  have  described  in  our 
fifth  resolution,  is  to  direct  their  attention  to  those  places 
where  there  is  manifest  need  for  their  labours ;  and  manj-  such 
places  there  are;  would  to  God  it  were  in  our  power  to  supply 
them.  As  to  creeds  and  confessions,  although  we  may  appear 
to  our  brethren  to  oppose  them,  yet  this  is  to  be  understood 
only  in  so  far  as  they  oppose  the  unity  of  the  Church,  by 
containing  sentiments  not  expressly  revealed  in  the  word  of 
God ;  or,  by  the  way  of  using  them,  become  the  instruments  of 
a  human  or  implicit  faith,  or  oppress  the  weak  of  God's  heri- 
tage. Where  they  are  liable  to  none  of  those  objections,  we 
have  nothing  against  them.  It  is  the  abuse  and  not  the  law- 
fid  use  of  such  compilations  that  we  oppose.  See  proposition 
7,  page  17.  Our  intention,  therefore,  with  respect  to  all  the 
Churches  of  Christ  is  perfectly  amicable.  We  heartily  wish 
their  reformation,  but  by  no  means,  their  hurt  or  confusion. 
Should  any  affect  to  say  that  our  coming  forward  as  we  have 
done,  in  advancing  and  publishing  such  things,  has  a  manifest 
tendency  to  distract  and  divide  the  Churches,  or  to  make  a 
new  party,  we  treat  it  as  a  confident  and  groundless  assertion, 
and  must  suppose  they  have  not  duly  considered,  or,  at  least, 
not  well  understood  the  subject. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Thomas  Campbell's  main  contention 
was  around  seven  great  watchw^ords : 

1.  W^here  the  Scriptures  speak,  we  speak;  where  they 
are  silent,  we  are  silent. 

2.  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,"  either  in  express  terms,  or 
by  approved  precedent,  for  every  article  of  faith  and  item 
of  religious  practice. 

3.  Nothing  ought  to  be  received  into  the  faith  or  wor- 


120   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ship  of  the  Church,  or  be  made  a  term  of  communion 
among  Christians,  that  is  not  as  old  as  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 

4.  An  agreement  in  the  expressly  revealed  will  of  God 
is  the  adequate  and  firm  foundation  of  Christian  unity. 

5.  An  assumed  authority  for  making  the  approbation 
of  human  opinions  and  human  inventions  a  term  of  com- 
munion, by  introducing  them  into  the  constitution,  faith 
or  worship  of  the  Church,  is  and  has  been  the  immediate, 
obvious,  and  universally  acknowledged  cause  of  all  the 
corruptions  and  divisions  that  have  ever  taken  place  in 
the  Church  of  God. 

6.  The  restoration  of  pure,  primitive,  Apostolic  Chris- 
tianity, in  letter  and  spirit,  in  principle  and  practice,  as 
the  only  cure  for  sectarianism. 

7.  Absolute  and  entire  rejection  of  human  authority  in 
matters  of  religion. 

These  splendid  watchwords  present  tersely  the  main 
features  of  Thomas  Campbell's  great  deliverance,  and  it 
will  readily  be  seen  by  the  intelligent  reader  that  a  legiti- 
mate application  of  what  is  affirmed  in  these  statements 
would  go  far  to  heal  the  divisions  of  Christendom  as  they 
exist  at  the  present  time,  and  bring  peace  where  now 
reign  strife  and  confusion.  How  Thomas  Campbell's 
great  address  was  received  will  appear  as  we  proceed. 


CHAPTER  II 


THE  CHAOTIC  PERIOD — ITS  BEGINNING 

NE  of  the  Reformers  of  the  sixteenth  century  is  re- 


ported to  have  been  so  enraptured  with  his  newly- 


found  treasure — the  simple  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ : 
— that  he  stood  on  a  goods  box  at  a  street  crossing  in 
Leipsic,  Germany,  and  called  to  the  people,  as  they  passed 
along,  to  listen  to  his  story  and  be  saved.  It  was  all  so 
beautiful  to  him,  and  he  was  so  thoroughly  convinced  of 
its  truthfulness,  that  he  imagined  the  only  thing  he  had  to 
do  was  to  tell  out  the  simple  story  to  the  people,  and  ask 
them  to  accept  the  remedy  for  their  diseases.  But  the 
people  almost  unanimously  regarded  him  as  crazy.  He 
had  not  sufficiently  considered  the  conditions  of  the  prob- 
lem of  turning  the  people  away  from  their  idols,  and 
consequently,  when  he  came  to  test  the  matter,  he  was 
thoroughly  disappointed. 

So  it  was  with  Thomas  Campbell.  He  had  not  reckoned 
with  the  strong  walls  behind  which  the  sectarianism  of 
his  day  was  entrenched.  He  did  not  take  into  the  account 
the  selfishness  of  religious  partyism.  He  had  vainly  sup- 
posed that  a  plea  so  simple,  so  just,  so  Scriptural,  and 
so  much  needed,  would  at  once  receive  the  hearty  support 
of  all  good  men  in  all  the  denominations  around  him,  if 
not  throughout  the  entire  world.  He  evidently  dreamed 
of  a  ncAv  Millennial  period,  of  which  the  "  Declaration  and 
Address  •'  was  the  forerunner  and  the  herald  of  the  com- 
ing age.  He  had  thought  much  and  long  upon  the  problem 
to  be  solved;  he  had  committed  the  whole  matter  to  his 
Heavenly  Father;  but  he  had  not  taken  into  account  the 
universal  law  of  progress,  which  always  leads  through 
unexpected  ways,  and  never  develops  in  straight  lines, 
passing  through  different  periods,  some  of  these  appar- 
ently periods  of  failure,  though  after  all,  what  seems  fail- 
ure is  simply  a  part  of  the  process  of  real  development. 

In  harmony  with  the  law  of  development  referred  to 


121 


122    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  movement  had  now  reached  the  beginning  of  the  Cha- 
otic Period.  So  far  it  had  been  an  honest  effort  in  the 
interest  of  Christian  Union.  As  already  made  apparent, 
the  chief  actors  had  no  thought  of  starting  another  re- 
ligious denomination;  and  when  it  dawned  upon  them 
that  their  earnest  call  to  union  was  not  heeded  by  any 
of  the  sects  of  Christendom,  they  were  greatly  disap- 
pointed. Thomas  Campbell  was  especially  grieved  when 
he  was  charged  with  starting  another  religious  denomina- 
tion instead  of  reducing  the  number  which  already  ex- 
isted. He  knew  that  no  such  purpose  had  ever  animated 
him  in  issuing  his  great  ^'  Declaration  and  Address."  He 
knew  that  his  whole  aim  was  to  heal  the  divisions  of 
Christendom  rather  than  to  multiply  them;  and  though 
very  much  discouraged,  on  account  of  the  manner  in 
which  his  great  plea  had  been  received,  he  determined  to 
remove,  if  possible,  any  suspicion  that  his  purpose  was 
to  build  up  a  new  sect. 

After  much  meditation  and  prayer  over  the  matter, 
he  finally  decided  to  apply  to  the  Synod  of  Pittsburg 
for  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  was 
encouraged  to  take  this  course  by  several  considerations. 
All  his  former  associations  had  been  with  a  Presbyterian 
body,  and  he  regarded  his  religious  views,  in  the  main, 
as  substantially  in  agreement  with  the  "  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith."  Furthermore,  most  of  his  asso- 
ciates were  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  many  of 
these  were  urging  him  to  become  definitely  identified  with 
their  religious  body.  Indeed,  this  urgency  was  so  great 
that  he  felt  that  he  could  not  refuse  to  comply  with  the 
cordial  invitation. 

But  perhaps  another  reason,  which  influenced  him  to 
make  the  application  he  did,  was  his  earnest  desire  to 
avoid,  if  possible,  any  reproach  with  respect  to  the  pos- 
sibility of  starting  a  separate  religious  movement.  He 
felt  that  if  he  was  in  fellowship  with  some  existing  re- 
ligious body  the  charge  of  starting  another  denomination 
could  not  be  legitimately  made.  Accordingly,  in  October, 
1810,  he  made  formal  application  to  the  Synod  of  Pitts- 
burg for  "  Christian  and  Ministerial  Communion  "  with 
that  body. 

In  taking  this  step  Mr.  Campbell  stated  distinctly  to 
the  Synod  the  religious  position  which  he  occupied.  The 


THE  CHAOTIC  PERIOD 


123 


following  extract  from  the  minutes  of  the  Synod  shows 
how  the  application  was  received :  After  hearing  Mr. 
Campbell  at  length,  and  his  answers  to  various  questions 
proposed  to  him,  the  Synod  unanimously  resolved,  that 
however  specious  the  plan  of  the  Christian  Association 
and  however  seducing  its  professions,  as  experience  of 
the  effects  of  similar  projects  in  other  parts  has  evinced 
their  baleful  tendency  and  destructive  operations  on  the 
whole  interests  of  religion  by  promoting  divisions  instead 
of  union,  by  degrading  the  ministerial  character,  by  pro- 
viding free  admission  to  any  errors  in  doctrine,  and  to 
any  corruptions  in  discipline,  whilst  a  nominal  approba- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  as  the  only  standard  of  truth  may 
be  professed,  the  Synod  are  constrained  to  disapprove  the 
plan  and  its  native  effects. 

"  And  further,  for  the  above  and  many  other  important 
reasons,  it  was  resolved,  that  Mr.  Campbell's  request  to 
be  received  into  ministerial  and  Christian  communion 
cannot  be  granted." 

It  appears  that  Mr.  Campbell  requested  a  copy  of  the 
Synod's  decision  in  his  case,  and  the  next  day  Mr.  Camp- 
bell appeared  before  the  Synod  and  asked  an  explanation 
of  the  important  reasons  mentioned  in  the  minute  he  had 
received,  for  which  the  Sj'nod  could  not  receive  him  into 
"  Christian  and  ministerial  communion."  The  Synod 
made  the  following  answer  to  Mr.  Campbell's  inquiry : 

It  was  not  for  any  immorality  in  practice,  but,  in  addition 
to  the  reasons  before  assigned,  for  expressing  his  belief  that, 
there  are  some  opinions  taught  in  our  Confession  of  Faith 
which  are  not  founded  in  the  Bible,  and  avoiding  to  designate 
them ;  for  declaring  that  the  administration  of  baptism  to 
infants  is  not  authorised  by  Scriptural  precept  or  example, 
and  is  a  matter  of  indifference,  yet  administering  that  or- 
dinance while  holding  such  an  opinion ;  for  encouraging  or 
countenancing  his  son  to  preach  the  gospel  without  any  regu- 
lar authority;  for  opposing  creeds  and  confessions  as  in- 
jurious to  the  interests  of  religion ;  and,  also,  because  it  is 
not  consistent  with  the  regulations  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
that  Synod  should  form  a  connection  with  any  ministers, 
churches,  or  associations;  that  the  Synod  deemed  it  improper 
to  grant  his  request. 

When  this  answer  was  read  to  Mr.  Campbell,  he  denied 
having  said  that  infant  baptism  was  a  matter  of  indif- 
ference, and  declared  that  he  had  admitted  many  truths 


124   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


drawn  by  fair  induction  from  the  Word  of  God.  He  also 
acknowledged  that  he  opposed  creeds  and  confessions 
when  they  contained  anything  not  expressly  contained 
in  the  Book;  that  he  believed  there  are  some  things  in 
the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith  not  expressly  re- 
vealed in  the  Book.  He  furthermore  declared  that  he 
felt  himself  quite  released  from  the  apprehension  which 
he  first  had  with  respect  to  his  moral  character. 

There  are  a  few  things  which  need  to  be  said  with  re- 
spect to  this  remarkable  chapter  in  the  history  of  the 
Campbellian  movement.  First  of  all,  it  needs  to  be  em- 
phasised that  Mr.  Campbell  did  not  mean  by  this  applica- 
tion to  the  Pittsburg  Synod  to  abandon,  in  any  respect, 
the  plea  he  had  made  for  Christian  Union.  Nor  does  it 
appear  from  any  facts  in  the  case  that  he  was  in  the 
slightest  degree  frightened  into  this  course  by  any  clamour 
of  Sectarians  who  sought  to  invalidate  his  plea  by  claim- 
ing that  he  was  starting  another  religious  denomination. 
He  grieved  over  that,  but  it  did  not  influence  him  to  change 
his  plea  for  Christian  Union.  It  was  never  his  intention 
to  dissociate  himself  from  other  Christians.  On  the 
contrary,  his  whole  aim  was  to  bring  Christians  more 
closely  together.  When,  however,  he  found  that  his  advo- 
cacy had  alienated  his  old  religious  associations  from  him 
and  he  was  now  practically  cut  off  from  their  fellowship, 
he  was  glad  when  he  received  overtures  from  members  of 
the  Pittsburg  Synod  to  have  at  least  fraternal  relations 
with  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

It  has  been  intimated  by  some  historians  that  the  main 
consideration  which  induced  him  to  make  the  application 
he  did  was  to  relieve  himself  of  the  charge  that  he  was 
vitiating  his  own  plea  by  starting  another  religious  sect; 
but  it  does  not  appear  from  any  well  authenticated  facts 
that  this  consideration  influenced  him  to  any  large  extent, 
though  it  may  have  done  so  to  some  extent.  He  found 
himself  and  those  associated  with  him  cut  off  from  all 
definite  fellowship  with  any  other  religious  body,  and  as 
it  was  no  part  of  his  plan  to  occupy  such  a  position,  but 
rather  the  contrary,  he  believed  he  could  do  his  work  more 
effectually  if  he  could  have  Christian  and  ministerial  com- 
munion with  the  Presbyterian  body.  It  appears  also  that 
in  making  this  personal  application,  it  was  understood  by 
the  Synod  that  he  represented  the  Christian  Association  of 


Copyright,  May,  190'J. 

From  an  oil  painting  in  the  possession  of  Frank  \V.  Allen,  Columbia, 
Mo. 


THE  CHAOTIC  PERIOD 


125 


which  he  was  a  member,  and  that  the  application,  there- 
fore, meant  the  reception  of  the  Association  into  the  fel- 
lowship of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Had  the  Synod  confined  its  reasons  to  the  last  one 
mentioned,  its  course  would  have  been  consistent,  and 
doubtless  the  whole  controversy  would  have  ended  with 
that  enunciation.  But  as  the  other  reasons  given  for 
rejecting  the  application  were  open  to  very  serious  ob- 
jections, it  is  not  remarkable  that  the  son,  Alexander, 
should  have  felt  called  upon  to  take  some  notice  of  these 
other  reasons  given  by  the  Synod. 

Just  here  another  important  actor  comes  upon  the  stage. 
At  this  time  Alexander  Campbell,  the  son  of  Thomas 
Campbell,  was,  according  to  Dr  Richardson's  biography, 
about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  though,  according  to  his 
father's  testimony,  he  was  about  twenty-three  years  of 
age.  This  discrepancy  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  family 
records  were  lost  in  a  shipwreck,  when  the  family  was 
emigrating  to  the  United  States.  It  seems  probable,  not- 
withstanding the  very  cogent  reasons  given  by  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson in  favor  of  September  12,  1788,  as  the  time  of 
his  birth,  that  his  father  was  right  in  stating  that  he 
was  born  September  12,  1786.  Even  allowing  the  latter 
date  to  be  correct,  it  is  still  remarkable  that  he  should 
have  been  so  thoroughly  equipped  at  that  time  for  the 
work  before  him,  as  is  indicated  by  the  part  he  at  once 
took  in  the  matters  under  consideration. 

Alexander  Campbell  was  born  in  County  Antrim,  North 
of  Ireland,  and  having  finished  his  education  at  Glasgow 
University,  he  sailed  from  the  city  of  Londonderry  on 
the  third  of  October,  1808,  and  after  a  perilous  voyage, 
during  which  the  whole  ship's  company  had  almost  per- 
ished in  the  Atlantic,  he  was  landed  in  New  York  on 
the  twenty-ninth  of  September,  1809,  and  on  the  twenty- 
eighth  of  the  next  month  he  arrived  in  Washington,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  joined  his  father,  who  had  preceded 
him  to  America,  as  has  already  been  stated.  Alexander 
had  been  educated  with  a  view  to  the  ministry  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  to  which  he  belonged.  During  his 
studies  at  Glasgow  University  he  became  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  some  eminent  men  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  through  their  infiuence  and  his  own  reading 
and  thinking  his  faith  in  creeds  and  confessions  of  human 


126    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


device  had  become  much  shaken.  However,  he  was  still 
a  staunch  Presbyterian  when  he  arrived  in  this  country, 
as  the  following  extract  from  his  own  statement  in  the 
Christian  Baptist  will  certify: 

I  arrived  in  this  country  with  credentials  in  my  pocket  from 
that  sect  of  Presbyterians  known  by  the  name  of  Seceders. 
These  credentials  certified  that  I  had  been  both  in  Ireland,  in 
the  Presbytery  of  Market  Hill,  and  in  Scotland,  in  the 
Presbytery  of  Glasgow,  a  member  of  the  Secession  Church  in 
good  standing. 

It  is  rather  remarkable  that  when  he  arrived  in  Amer- 
ica that  he  should  find  his  father  reading  the  proof  sheets 
of  his  great  "  Declaration  and  Address,"  to  which  atten- 
tion has  already  been  called.  With  respect  to  this  matter 
the  son  says: 

The  first  proof  sheet  that  I  ever  read  was  a  form  of  my 
father's  "  Declaration  and  Address,"  in  press  at  Washington, 
Pa.,  on  my  arrival  there  in  October,  1809.  There  were  in  it 
the  following  sentences :  "  Nothing  ought  to  be  received  into 
the  faith  or  worship  of  the  church,  or  to  be  made  a  term  of 
communion  amongst  Christians,  that  is  not  as  old  as  the  New 
Testament.  Nor  ought  anything  to  be  admitted  as  of  Divine 
obligation  in  the  church  constitution  and  management,  but 
what  is  expressly  enjoined  by  the  authority  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  His  apostles  upon  the  New  Testament  church, 
either  in  express  terms  or  approved  precedent."  These  last 
words,  "  express  terms and  "  approved  precedent  "  made  a 
deep  impression  on  my  mind,  then  well  furnished  with  the 
popular  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  all  its 
branches. 

In  another  place  {Christian  Baptist,  page  92)  he  makes 
the  following  statement: 

I  commenced  my  career  in  this  country  under  the  conviction 
that  nothing  that  was  not  as  old  as  the  New  Testament  should 
be  made  an  article  of  faith,  a  rule  of  practice,  or  a  term  of 
communion  amongst  Christians.  In  a  word,  that  the  whole  of 
the  Christian  religion  exhibited  in  prophecy  and  type  of  the 
Old  Testament,  was  presented  in  the  fullest,  clearest,  and  most 
perfect  manner  of  the  New  Testament  by  the  Spirit  of  wisdom 
and  revelation.  This  has  been  the  pole-star  of  my  course  ever 
since,  and  I  thank  God  that  he  has  enabled  me  so  far  to 
prosecute  it,  and  to  make  all  my  prejudices  and  ambition  bow 
to  this  emancipating  principle. 


THE  CHAOTIC  PERIOD 


127 


It  will  be  seen  by  these  two  extracts  how  the  son  re- 
garded his  father's  movement  at  this  particular  time. 
It  is  well  to  have  his  position  clearly  understood,  as  some 
have  intimated  that  the  son  did  not  entirely  approve  of 
the  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  when  it  was  issued.  I 
have  examined  a  copy  of  the  proof  sheet  which  was  cor- 
rected by  the  son,  and  while  a  few  changes  .are  made 
(chiefly  verbal),  there  is  not  the  slightest  intimation  of 
disagreement  with  respect  to  anything  stated  in  the  paper. 
The  only  thing  expunged  is  a  postscript  in  which  some 
reasons  are  given  for  delay  in  the  publication  of  the  Ad- 
dress, and  two  recommendations  for  promoting  the  object 
of  the  Christian  Association.  The  first  of  these  is  the 
importance  of  publishing  a  sort  of  catechism  with  a  view 
to  summarising  a  system  of  faith  and  duty  as  contained 
in  the  sacred  oracles,  respecting  the  doctrine,  worship, 
discipline,  and  government  of  the  Christian  Churches,  and 
the  second  recommendation  relates  to  the  publication  of 
a  periodical  for  the  "  express  purpose  of  detecting  and 
exposing  the  various  enormities,  innovations  and  corrup- 
tions which  infest  the  Christian  Church,  which  counter- 
act and  oppose  the  gracious  tendency  of  the  Gospel — 
the  promotion  and  establishment  of  the  Redeemer's  King- 
dom upon  earth," 

Perhaps  Alexander's  opposition  to  human  formulas  of 
faith  caused  him  to  object  to  the  publication  of  the  Chris- 
tian Catechism,  and  doubtless  his  practical  mind  saw 
that  the  time  had  not  come  for  the  publication  of  the 
Christian  Monitor,  as  the  periodical  was  to  be  called.  But 
however  this  may  have  been,  he  ran  his  pencil  through 
the  postscript;  but  it  is  the  only  thing  he  expunged  in 
the  paper  which  had  been  submitted  to  him  by  his  father. 

Furthermore,  it  is  perfectly  evident  from  Alexander's 
own  statement,  made  in  the  Millennial  Harbinger  of  1837, 
that  he  would  have  remained  in  the  Presbyterian  Church 
had  he  been  allowed  that  liberty  which  he  always  claimed 
belonged  to  the  child  of  God.    He  says: 

So  fully  were  we  aware  of  the  evils  of  schism,  and  so  reluc- 
tant to  assume  the  attitude  of  a  new  party,  that  we  proposed 
to  continue  in  the  Presbyterian  connexion,  even  after  we  were 
convinced  of  various  imperfections  in  the  form  of  its  govern- 
ment, in  its  system  of  discipline,  in  its  administration  of 
Christian  ordinances,  and  of  the  want  of  scriptural  warrant 


128    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


for  infant  baptism;  provided  only  they  would  allow  us  to  fol- 
low out  our  convictions  by  not  obliging  us  to  do  what  we  could 
not  approve,  and  allowing  us  to  teach  and  enforce  only  those 
matters  for  which  we  could  produce  clear,  scriptural  authority, 
and  make  all  the  rest  a  subject  of  forbearance  till  farther 
enlightened. 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  extract  that  Alexander  was  not 
only  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  movement,  inaugurated 
by  his  father,  but  was  perfectly  willing  to  continue  to 
hold  his  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  on  the 
conditions  mentioned.  It  is  true  that  he  opposed  his 
father  in  making  application  to  the  Pittsburg  Synod  for 
formal  recognition  by  that  body.  The  son  saw,  or  thought 
he  saw,  what  would  be  the  result  of  the  application.  He 
understood  more  truly  the  spirit  of  the  times  than  his 
father  did,  and  when  his  father's  application  was  re- 
jected his  3'ouDg  and  impetuous  nature  was  deeply  stirred, 
and  he  determined  at  -once  to  reply  to  the  Synod,  in  which 
he  would  examine  the  reasons  they  had  given  for  refusing 
his  father's  application. 

He  accordingly  announced  in  the  Reporter  (a  paper 
published  at  Washington,  Pa.)  on  the  twenty-second  and 
twenty-ninth  of  October,  1810,  a  few  days  after  the  meeting 
of  the  Synod,  as  follows: 

The  Christian  Association  of  Washington  holds  its  semi- 
annual meeting  at  Washington  on  Thursday,  the  first  of  No- 
vember next,  at  11  o'clock.  There  will  be  delivered  upon  that 
occasion  by  Alexander  Campbell,  V.D.S.,  an  appropriate  dis- 
course illustrative  of  the  principles  and  design  of  the  Associa- 
tion, and  for  the  purpose  of  obviating  certain  mistakes  and 
objections  which  ignorance  or  wilful  opposition  has  attached 
to  the  humble  and  well-meant  attempts  of  the  Society  to 
promote  a  thorough  scriptural  reformation,  as  testified  in 
their  Address  to  the  friends  and  lovers  of  peace  and  truth 
throughout  all  the  Churches. 

At  the  appointed  time  he  delivered  a  somewhat  lengthy 
address  to  a  large  assembly,  from  Isaiah  xlvi :  14 ;  Ixii :  10, 
an  extensive  report  of  which  is  given  in  Richardson's 
"  Memoirs."  From  this  report  it  appears  that  the  prin- 
ciples for  which  he  contended  were  practically  the  same 
as  those  enunciated  in  his  father's  Declaration  and 
Address,"  though  he  dealt  with  some  things  that  were 
not  discussed  in  his  father's  great  deliverance.  How- 


THE  CHAOTIC  PERIOD 


129 


ever,  taking  the  two  addresses  together,  the  religious  views 
expressed  may  be  summarised  as  follows: 

1.  Existing  religious  parties  possess  the  substance  of 
Christianity,  but  have  in  many  respects  failed  to  preserve 
"  the  form  of  sound  words  "  in  which  it  was  originally 
presented;  and  the  chief  object  in  the  reformation  pro- 
posed is  to  persuade  to  the  abandonment  of  every  human 
system,  and  the  adoption  of  "  the  form  of  sound  words  " 
as  the  true  basis  of  union. 

2.  Each  church  should  be  regarded  as  an  independent 
organisation,  having  its  own  internal  government  by  bish- 
ops and  deacons,  yet  not  to  be  so  absolutely  independent 
of  other  churches  as  not  to  be  bound  to  them  by  fraternal 
relations. 

8.  They  considered  "  lay  preaching  "  as  authorised,  and 
denied  the  distinction  between  clergy  and  laity  as  Scrip- 
ural. 

4.  They  looked  upon  infant  baptism  as  without  direct 
Scriptural  authority,  but  were  willing  to  leave  it  as  a 
matter  of  forbearance,  and  allow  the  continuance  of  the 
practice  in  the  case  of  those  who  conscientiously  approved 
it,  as  Paul  and  James  permitted  circumcision  for  a  time 
in  deference  to  Jewish  i)rejudices. 

5.  They  clearly  anticipated  the  probability  of  being 
compelled,  on  account  of  the  refusal  of  the  religious 
parties  to  accept  their  overture,  to  resolve  the  Christian 
Association  into  a  distinct  church,  in  order  to  carry  out 
for  themselves  the  duties  and  obligations  enjoined  on  them 
in  the  Scriptures. 

6.  That  in  receiving  nothing  but  what  was  expressly 
revealed,  they  foresaw  and  admitted  that  many  things, 
deemed  precious  and  important  by  the  existing  religious 
societies,  must  inevitably  be  excluded. 

From  the  foregoing  summary  it  is  evident  that  the 
combined  contributions  of  Thomas  and  Alexander  Camp- 
bell to  the  movement,  of  which  the  Christian  Associa- 
tion was  the  centre,  gave  it  a  tinge  decidedly  Haldanean 
in  its  character.  Both  the  Campbells  had  felt  the  in- 
fluence of  the  teaching  of  Robert  and  James  Haldane, 
distinguished  Scotch  preachers,  who,  towards  the  latter 
part  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  during  the  first  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  carried  on  a  great  work  in 
Scotland.     These  men  contended  for  the  independence 


130    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


of  each  congregation,  and  they  also  contended  for  the 
Scriptures  as  the  only  authoritative  guide  with  respect 
to  religious  matters.  The  practice  of  lay  preaching  and 
the  toleration  of  infant  baptism  were  marked  features 
of  their  preaching.  However,  it  was  with  respect  to 
church  government  where  the  Campbellian  movement 
tinall}^  ran  practically  parallel  with  the  teaching  of  the 
Haldanes.  But  as  the  environment  in  the  United  States 
was  different  from  that  of  Scotland,  and  the  conditions 
of  religious  societies  were  not  the  same,  the  Campbells, 
especially  Alexander,  soon  saw  that  there  were  other 
things  to  be  considered  besides  the  special  matters  for 
which  the  Haldanes  contended. 

The  Haldanean  Reformation  was  aimed  chiefly  at  in- 
fidelity and  Socinianism  in  the  Established  Church,  and 
consequently  the  movement  was  mainly  in  the  nature  of 
protest  against  prevailing  evils  rather  than  in  any  con- 
structive work  which  would  lead  to  the  Restoration  of 
Primitive  Christianity.  However,  it  is  probable  that 
Alexander  Campbell,  Avhen  he  reached  his  father  in  Amer- 
ica, was  more  deeply  imbued  with  a  spirit  of  radical 
reformation  than  his  father  was.  But,  however  this  may 
have  been,  it  is  certain  that  from  this  time  forward  the 
son  became  the  acknowledged  leader  of  the  movement 
which  had  been  inaugurated  by  his  father,  and  the  readi- 
ness with  which  the  joung  man  entered  into  the  work, 
and  especially  the  controversial  side  of  it,  may  be  seen 
from  the  manner  in  which  he  dealt  with  the  Pittsburg 
Synod's  reasons  for  rejecting  the  application  of  his  father. 

Thomas  Campbell  was  by  nature  and  grace  opposed 
to  controversy.  He  was  eminently  a  man  of  peace.  This 
very  fact  was  an  influential  factor  in  determining  him 
to  seek  association  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  but  in 
doing  this  he  was  careful  to  guard  against  any  ground 
for  suspicion  that  he  had  the  slightest  desire  to  abandon 
the  Christian  Association  or  give  up  any  of  the  principles 
for  which  he  had  contended  in  his  "  Declaration  and 
Address."  Alexander  was  of  a  somewhat  different  nature. 
While  deeply  religious,  profound  convictions  as  to  the 
principles  he  had  embraced  led  him  to  be  more  aggressive 
than  his  father  was,  and  he  began  to  see,  very  soon  after 
he  arrived  in  America,  that  the  movement  which  had  been 
started  would  require  something  more  than  the  admirably 


THE  CHAOTIC  PERIOD 


131 


constructive  phrases,  the  gentle  spirit,  and  the  finely  poised 
conservatism  of  the  "  Declaration  and  Address."  He  saw 
that  some  radical  work  had  to  be  done,  and  much  rubbish 
removed  from  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  before  the  waste 
places  of  Zion  could  be  restored.  Hence  in  the  spirit  of 
Nehemiah,  when  rebuilding  the  Avails  of  Jerusalem,  he 
believed  in  taking  the  trowel  in  one  hand  and  the  sword 
in  the  other.  While  he  was  building  he  trained  himself 
and  all  those  associated  with  him  to  vigorously  "  contend 
for  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints."  It 
was  not  because  he  loved  controversy  that  he  did  this,  for 
in  some  respects  he  hated  the  very  name  of  the  thing,  but 
because  he  was  fully  persuaded  that  every  inch  of  the 
ground  to  be  gained  must  be  fought  over,  and  that  the 
movement  inaugurated  could  only  succeed,  first  of  all, 
by  breaking  down  the  strongholds  of  sectarianism  in  order 
to  make  room  for  a  united  Church  built  upon  the  "  founda- 
tion of  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  be- 
ing the  chief  cornerstone."  From  this  time  forward  he 
became  practically  the  leader  of  the  new  movement. 

At  this  time,  1811,  the  Christian  Association  found 
itself  practically  cut  off  from  the  fellowship  of  all  the 
religious  denominations  around  it;  and  in  view  of  this 
fact  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  constitute  itself  into  a 
church  for  "  the  enjoyment  of  those  privileges  and  the 
performance  of  those  duties  which  belong  to  the  church 
relations."  In  accordance  with  this  view  of  the  matter 
a  church  was  organised  out  of  the  members  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, May  4,  at  Brush  Run,  Pennsylvania.  Thomas 
Campbell  was  appointed  elder  of  the  Church,  and  Alex- 
ander Campbell  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel.  John 
Dawson,  George  Sharpe,  John  Foster,  and  William  Gil- 
christ were  chosen  as  deacons.  The  Communion  service 
was  celebrated  on  the  following  day,  which  was  Sunday, 
and  both  of  the  Campbells  preached. 

This  definite  action,  in  forming  a  church  and  organising 
it,  partly  at  least  in  harmony  with  the  principles  which 
the  Association  had  contended  for,  was  not  only  a  new 
departure,  but  was  also  a  very  important  step  in  the 
religious  movement.  On  this  Lord's  Day,  as  already 
stated,  the  first  Communion  service  was  held.  From 
the  very  beginning  the  Lord's  Supper  was  celebrated  every 
first  day  of  the  week,  as  had  been  the  case  in  the  independ- 


132   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ent  churches  of  Scotland.  Indeed,  this  celebration  of 
the  Lord's  Supper  on  every  Lord's  Day  became  a  funda- 
mental feature  in  the  practice  of  the  Disciples.  It  was 
believed  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  movement  that 
the  failure  to  observe  the  Lord's  Supper  weekly  was  one 
of  the  cardinal  mistakes  of  Christendom.  It  was  felt 
that  in  the  Primitive  Churches  this  Supper  held  the  chief 
place  at  the  Lord's  Day  service;  that  it  was  for  the  pur- 
pose of  celebrating  the  Lord's  death  and  suffering,  that 
the  first  Christians  came  together  to  break  bread,  and 
that  a  departure  from  this  New  Testament  teaching  was 
the  parent  of  a  great  many  evils  which  had  infested  the 
Church. 

The  experiment  of  attending  to  this  ordinance  every 
Lord's  Day  proved  to  be  a  very  strong  uniting  force  among 
those  who  participated  in  it.  The  meeting  together  once 
a  week  around  the  Lord's  table  and  remembering  His 
sacrificial  death  for  their  sins  had  a  very  comforting  and 
strongly  uniting  influence  with  the  Disciples.  In  the 
presence  of  the  emblems  which  showed  forth  the  death 
and  suffering  of  their  divine  Lord,  these  reformers  found 
an  irresistible  bond  of  Christian  union  and  felt  a  cement- 
ing power  which  came  to  them  nowhere  else.  Conse- 
quently from  a  practical  point  of  view  this  weekly  Com- 
munion service  became  a  mighty  force  in  cementing  the 
hearts  of  the  brotherhood  together  and  holding  them  in 
the  grace  of  the  spirit  and  service  of  Christian  Union. 

As  soon  as  the  organisation  of  the  Church  took  place, 
Alexander  started  out  on  his  first  preaching  tour.  Dur- 
ing his  absence  a  new  meeting  house  was  built.  The 
Church  continued  to  meet  every  Lord's  Day  and  also  to 
celebrate  the  Lord's  Supper.  In  these  meetings  it  was 
observed  that  some  of  the  members  did  not  partake  of 
the  emblems,  and  these  gave  as  a  reason  for  their  action 
that  they  did  not  feel  authorised  to  do  so  because  they 
had  never  been  baptised,  though  they  had  been  sprinkled. 
This  at  once  introduced  the  question  of  their  former  bap- 
tism, the  proper  subject  of  baptism  having  been  intro- 
duced much  earlier  in  the  movement.  Joseph  Bryant, 
one  of  the  men  who  refused  to  take  of  the  Supper,  insisted 
on  being  immersed,  as  he  no  longer  regarded  sprinkling 
as  baptism.  He  was  accordingly  immersed  on  July  4, 
1811,  by  Thomas  Campbell.     This  action  presented  an- 


THE  CHAOTIC  PERIOD  133 

other  crisis  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Association, 
for  soon  after  this  baptism  a  number  of  persons  who, 
at  first,  heartily  joined  the  Association,  now  withdrew 
their  membership,  as  they  were  unwilling  to  follow  what 
they  saw  was  the  logic  of  events. 

During  this  year  Alexander  Campbell  made  several 
preaching  tours  through  parts  of  Ohio  and  West  Virginia. 
His  father  was  also  active  in  propagating  the  views 
presented  in  his  "  Declaration  and  Address."  In  the 
meantime  a  number  of  practical  questions  came  up  for 
consideration.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  ordina- 
tion, the  authority  of  local  congregations,  the  apostolic 
form  of  Church  government,  etc.  All  these  were  care- 
fully considered  and  settled  according  to  what  was  be- 
lieved to  be  the  teaching  and  example  of  the  Word  of 
God. 

However,  the  situation  at  this  time  was  by  no  means 
satisfactory.  These  brethren  launched  their  boat  on  a 
wide,  wide  sea,  but  they  were  not  sure  just  where  it  would 
land.  The  whole  movement  at  this  time  was  evidently 
chaotic,  and  with  less  conscientious  and  less  earnest  men 
and  women  the  cause  would  have  seemed  hopeless.  But 
not  so  with  these  great  souls.  They  had  practically 
burned  all  the  bridges,  and  had  given  themselves  fully  to 
a  forward  movement,  and  while  they  realised  something 
of  the  great  diflBculties  over  which  they  must  triumph 
in  order  to  succeed,  they  did  not,  for  a  moment,  hesitate 
with  respect  to  the  great  work  before  them. 

This  was  especially  true  of  Alexander  Campbell. 
Though  young  in  years,  he  had  already  practically  mas- 
tered the  great  principles  by  which  he  was  guided.  His 
habits  of  study  were  of  the  most  rigid  kind.  His  system- 
atic way  of  doing  things  enabled  him  to  use  profitably 
every  moment  of  time  at  his  disposal.  While  he  gave  to 
his  studies  a  somewhat  extensive  range,  he  allowed  noth- 
ing to  interfere  with  his  special  study  of  the  Word  of 
God.  The  Bible  was  his  constant  companion,  especially 
the  New  Testament.  With  a  Greek  Testament  in  his 
pocket,  he  followed  his  plow,  and  when  allowing  his  horse 
to  rest  at  the  end  of  the  rows,  he  would  read  a  chapter 
for  meditation  during  the  next  interval  of  work.  In  this 
way,  like  the  Psalmist  of  old,  the  Word  of  God  was  his 
constant  meditation  by  day  and  by  night.    He  also  read 


134    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


much  of  Church  histoi'}',  becoming  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Church  through  the 
ages  of  the  past,  and  in  this  way  he  made  himself  thor- 
oughly equipped  with  respect  to  all  the  controversies, 
both  within  and  without  the  Church,  during  its  entire 
history.  Indeed,  so  absorbed  was  he  in  his  studies  and 
the  great  cause  to  which  he  had  committed  his  life,  that 
there  was  no  place  in  his  heart  for  discouragement,  even 
in  the  face  of  the  chaotic  condition  of  things  which  at 
this  time  prevailed  all  around  him.  He  realised  that 
he  practically  stood  alone.  His  father  he  loved  with 
the  deepest  affection,  also  reverenced  his  judgment  with 
respect  to  many  things;  but  he  knew  quite  well  that  his 
father's  work  had  been  chiefly  accomplished  in  the  in- 
auguration of  the  movement,  the  principles  and  aims  of 
which  had  been  set  forth  so  lucidly  in  the  famous  "  Decla- 
ration and  Address."  But  he  knew  also  that  the  Creative 
Period  had  passed,  and  that  there  had  been  practically 
an  overthrow  with  respect  to  the  aims  which  had  been 
in  view  at  the  beginning.  It  was  no  longer  doubtful 
that  Christendom  was  not  going  to  give  up  its  partyism 
without  a  severe  struggle.  It  was  also  further  evident 
that  the  movement  which  had  been  launched  was  not  only 
checked,  so  far  as  its  advance  toward  the  union  of  Chris- 
tians was  concerned,  but  had  been  so  far  hindered  that 
many  of  the  original  members  had  gone  back  again  to 
the  sects,  while  those  that  remained  were  virtually  drift- 
ing somewhat  hither  and  thither  without  very  definite  con- 
clusions as  to  what  the  end  would  be. 

In  this  crisis  Alexander  Campbell  was  the  real  hero. 
He  alone  seemed  to  have  an  unconquering  faith  that  vic- 
tory would  ultimately  perch  upon  their  banner.  Per- 
haps there  is  nothing  in  the  life  of  this  great  man  which 
more  distinctly  characterised  him,  and  marked  him  out 
as  one  of  God's  great  champions  of  the  faith,  once  for 
all  delivered  to  the  saints,  than  his  conduct  in  the  crisis 
of  the  movement  at  this  particular  time. 

When  God  wants  men  for  a  particular  purpose,  he 
educates  them.  Moses  was  providentially  placed  in  the 
Egyptian  Court,  where  he  could  be  prepared  for  the  service 
of  delivering  the  Israelites  from  their  bondage  in  Egypt. 
When  the  right  hour  came  he  was  removed  from  the 
Egyptian  court  and  spent  forty  years  of  further  prepara- 


THE  CHAOTIC  PERIOD 


135 


tion  as  a  farmer  iu  the  land  of  jMidiau.  His  education  at 
Heliopolis  and  iu  tlie  court  of  Pharaoh  was  the  first 
preparation,  but  he  needed  something  more  than  this 
before  he  was  fully  prepared  for  the  great  work.  This 
latter  preparation  he  received  by  coming  in  contact  with 
a  new  civilisation,  new  laws,  new  customs,  and  above  all 
by  having  an  opportunity  for  study  and  meditation  in 
the  fields  with  nature  and  nature's  God. 

Alexander  Campbell  in  many  respects  passed  through 
a  similar  experience.  He  received  his  early  training  in 
the  school  of  sectarianism.  His  early  religious  life  was 
developed  where  he  was  enabled  to  secure  the  advantages 
of  a  worthy  academic  education,  as  well  as  a  knowledge 
of  religious  societies  as  they  then  existed  in  Ireland  and 
Scotland.  In  association  Avith  some  of  the  noblest  re- 
ligious spirits  of  those  countries,  he  began  to  realise,  even 
before  he  reached  America,  the  necessity  of  a  distinct 
and  emphatic  religions  reformation.  His  long  voyage  at 
sea  gave  him  ample  opportunity  for  reflection  with  re- 
spect to  the  matters  which  had  interested  him  during 
his  academic  course  in  Glasgow  University,  so  that  when 
he  landed  in  America,  like  Moses  when  he  reached  the 
land  of  Midian,  he  was  already  partially  prepared  for 
the  great  work  which,  in  the  providence  of  God,  he 
had  been  called  to  do.  It  was  no  doubt  providential 
that  his  lot  was  cast  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  life 
in  America,  where  he  was  free  from  the  disturbing  and 
corrupting  influences  of  the  great  city;  but  where  he 
could  commune  with  nature  and  with  God  without  the 
obtrusive  interference  of  those  influences  which  often  take 
captive  the  young  heart  before  it  has  become  thoroughly 
consecrated  to  serve  the  Lord. 

His  new  environment  was  especially  conducive  to  the 
development  of  that  love  of  liberty  which  characterised 
him  throughout  his  entire  life.  America  itself  had  a 
charm  for  him.  He  had  fondly  dreamed  of  a  land  that 
was  free  from  social  castes  and  political  oppression,  as 
well  as  where  religious  freedom  was  guaranteed  by  the 
national  constitution.  In  some  of  these  respects  he  was 
disappointed.  He  found  sectarianism  even  more  pro- 
nounced in  America  than  he  had  found  it  in  Europe, 
though  it  manifested  itself  in  a  somewhat  different  fashion. 
In  Europe  the  contest  was  chiefly  between  the  state 


136    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


churches  and  non-conforming  churches;  while  in  America, 
where  there  were  no  state  churches,  the  sectarian  spirit 
found  its  opportunity  and  channel  through  the  different 
antagonistic  denominations  into  which  religious  society 
was  divided.  This  sectarian  spirit  was  constantly  mani- 
festing itself  in  the  religious  communities  with  which 
Mr.  Campbell  came  into  contact.  His  great  soul  rebelled 
against  the  whole  thing,  and  he  soon  began  to  denounce 
it  in  unsparing  terms.  Perhaps  the  language  he  used 
in  these  earlier  davs  was  not  always  wisely  chosen,  but. 
no  one  can  doubt  that  his  language  never  actually  over- 
stated the  ugly  character  of  the  sectarianism  which  then 
existed  in  the  religious  communities  where  his  work  was, 
for  the  most  part,  confined. 

As  ignorance  was  perhaps  the  chief  factor  in  this  prosti- 
tution of  a  true  religious  development,  it  is  probable  that 
Mr.  Campbell  did  not  make  sufficient  allowance  for  the 
prevalence  of  this  ignorance,  nor  did  he  make  sufficient 
excuse  for  its  existence,  in  view  of  the  opportunities  which 
the  average  church  member  at  that  time  possessed.  Mr. 
Campbell  was  especially  severe  on  the  clergy,  and  yet 
the  chief  difficulty  with  this  clergy  was  the  want  ol 
education.  Most  of  the  preachers  at  that  time  had  never 
seen  a  college,  and  many  of  those  who  had  received  a 
reasonable  academic  education  had  very  little  or  any 
knowledge  of  the  world.  Confined  as  they  had  been  to 
their  local  districts,  and  thereby  hindered  from  coming 
into  contact  with  the  great  movements  of  the  age,  they 
were  incapable  of  appreciating  a  wide  and  comprehensive 
view  of  the  Gospel,  and  a  broad  religious  culture,  such 
as  Alexander  Campbell  found  were  necessary  in  order  to 
take  the  world  for  Christ.  At  times  he  was  evidently 
somewhat  impatient  with  respect  to  the  environment  in 
which  he  was  placed,  but  his  faith  never  wavered,  nor  did 
his  convictions  ever  hesitate.  He  seemed  not  to  have 
counted  the  final  outcome  of  his  advocacy.  He  evidently 
felt  that  his  present  duty  was  all  that  concerned  him ;  the 
final  outcome  he  left  with  God. 


VIEWS  AT  BETHANY,  WEST  VIRGINIA 

1,  Where  the  Millennial  Harbinger  was  printed.  2,  Where  ;\Ioses  E. 
Lard  lived  at  one  time.  3,  The  cliurch  at  Bethany  where  Alexander 
Campbell  preached.  4,  Main  Building,  Bethany  College.  5,  The  house 
where  the  Christian  Baptist  was  printed.  6,  "  Bethpage,"  the  home  of 
Dr.  Richardson. 


CHAPTER  III 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS 

SOON  after  Alexander  Campbell  joined  his  father  in 
America,  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Mar- 
garet Brown,  daughter  of  John  Brown,  of  Brooke 
County,  West  Virginia.  This  acquaintance  led  to  their 
marriage,  which  was  consummated  March  13,  1811,  the 
marriage  ceremony  being  pronounced  by  Mr.  Hughes,  a 
Presbyterian  minister.  Mr.  Campbell  immediately 
settled  at  his  wife's  paternal  home  on  the  waters  of  Buf- 
falo Creek,  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Bethany. 
Here  he  lived  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  it  was 
here  that  he  died  and  was  buried  in  a  beautiful  cemetery 
near  his  home.  The  village  was  shut  out  almost  entirely 
from  the  world  by  the  abrupt  cliffs  that  overhung  it  and 
the  short  windings  of  the  Buffalo  Creek,  the  meanderings 
of  which  compassed  about  twenty-one  miles,  though  it 
is  only  seven  miles  by  the  road  to  Wellsburg,  where  the 
creek  empties  into  the  Ohio  River. 

The  following  interesting  account  of  how  Alexander 
Campbell  came  to  locate  at  Bethany,  W.  Va.,  is  by  Profes- 
sor W.  B.  Taylor,  of  Bethany  College,  and  is  appropriate 
just  here,  as  illustrating  the  fact  that  the  greatest  issues 
of  life  are  sometimes  determined  by  an  apparently  very 
small  matter: 

Thomas  Campbell  had  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  kindred 
spirit  named  John  Brown,  who  resided  on  Buffalo  Creek,  in 
Virginia.  He  was  not  only  a  man  of  deeply  religious  life, 
but  of  fine  literary  taste.  In  a  casual  conversation  Thomas 
Campbell  promised  Mr.  Brown  some  favourite  books,  and  sent 
them  down  by  his  son,  Alexander.  He  became  interested  in 
Mr.  Brown's  library,  and  also  in  his  eighteen-year-old  daughter, 
whom  he  now  met  for  the  first  time.  He  at  first  repeated  his 
visit  to  borrow  books,  but  soon  for  other  companionship  than 
books.  On  March  12,  1811,  Alexander  Campbell  and  Margaret 
Brown  were  married,  and  he  came  to  make  his  home  at  Buffalo, 
and  became  an  efficient  farmer,  directing  and  aiding  in  the 

137 


138    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


cultivation  of  his  father-in-law's  farm  while  pursuing  his 
studies  and  preaching  on  the  Lord's  Day.  He  always  carried 
his  Greek  New  Testament  in  his  pocket,  and  while  others 
lounged  and  the  team  rested  he  snatched  some  truth  from  the 
inspired  Word  of  God. 

Bethany  was  almost  as  near  the  centre  of  the  earth  as 
any  other  place  in  those  early  days.  There  were  no  national 
pikes,  no  railroads,  no  cities  west  of  the  Alleghenies.  Bethany 
was  only  seven  miles  from  the  Ohio  River,  the  only  thorough- 
fare of  travel  between  the  East  and  West.  There  was  no 
telegraph  or  telephone  in  those  days.  Indeed,  the  first  electric 
telephone  was  invented  and  used  in  Bethany  by  Professor 
Dolbear,  Bethany's  professor  of  science.  He  also  invented 
a  wireless  telegraph  which  was  refused  by  the  Patent  OfiSce 
on  the  ground  that  it  was  contrary  to  science.  The  location 
in  this  Switzerland  of  America  was  favourable  to  reflective 
thought  and  the  working  out  of  the  principles  of  the  great 
Restoration.  But  because  of  intense  persecution  the  Campbells 
and  friends  proposed  a  religious  colony  "  away  out  in  Ohio." 
Mr.  Brown  opposed  the  scheme,  and  prevailed  upon  Alexander 
Campbell,  his  son-in-law,  not  to  leave  Bethany  by  giving  to 
him  and  his  wife  the  homestead  and  the  fine  farm  hanging 
like  an  oriole's  nest  in  the  broad  bend  of  the  winding  Buffalo. 
When  he  withdrew,  the  scheme  failed,  and  thus,  in  another 
way,  Bethany  saved  this  movement  from  fossilising.  This 
splendid  farm  became  the  base  of  Mr.  Campbell's  private 
fortune  and  furnished  much  of  the  means  for  carrying  on 
his  mighty  work. 

It  was  in  this  romantic  spot  that  he  settled  and  began 
bis  life  work  in  carrying  forward  the  religious  movement 
which  had  been  inaugurated  by  his  father  in  W^estern 
Pennsylvania.  From  this  time  forward  Bethany  becomes 
the  centre  of  influence  rather  than  W^ashington  and  the 
country  round  about  it,  and  it  is  from  this  new  point 
that  we  must  start  in  our  consideration  of  the  New  De- 
parture, which  soon  took  place,  and  the  new  friends  that 
were  found. 

Their  first  child  was  born  March  13,  1812.  This  fact 
brought  into  the  foreground,  in  a  practical  manner,  what 
had  already  occupied  the  mind  of  Mr.  Campbell  ever  since 
he  landed  in  America.  As  soon  as  he  read  the  third 
proposition  of  the  great  "  Address  "  of  his  father,  he  saw 
that  the  principles  there  announced  must  necessarily  lead 
to  the  abandonment  of  infant  baptism.  The  proposition 
reads  as  follows:  "  That  (in  order  to  Christian  Union  and 
communion)  nothing  ought  to  be  inculcated  upon  Chris- 
tions  as  articles  of  faith,  nor  required  of  them  as  terms 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  139 


of  communion,  but  what  is  expressly  taught  and  enjoined 
upon  them  hj  the  Word  of  God.  Nor  ought  anything  to  be 
admitted,  as  of  divine  obligation  in  their  church  constitu- 
tion and  management,  but  what  is  expressly  enjoined  by 
the  authority  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  his  Apostles 
upon  the  New  Testament  Church,  either  in  express  terms, 
or  by  approved  precedent." 

On  reading  this  over,  Alexander  asked  his  father  "  in 
what  passage  or  portion  of  the  inspired  oracles  he  could 
find  an  expressed  precedent  for  the  baptising  or  sprinkling 
of  infants  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit." 
His  father's  answer  was,  "  It  is  merely  inferential,  but 
to  the  law  and  testimony  we  make  our  appeal.  If  not 
found  therein,  we,  of  course,  must  abandon  it.  But  we 
could  not  unchurch  ourselves  now  and  go  out  into  the 
world  and  then  turn  back  again  and  enter  the  Church 
merely  for  the  sake  of  form  or  decorum." 

The  difficulty  thus  raised  by  the  son  was  not  settled 
at  that  time.  But  the  son  was  not  satisfied  with  the  way 
in  which  it  was  disposed  of  by  his  venerated  father. 
Alexander  began  at  once  to  read  everything  he  could  find 
in  support  of  the  doctrine  of  infant  baptism.  He  said 
he  preferred  to  take  this  course  because  he  wished  to  find 
out,  if  possible,  the  strongest  grounds  by  which  it  could 
be  justified.  In  this  investigation  he  found  a  very  curious 
contradiction  among  those  who  advocated  its  claims.  In 
short,  he  found  that  every  position  maintained  by  the 
Pedo-Baptists  was  actually  refuted  by  the  Pedo-Baptists 
themselves.  In  other  words,  where  one  Pedo-Baptist 
founded  it,  another  repudiated  this  foundation,  and  sought 
to  sustain  it  in  another  way.  This  confusion  only  con- 
firmed Mr.  Campbell  in  the  conviction  that  after  all  "  there 
might  be  no  just  grounds  for  it  at  all,"  and  consequently, 
after  the  fullest  and  freest  investigation  of  the  whole 
matter,  he  decided  that  he  had  never  been  baptised,  and 
that  consequently  it  was  his  duty,  in  order  to  be  loyal 
to  the  Word  of  God  and  his  own  convictions,  to  at  once 
act  in  harmony  with  what  now"  seemed  to  be  an  imperative 
obligation. 

He  had  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  Baptist  preacher 
by  the  name  of  Matthias  Luse,  and  he  determined  to  apply 
to  him  for  baptism.  He  accordingly  started  on  his  way 
to  see  that  gentleman,  but  he  stopped  at  his  father's 


140    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

house  to  acquaint  him  of  the  purpose  he  had  formed. 
While  there,  one  of  his  sisters  privately  informed  him 
that  she  did  not  consider  her  baptism  valid,  and  there- 
fore wished  to  be  immersed,  and  asked  him  to  present 
the  matter  to  her  father.  Whereupon  he  surprised  his 
sister  by  announcing  to  her  that  he  was  then  on  his  way 
to  seek  immersion  at  the  hands  of  Mr.  Luse. 

When  he  presented  the  matter  to  his  father,  the  latter 
had  very  little  to  say  except  to  remark,  I  have  no  more 
to  add.  You  must  please  yourself."  As  the  arrange- 
ments had  been  made  with  Mr.  Luse  for  the  baptism  of 
himself  and  sister,  his  father  decided  to  be  baptised  at 
the  same  time.  Accordingly  on  June  2,  1812,  his  father, 
mother,  wife,  sister,  James,  and  Sarah  Henon,  and  him- 
self, in  all  seven  persons,  were  baptised  into  the  Christian 
faith.  He  had  stipulated  with  Elder  Luse  that  his  bap- 
tism should  be  into  "  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Spirit,  and  not  "  in  "  the  name,  as  was  then,  and  is 
now,  usual  among  the  regular  Baptists.  Elder  Luse 
rather  hesitated,  saying  that  it  was  unusual  among  the 
Baptists  to  baptise  "  into  "  the  name,  but  he  finally  ac- 
ceded to  the  wish  of  Mr.  Campbell,  remarking,  "  He  had 
no  doubt  as  to  the  propriety  of  into  the  name,  but  it  had 
not  been  so  done  in  his  Israel,"  namely,  the  Red  Stone 
Baptist  Association. 

As  this  was  an  important  turning  point  in  the  life  of 
Alexander  Campbell,  and  also  with  respect  to  the  re- 
ligious movement  of  which  he  now  became  the  acknowl- 
edged leader,  it  may  be  well  to  give  his  own  account  of  the 
facts  and  incidents  connected  with  the  important  action 
which  led  to  this  somewhat  new  departure: 

The  first  proof  sheet  that  I  ever  read  was  a  form  of  my 
father's  "  Declaration  and  Address,"  in  press  in  Washington, 
Pennsylvania,  on  my  arrival  there  in  October,  1809.  There 
were  in  it  the  following  sentences:  ^'Nothing  ought  to  he  re- 
ceived into  the  faith  or  worship  of  the  Church,  or  be  made  a 
term  of  communion  among  Christians,  that  is  not  as  old  as 
the  New  Testament.  Nor  ought  anything  to  be  admitted  as  of 
Divine  obligation,  in  the  church  constitution  and  management, 
but  what  is  expressly  enjoined  by  the  authority  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  and  his  Apostles  upon  the  New  Testament 
church;  EITHER  IN  EXPRESS  TERMS  OR  BY  AP- 
PROVED PRECEDENT."  These  last  words  "  express  terms  " 
and  "  approved  precedent "  made  a  deep  impression  on  my 


A  NEW  DEPAETURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  141 


mind,  then  well  furnished  with  the  popular  doctrines  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  all  its  branches.  While  there  was 
some  ambiguity  about  this  "  approved  precedent,"  there  was 
none  about  "■  express  terms."  Still  a  precedent,  I  alleged, 
might  be  in  "  express  terms/'  and  a  good  precedent  might  not 
be  clearly  approved  or  expressly  stated  by  apostles  or  evangel- 
ists with  approbation. 

While  reasoning  with  myself  and  others,  on  these  matters,  I 
accidentally  fell  in  with  Doctor  Riddle  of  the  Presbyterian 
rinion  church  and  introduced  the  matter  to  him.  "  Sir," 
said  he,  these  words,  however  plausible  in  appearance,  are 
not  sound.  For  if  you  follow  these  out  you  must  become  a 
Baptist."  "  Why,  sir,"  said  I,  '*  is  there,  in  the  Scriptures, 
no  express  precept  for,  nor  precedent  of,  infant  baptism?" 
"  Not  one,  sir,"  responded  the  Doctor.  I  was  startled  and 
mortified  that  I  could  not  produce  one.  He  withdrew. 
Turning  around  to  Mr.  Andrew  Munro,  the  principal  book- 
seller of  Jefferson  College,  Canonsburg,  Pa.,  who  heard  the 
conversation ;  I  said  : — "  Send  me,  sir,  if  you  please,  forthwith, 
all  the  treatises  you  have  in  favour  of  infant  baptism."  He 
did  so.  Disclaiming  the  Baptists  as  "  an  ignorant  and  un- 
educated population,"  as  my  notions  were,  I  never  inquired 
for  any  of  their  books  or  writings.  I  knew  John  Bunyan's 
"  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  and  had  often  read  it;  but  I  knew  not 
at  that  time  that  he  was  a  Baptist. 

All  the  members  of  the  Washington  Christian  Association, 
whose  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  my  father  had  then  written, 
were  not  only  all  Pedobaptists,  but  the  most  leading  and  in- 
fluential persons  in  it  were  hostile  to  the  Baptist  views  and 
practice.  So  to  work  I  went  to  maintain  my  positions  in 
favour  of  infant  baptism.  I  read  much  during  one  year  on 
the  subject. 

I  was  better  pleased  with  Presbyterianism  than  with  any- 
thing else,  and  desired,  if  possible,  to  maintain  it.  But  de- 
spite of  my  prejudices,  partialities,  and  prospects,  the  con- 
viction deepened  and  strengthened  that  it  was  all  a  grand 
Papal  imposition.  I  threw  away  the  Pedobaptist  volumes 
with  indignation  at  their  assumptions  and  fallacious  reason- 
ings, and  fled,  with  some  faint  hope  of  finding  something  more 
convincing,  to  my  Greek  New  Testament.  But  still  worse.  I 
found  no  resting  place  there;  and  entering  into  conversation 
with  my  father  on  the  subject,  he  admitted  that  there  was 
neither  express  terms  nor  express  precedent.  But,  strange  to 
tell,  he  took  the  ground  that  once  in  the  church,  and  a  parti- 
cipant of  the  Lord's  supper,  we  could  not  "  unchurch  or 
paganise  ourselves " ;  put  off  Christ  and  then  make  a  new 
profession,  and  commence  again  as  would  a  heathen  man  and 
a  publican.  Having  the  highest  esteem  for  his  learning,  and 
the  deepest  conviction  of  his  piety  and  devotion  to  the  truth,  his 
authority  over  me  then  was  paramount  and  almost  irresistible. 
We  went  into  discussion.    He  simply  conceded,  that  we  ought 


142    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


not  to  teach  or  practise  infant  baptism  without  Divine  au- 
thority; but.  on  the  contrary,  preach  and  administer  the 
apostolic  baptism.  Still,  however,  we  ought  not  to  un-Chris- 
tianise  ourselves  and  put  on  Christ,  having  not  only  professed 
and  preached  the  Christian  faith,  but  also  participated  in  its 
solemn  rites.  We  discussed  this  question,  and  all  that  family 
of  questions,  at  sundry  interviews,  for  many  months.  At 
length  I  told  him  that,  with  great  reluctance,  I  must  dissent 
from  all  his  reasonings  ui>on  that  subject  and  be  baptised.  I 
now  fully  and  conscientiously  believed  that  I  never  had  been 
baptised,  and  consequently,  I  was  then,  in  point  of  fact,  an 
unbaptised  person;  and  hence  could  not  consistently  preach 
baptism  to  others,  of  which  I  had  never  been  a  subject  myself. 

His  response  was : — "  I  have,  then,  no  more  to  add.  Yon 
must  please  yourself.''  On  leaving  in  the  morning,  he  asked 
me  when,  where,  and  by  whom,  I  intended  to  be  immersed. 
As  to  the  place,  I  preferred  to  be  baptised  near  home,  among 
those  who  were  accustomed  to  attend  my  preaching;  as  to  the 
time,  just  as  soon  as  I  could  pi'ocure  an  acceptable  Baptist 
minister.  The  nearest  and,  indeed,  the  only  one  known  to 
me,  was  Elder  Matthias  Luse,  living  some  thirty  miles  from 
my  residence.  I  promised  to  let  my  father  know  the  time  and 
place,  as  soon  as  I  obtained  the  consent  of  Elder  Luse. 

Immediately  I  went  in  quest  of  an  administrator,  of  one 
who  practised  what  he  preached.  I  spent  the  next  evening 
with  Elder  Luse.  During  the  evening  I  announced  my  errand. 
He  heard  me  with  pleasure.  Having  on  a  former  occasion, 
heard  him  preach,  but  not  on  that  subject ;  I  asked  him,  into 
what  formula  of  faith  "he  immersed.  His  answer  was  that 
"  the  Baptist  church  required  candidates  to  appear  before  it, 
and  on  a  narration  of  their  experience,  approved  by  the  church, 
a  time  and  place  were  appointed  for  the  baptism." 

To  this  I  immediately  demurred,  saying: — That  I  knew  no 
scriptural  authority  for  bringing  a  candidate  for  baptism  be- 
fore the  church  to  be  examined,  judged,  and  approved,  by  it, 
as  prerequisite  to  his  baptism.  To  which  he  simply  responded : 
— "  It  was  the  Baptist  custom."  "  But  was  it,"  said  I,  "  the 
apostolic  custom?"  He  did  not  contend  that  it  was,  admit- 
ting freely  that  such  was  not  the  case  from  the  beginning. 
"  But,"  added  he,  "  if  I  were  to  depart  from  our  usual  custom 
they  might  hold  me  to  account  before  the  Association."  "  Sir," 
I  replied,  "  there  is  but  one  confession  of  faith  that  I  can 
make,  and  into  that  alone  can  I  consent  to  be  baptised." 
"What  is  that?"  said  he.  Into  the  belief  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  confession  into  which  the  first  converts  were  im- 
mersed. I  have  set  out  to  follow  the  apostles  of  Christ  and 
their  master,  and  I  will  be  baptised  only  into  the  primitive 
Christian  faith." 

After  a  short  silence  he  replied,  saying: — "  I  believe  you  are 
right,  and  I  will  risk  the  consequences;  I  will  get,  if  possible, 
one  of  our  Redstone  preachers  to  accompany  me.    Where  do 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  143 


you  desire  to  be  baptised?"  "  In  Buffalo  Creek,  on  which  I 
live,  and  on  which  T  am  accustomed  to  preach.  M.y  Presby- 
terian wife,"  I  added,  "  and,  perhaps,  some  others  will  accom- 
pany me." 

On  the  day  appointed  Elder  Henry  Spears,  from  the  Mopon- 
gahela,  and  Matthias  Luse,  according  to  promise,  met  us  at  the 
place  appointed.  It  was  the  12th  of  June,  1812,  a  beautiful 
day;  a  large  and  attentive  concourse  was  present,  with  Elder 
David  Jones  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania.  My  father  made  an 
elaborate  address  on  the  occasion.  I  followed  him  with  a 
statement  of  the  reasons  of  my  change  of  views,  and  vindicated 
the  primitive  institution  of  baptism,  and  the  necessity  of  per- 
sonal obedience. 

To  my  great  satisfaction  my  father,  mother,  and  eldest 
sister,  my  wife,  and  three  other  persons  besides  myself,  were 
that  same  day  immersed  into  the  faith  of  that  great  proposi- 
tion on  which  the  Lord  himself  said  that  he  would  build  his 
church.  The  next  Lord's  day  some  twenty  others  made  a 
similar  confession,  and  so  the  work  progressed,  until  in  a  short 
time  almost  an  hundred  persons  were  immersed.  This  com- 
pany, as  far  as  I  am  yet  informed,  was  the  first  community  in 
the  country  that  was  immersed  into  that  primitive,  simple,  and 
most  significant  confession  of  faith  in  the  divine  person  and 
mission  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  without  being  brought  before 
a  church  to  answer  certain  doctrinal  questions,  or  to  give  a 
history  of  all  their  feelings  and  emotions,  in  those  days  falsely 
called  "  Christian  experience,"  as  if  a  man  could  have  Chris- 
tian experience  before  he  was  a  Christian !  * 

This  action  of  Mr.  Campbell  and  those  who  followed 
his  example  had  considerable  effect  upon  the  church  at 
Brush  Run,  and  also  the  Christian  Association.  Some 
of  the  members  were  disinclined  to  repudiate  their  infant 
baptism,  and  felt  somewhat  out  of  place  in  a  church  w^hich 
was  tending  toward  the  Baptist  position.  Consequently, 
they  gradually  ceased  to  meet  w4th  the  members  of  the 
Association,  and  many  of  them  united  with  some  of  the 
religious  denominations  in  their  communities.  It  was 
evident  from  this  time  that  the  Christian  Association 
would  have  little  or  no  sympathy  from  the  Pedo-Baptist 
Churches.  It  had  nearly  always  been  treated  by  these 
communities  with  much  suspicion,  as  to  the  tendency  of 
its  teaching,  and  there  was  no  longer  any  doubt  as  to 
where  the  principles  laid  down  in  the  "  Declaration  and 
Address  "  would  logically  lead,  and  as  a  consequence  Mr. 
Campbell  found  himself  practically  without  friends  in 
any  religious  quarter  except  among  the  Baptists,  and  even 

*  Millennial  Harbinger,  1848,  pp.  280-283. 


144    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


many  of  these  were  not  quite  sure  as  to  his  soundness 
in  the  Baptist  faith. 

It  is  worth  while,  just  here,  to  note  a  few  important 
facts.  First  of  all,  it  is  certainlr  very  remarkable  that 
the  exceedingly  liberal  views  presented  in  the  ''  Declara- 
tion and  Address  "  had  made  so  little  progress  up  to  this 
time.  No  other  association  had  been  formed;  no  other 
community  had  been  specially  influenced ;  no  other  church 
had  been  organised,  ^yith  the  general  interpretation  put 
upon  the  principles  there  had  been  substantial  agreement, 
so  far  as  leading  men  had  expressed  themselves;  certainly 
there  had  been  no  serious  objections  in  any  quarter. 
Nevertheless,  the  movement  did  not  seem  to  move.  Most 
all  of  the  denominations  persuaded  themselves  that  they 
were  already  in  accordance  with  all  that  was  true  in 
the  Declaration  and  Address,"  and  as  this  document 
recognised  substantially  the  state  and  character  of  the 
churches,  they  felt  there  was  nothing  specially  for  them 
to  do  unless  it  was  to  increase  their  zeal  and  efforts  in 
the  direction  of  Christian  Union.  Even  in  respect  to 
this  matter,  they  felt  that  Thomas  Campbell's  zeal  far 
exceeded  his  knowledge,  since  the  union  of  Christendom 
seemed  an  impractical  thing,  though  it  might  be  very 
desirable  from  many  points  of  view. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  this  is  the 
interpretation  that  was  placed  upon  the  movement  up 
to  the  time  the  Campbells  were  baptised.  It  was  generally 
regarded  as  a  somewhat  harmless  thing,  since  its  main 
contention  for  Christian  Union  was  practically  impossible. 
The  men  who  were  advocating  it  were  regarded  as  men 
of  the  highest  religious  character,  but  were  nevertheless, 
visionaries,  whose  main  plea  could  never  be  realised  in 
the  actual  development  of  Christianity.  Of  course  the 
ignorance  of  the  clergy,  to  which  attention  has  already 
been  called,  must  be  considered  in  this  connection.  At 
the  same  time,  no  matter  what  may  have  been  the  pre- 
disposing causes,  it  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  the  very 
liberality  of  the  movement,  up  to  1812,  was  the  principal 
cause  of  its  slow  progress.  Ignorant  people,  especially, 
must  have  something  clear-cut  and  intensely  definite  in 
order  that  they  may  understand  it  and  be  influenced  by 
it.  Thomas  Campbell's  teaching  was  far  above  the  heads 
of  the  people  whom  he  was  seeking  to  influence.  They 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  145 


saw  in  his  great  paper  "  men  as  trees  walking,''  but  did 
not  get  any  clear  vision  of  his  comprehensive  principles 
and  aims. 

Some  have  thought  that  if  the  Campbells  had  adhered  to 
what  was  evidently  their  first  intention,  their  movement 
would  have  been  much  more  successful  than  it  has  been. 
But  in  this,  as  in  other  things,  man  proposes  and  God 
disposes.  There  is  nothing  clearer  to  an  intelligent  com- 
prehension of  the  facts  than  that  the  whole  movement 
was  a  gradual  unfolding.  Doubtless  the  original  purpose 
was  all  that  could  have  been  expressed  when  the  movement 
was  first  inaugurated.  It  is  unusually  wise  to  proceed 
gradually  in  any  movement  where  education  is  necessary 
in  order  to  success.    Christ  told  His  disciples  that  he  had 

many  things  to  tell  them,  but  they  could  not  bear  them  " 
at  that  time.  Indeed,  had  He  told  them  everything  before 
the  Day  of  Pentecost,  it  is  probable  they  would  have  gone 
back,  like  some  others  did,  on  account  of  His  hard  sayings. 
But  when  they  were  endued  with  power  from  on  high, 
these  timid  disciples  became  as  bold  as  lions  in  the  advo- 
cacy of  the  truth  Avith  which  they  were  inspired.  Cowards 
were  translated  into  heroes,  and  they  immediately  began 
to  "  turn  the  world  upside  down  "  with  their  definite  and 
forceful  preaching. 

It  is  highly  probable  that  a  fuller  revelation  of  the 
meaning  of  the  Disciple  movement,  earlier  than  that  which 
came  in  1812,  would  have  been  fatal  in  many  respects  to 
the  movement  itself;  but  if  the  new  departure  had  not 
been  taken,  it  is  almost  certain  that  the  movement  would 
have  broken  down  through  the  weight  of  "  glittering  gen- 
eralities," which,  though  containing  the  seeds  of  things, 
lacked  practical  illustration  in  definite  realisation,  in  order 
to  make  the  movement  a  mighty  force  for  the  great  work 
of  saving  souls  and  breaking  down  the  Avails  of  sec- 
tarianism. 

Another  important  matter  needs  to  be  noticed  just  here. 
From  this  time  forward  infant  baptism  was  numbered 
with  the  traditions  of  the  fathers.  Thomas  Campbell 
knew  that  there  was  no  Scripture  to  sustain  it,  neverthe- 
less he  regarded  it,  until  his  final  surrender,  as  an  ex- 
pedient, or  a  matter  for  toleration.  Everything  had  to 
be  tested  by  the  Word  of  God.  Where  the  Scriptures 
speak  any  one  might  speak,  but  where  the  Scriptures  are 


146    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


silent  all  must  be  silent.  This  watchword  now  became 
practical  in  every  step  of  the  movement. 

The  result  of  this  practical  turn  of  affairs  required 
the  most  careful  investigation  of  every  question  that  came 
up  for  consideration;  and  while  the  new  departure  lost 
the  Association  some  friends,  it  put  new  life  into  those 
who  remained,  and  armed  them  with  a  definite  plea  which 
before  this  time  was  somewhat  shadowy,  and  evidently 
ineffectual  in  influence  upon  the  Christian  world. 

However,  there  was  still  no  purpose  in  the  minds  of 
the  Campbells  to  become  identified  with  any  religious 
denomination,  such  as  then  existed,  or  might  exist.  They 
were  thoroughly  committed  against  denominationalism. 
While  their  plea  was  now  more  fully  defined,  it  still  main- 
tained its  consistency  in  advocating  Christian  Union  and 
opposing  the  divisions  of  Christendom. 

It  is  proper  to  state  just  here  that  the  Disciples  have 
always  been  true  to  the  practice  of  believer's  baptism  as 
adopted  by  the  Brush  Run  Church.  In  a  late  work 
on  "  The  Fundamental  Error  of  Christendom  "  the  present 
writer  attempts  to  show  that  infant  baptism  had  its  origin 
in  the  doctrine  of  "  Baptismal  Regeneration,"  and  he  quotes 
liberal  extracts  from  Neander  and  other  writers  of  Church 
history  to  sustain  his  contention,  and  then  attempts  to 
show  why  the  practice  should  now  be  discontinued.  He 
treats  the  matter  under  three  general  heads,  as  follows: 

1.  It  is  undoubtedly  unscriptural. 

2.  It  is  unreasonable. 

3.  It  is  unnecessary,  as  infants  do  not  need  baptism. 
He  gives  some  of  its  evils,  as  follows: 

(1.)  It  practically  substitutes  flesh  for  faith,  and  makes  the 
Church  a  fleshly  institution  instead  of  a  spiritual  household, 
as  was  clearly  intended  by  its  divine  Founder. 

(2.)  It  takes  away  from  the  individual  the  highest  privilege 
which  the  Gospel  confers,  viz.,  the  privilege  of  choice.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  fatal  evils  of  infant  baptism. 

(3.)  It  sets  aside  personal  responsibility  by  assuming  that 
others  may  do  an  act  for  us  which  can  only  be  performed  by 
ourselves. 

(4.)  It  destroys  the  beautiful  symbolism  of  the  gospel,  and 
thereby  practically  annihilates  what  was  intended  to  be  a 
striking  and  perpetual  proof  of  Christ's  resurrection.  By  sub- 
stituting flesh  for  faith  and  sprinkling  for  immersion  the  whole 
teaching  of  the  sixth  chapter  of  Romans  becomes  meaningless ; 
and  at  the  same  time  the  signficant  monument  which  divine 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  147 


wisdom  has  erected  to  testify  to  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrec- 
tion has  been  completely  demolished.  But  as  this  doctrine  is 
fundamental  in  Christianity,  it  becomes  at  once  evident  that 
whatever  is  responsible  for  Infant  Baptism  must  be  a  funda- 
mental error,  since  infant  sprinkling  has  taken  away  the  great 
monumental  proof  of  the  resurrection.  And  as  Baptismal  Re- 
generation is  responsible  for  infant  baptism,  it  follows,  with 
irresistible  force,  that  the  former  is  really  what  I  have  char- 
acterised it,  viz.,  the  Fundamental  Error  of  Christendom. 

(5.)  We  have  already  seen  that  infant  baptism  is  sup- 
ported by  the  notion  that  there  is  either  a  magical  charm  in 
baptism  itself,  or  else  there  is  a  magical  charm  in  being  born 
of  believing  parents.  Either  the  baptism  itself,  ex  opere 
operato,  produces  a  moral  change  in  the  child,  or  else  a  moral 
change  is  produced  in  the  child  by  the  faith  of  the  parents. 
In  the  first  case,  a  power  is  ascribed  to  baptism  which  it  does 
not  possess,  while  the  pernicious  doctrine  of  Baptismal  Re- 
generation is  inculcated  and  enforced;  in  the  latter  case  the 
equally  pernicious  doctrine  that  faith  is  propagated  by  fleshly 
descent  is  practically  affirmed  and  inculcated;  and  yet  this 
doctrine  literally  destroys  precisely  what  is  characteristic  in 
Christianity,  viz.,  spirituality,  personality,  and  individuality. 

(6.)  The  practice  of  infant  baptism  brings  into  the  churches 
a  large  number  of  unregenerated  members,  and  thereby  makes 
Church  life  formal,  cold,  and  often  fruitless.  Do  we  ask  for 
an  explanation  of  what  we  see  and  hear  as  respects  the  want 
of  earnest  consecration  among  the  members  of  the  Churches? 
Much  that  will  help  in  such  an  explanation  may  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  many  Church  members  have  never  been  regenerated 
in  the  true,  scriptural  sense  of  that  term.  The  Church  has 
become  a  fleshly  institution.  Men  and  women  are  in  it  simply 
because  their  fathers  and  mothers  were  in  it.  In  other  words, 
they  are  members  by  virtue  of  their  flesh  relationship  to  those 
from  whom  they  are  descended.  This  fact  is  fatal  to  spiritual 
development,  aijd  practically  destroys  the  very  meaning  of 
the  Church. 

(7.)  Infant  baptism  displaces  the  baptism  of  believers,  and 
to  that  extent  makes  void  a  commandment  of  Christ  by  a 
tradition  of  men.  This  evil  cannot  be  over-estimated.  It 
might  be  considered  from  many  points  of  view,  but  I  need 
not  detain  the  reader  with  more  than  one  or  two  of  the 
numerous  evils  growing  out  of  this  substitution.  In  the  first 
place,  the  whole  order  of  the  gospel  has  been  perverted  by  it. 
The  New  Testament  order  is  preaching,  hearing,  believing,  and 
then  baptism;  but  the  substitution,  to  which  attention  is 
called,  begins  with  baptism  instead  of  ending  with  it.  Infants 
are  supposed  to  be  changed  from  children  of  wrath  to  children 
of  God  by  the  priest's  sprinkling  water  upon  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Holy  Trinity;  and  yet  when  these  children  are 
grown  up,  evangelicals  regard  their  conversion  as  necessary 
in  order  to  their  salvation.    Surely  nothing  could  be  more 


148    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


contradictory  than  such  notions.  But  this  is  not  all.  The 
worst  remains  yet  to  be  told.  If  infant  baptism  is  allowed  to 
take  the  place  of  believer's  baptism,  what  becomes  of  the 
authority  of  Christ?  Undoubtedly,  infant  baptism  must  be 
surrendered,  or  else  Christ's  supreme  authority  in  religious 
matters  can  no  longer  be  enforced.  Our  loyalty  to  Him 
ought  to  make  our  decision  both  quick  and  unmistakable  as 
regards  this  important  matter.  Are  we  equal  to  such  courage- 
ous action'?  It  is  simply  a  question  of  Christ  or  men,  which'? 
What  answer  are  we  ready  to  give? 

It  was  perhaps  at  this  particular  point  that  the  religious 
movement  inaugurated  by  the  Campbells  met  its  most 
determined  opposition.  Infant  baptism  was  an  inherit- 
ance, bequeathed  from  parents  to  children.  It  belonged 
to  a  large  period  of  the  Church,  and  it  was  therefore 
barricaded  by  most  of  the  associations  and  traditions  of 
ecclesiastical  history.  Any  contests  against  established 
customs  or  institutions  are  almost  sure  to  be  character- 
ised by  uncertainty  as  to  success,  as  w  ell  as  by  bitterness 
of  spirit  in  the  contending  parties. 

Infant  baptism  is  an  established  practice;  or,  to  use 
a  legal  phrase,  it  is  already  in  possession,  and  this  is 
said  to  be  nine  points  in  law. 

Let  me  illustrate  what  I  mean.  Suppose  I  wish  to  sell 
Mr.  Jones  a  new  range  for  his  kitchen.  I  may  not  have 
much  difificulty  in  convincing  him  of  the  superiority  of 
the  range  I  offer  him  over  the  new  one  he  now  possesses. 
But  be  reasons  somewhat  as  follows :  "  My  old  range, 
though  not  so  good  as  the  new  one,  really  answers  my 
purpose.  It  will  do.  I  have  used  it  for  many  years, 
and  it  has  done  good,  faithful  service.  It  will  continue 
to  do  this  service  for  many  years  to  come;  so  I  will  hold 
on  to  it  rather  than  throw  it  away  and  substitute  for 
it  a  new  range  which  would  require  a  considerable  outlay 
of  money."  This  practically  settles  my  range  enterprise. 
There  would  perhaps  be  little  difficulty  in  selling  Mr. 
Jones  my  new  range  if  his  old  one  was  out  of  the  way. 
The  main  difficulty  is  in  getting  rid  of  the  old  range ;  and 
consequently,  before  I  can  get  my  new  range  into  Mr. 
Jones'  kitchen,  it  is  not  enough  for  me  to  convince  him 
that  mine  is  better  than  his,  but  I  must  show  him  how  he 
must  advantageously  dispose  of  the  one  he  now  has. 

This  illustration  will  help  us  to  understand  why  so 
many  people  hold  on  to  infant  baptism,  even  after  they 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  149 


are  convinced  that  believer's  baptism  is  mucli  better. 
They  somehow  or  other  persuade  themselves  that  the 
former  will  do;  and  especially  since  it  has  been  in  service 
so  long,  and  has  connected  with  it  so  many  sacred  associa- 
tions. And,  curiously  enough,  this  view  of  the  matter  is 
strongly  emphasised  the  moment  we  claim  that  baptism 
has  no  regenerative  power.  When  it  is  suggested  that 
baptism  is  in  no  way  connected  with  salvation,  immedi- 
ately the  question  arises,  why  then  should  any  one  make 
trouble  about  whether  it  is  administered  in  infancy 
or  in  old  age?  Consequently,  those  who  have  been  bap- 
tised in  infancy  do  not  care  to  change  to  what  really 
promises  no  special  advantage.  In  other  words,  they 
do  not  care  to  exchange  even  a  worthless  range  for  one 
that  is  equally  worthless.  Nor  is  that  all.  An  ex  post 
facto  law  is  always  distasteful;  and  it  is  not  therefore 
strange  that  those  who  have  been  baptised  in  infancy 
should  often  rebel  against  the  demand  made  upon  them 
to  submit  to  believer's  baptism — a  baptism  which  virtually 
requires  them  to  undo  what  has  already  been  accomplished. 

What,  then,  is  a  legitimate  argument  against  infant 
baptism,  and  how  can  the  practice  be  overthrown?  I 
answer,  unhesitatingly,  by  a  return  to  Christ's  supreme 
authority  in  the  matter,  instead  of  listening  to  what  men 
have  decreed.  I  do  not  for  one  moment  question  the 
powerful  influence  of  family  ties,  as  respects  the  question 
under  consideration.  Christ  has  clearly  taught  that  un- 
less we  love  Him  more  than  father  or  mother,  houses  or 
lands,  we  cannot  be  His  disciples.  Hence  we  must  con- 
sult Him  rather  than  paternal  love  or  child  love,  even 
though  His  authority  should  break  the  most  sacred  ties 
of  the  flesh.  But  as  regards  the  case  now  before  us,  the 
moment  we  accept  Christ  as  our  sole  leader,  that  moment 
there  will  be  perfect  harmony  between  His  teaching  and 
all  the  rational  demands  of  family  life.  The  restoration 
of  Christ's  supreme  authority  will  at  once  put  baptism 
in  its  right  place;  and  when  this  is  done  the  doctrine 
of  Baptismal  Regeneration  will  no  longer  have  influence, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  infant  baptism  will  gradually  fall 
into  disuse.  The  evil  practice  has  come  out  of  Baptismal 
Regeneration,  and  in  order  to  effect  a  cure  we  must  re- 
move the  cause  of  the  evil;  and  as  this  cause  has  been 
found  in  a  perverted  view  of  baptism,  in  conjunction  with 


150    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  doctrine  of  original  sin,  our  present  hope  is  in  carry- 
ing our  case  over  all  the  traditions  of  an  apostate  Church 
back  to  Christ  Himself,  who  divinely  commissioned  His 
Apostles  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,  and  to 
baptise  those  who  believed  it.  And  as  proof  that  these 
Apostles  did  baptise  onlj-  those  who  were  believers,  we 
need  go  no  further  than  simpl}^  examine  carefully  all 
the  cases  of  baptism  recorded  in  the  New  Testament.  Such 
examination  will  soon  reveal  the  fact  that  infant  baptism 
is  wholly  without  a  shred  of  divine  authority.  Here, 
then,  is  the  true  remedy  of  the  practice,  and  the  case 
resolves  itself  into  the  simple  query,  "  Shall  we  obey  God 
rather  than  men  ?  "  * 

From  the  foregoing  considerations,  it  is  not  difficult  to 
understand  that  the  movement  which  had  taken  on  this 
new  departure  would  no  longer  be  received  with  even 
toleration  by  the  Pedo-Baptists.  It  struck  at  the  very 
vitals  of  the  Pedo-Baptist  churches.  It  was  a  call,  not 
only  to  Christian  Union,  but  to  such  a  union  as  required 
the  Pedo-Baptists  to  give  up  a  practice  which  was  equiva- 
lent to  giving  up  their  household  gods.  Infant  baptism 
and  sprinkling  for  baptism  were  reallj-  fundamental  in 
their  organizations,  and  as  the  Campbellian  movement 
had  now  repudiated  both  of  these,  it  could  no  longer  be 
regarded  with  the  least  favour  by  those  who  upheld  Pedo- 
Baptist  views. 

The  movement  was  now  regarded  by  the  Pedo-Baptist 
Churches  as  nothing  short  of  an  effort  to  establish  an- 
other denomination,  and  it  was  rather  difficult  for  the 
Campbells  to  defend  themselves  against  this  particular 
charge ;  nor  was  it  possible  for  them  to  do  so,  except  upon 
the  ground  that  the  Scriptures  required  them  to  take 
the  course  they  had,  and  that  any  union  of  Christendom 
that  did  not  make  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord "  the  final 
appeal,  with  respect  to  faith  and  practice,  would  be  a 
union,  not  of  Christians,  as  such,  but  a  denominational 
union,  icJiich  would  contain  many  things  contrary  to  the 
Scriptures,  and  therefore  such  a  union  could  not  he  ap- 
proved, even  if  it  icere  practical. 

Having  arrived  at  these  conclusions,  the  Campbells  be- 
gan to  look  around  them  as  to  what  was  the  next  thing 
to  be  done.    They  were  now  without  any  religious  associa- 

*  See  p.  71,  etc.,  "  Fundamental  Error  of  Christendom." 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  151 


tions  whatever,  except  what  was  furnished  by  the  few 
members  who  still  remained  with  them.  Indeed,  they 
were  practically  regarded  as  religious  outlaws,  or  rather 
Ishmaelites,  whose  hand  was  against  every  religious  de- 
nomination in  Christendom,  and  consequently  they  were 
no  longer  regarded  as  worthy  of  receiving  even  the  ordi- 
nary civilities  belonging  to  religious  intercourse.  But 
all  this  only  "  drove  the  Brush  Run  Church  more  closely 
together."  Its  members  were  diligently  engaged  in  study- 
ing the  Scriptures.  Meeting  every  Lord's  Day,  as  they 
did,  to  break  bread  and  to  attend  to  the  Apostolic  teach- 
ing, they  continued  to  grow  in  grace  and  in  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  Never  was  the  effect  of  unworthy  opposi- 
tion and  persecution  more  emphatically  illustrated  than 
in  their  case,  though  it  was  precisely  what  ought  to  have 
been  expected  in  view  of  the  true  nature  of  denomina- 
tionalism  and  the  selfishness  of  bigotry.  They  did  not 
receive  large  numbers  into  their  fellowship,  but  there  were, 
from  time  to  time,  additions  to  their  little  church.  But 
best  of  all,  these  additions  usually  came  in  under  very 
strong  convictions  as  to  duty,  and  as  to  the  meaning  of 
the  movement  with  which  they  became  identified.  There 
were  very  feAv  drones  in  the  hive.  Every  man  and  woman 
was  equipped  with  at  least  a  New  Testament,  which  was 
carried  about  with  them,  and  from  whose  pages  these 
Disciples  received  their  weapons  of  warfare.  They  were 
tempted  on  all  sides,  but  like  their  great  Master,  when 
tempted  in  the  wilderness,  they  constantly  found  their 
power  to  resist  temptation  in  an  appeal  to  the  Word  of 
God.  "  It  is  written,"  was  with  them  an  all-sufficient 
testimony  with  respect  to  every  question  that  had  to  be 
debated. 

It  is  true  that  this  appeal  often  had  very  little  effect 
upon  their  enemies.  The  ignorance  which  prevailed  with 
respect  to  the  Scriptures  was  strongly  against  this  appeal. 
Many  did  not  seem  to  care  what  the  Scriptures  said.  They 
were  influenced  mainly  by  customs  and  traditions  rather 
than  by  any  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  "  that  might  be  quoted. 
They  were  practically  steeped  in  the  prejudices  which  they 
had  received  in  their  early  lives,  and  they  seemed  almost 
incapable  of  listening  to  anything  reasonable  that  would 
not  harmonise  with  these  prejudices. 

In  view  of  these  facts  it  is  by  no  means  strange  that 


152    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


alienation,  even  of  a  personal  kind,  began  to  be  mani- 
fested throughout  the  whole  community  where  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Brush  Run  Church  was  felt;  and  yet,  not- 
withstanding this  state  of  things,  the  Campbells  continued 
their  advocacy  by  making  frequent  excursions  into  such 
contiguous  regions  as  seemed  to  be  most  inviting,  espe- 
cially in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and  West  Virginia.  In 
the  meantime,  Alexander  Campbell  gave  considerable  time 
to  labours  on  his  farm.  This  out-of-doors  exercise  con- 
tributed largely  to  the  development  of  his  physical  con- 
stitution, and  doubtless  did  much  to  prepare  him  for  the 
great  mental  labours  which  he  was  afterwards  called  to 
perform.  It  was  not  long  until  these  mental  labours  were 
taxed  to  their  uttermost. 

While  the  action  of  the  Brush  Run  Church,  in  regard 
to  baptism,  had  completely  alienated  its  Pedo-Baptist 
friends,  it,  at  the  same  time,  attracted  to  it  the  Baptists 
in  the  neighbourhood.  However,  there  were  not  many  of 
these  anywhere  near  the  church,  but  there  were  a  few, 
and  these  were  acquainted  with  the  stand  which  the  Brush 
Run  Church  had  taken  and  soon  became  much  interested 
in  the  little  church.  Immediately  Mr.  Campbell  and  his 
associates  were  urged  to  unite  with  the  Redstone  Baptist 
Association,  which  was  the  name  of  the  Association  to 
which  these  Baptists  belonged.  But,  as  already  stated, 
Mr.  Campbell  "  had  no  idea  of  uniting  with  the  Baptists 
any  more  than  with  the  Moravians  or  the  Independents." 
He  had  formed  a  very  unfavourable  opinion  of  the  Bap- 
tist preachers,  though  he  regarded  the  Baptist  people 
generally  with  much  more  appreciation.  He  found  the 
latter  earnest  and  with  definite  convictions,  though  they 
were  chiefly  wedded  to  a  few  shibboleths,  some  of  which, 
however  important,  were  almost  vitiated  by  the  narrow 
spirit  with  which  they  were  advocated.  The  time  had 
come,  however,  when  some  definite  action  had  to  be  taken, 
with  respect  to  his  relations  to  his  new  friends;  and  as 
they  had  cordially  invited  him  and  the  church  with  which 
he  was  associated  to  unite  with  the  Redstone  Associa- 
tion, the  matter  was  placed  before  the  church,  fully  dis- 
cussed, and  it  was  finally  decided  to  make  formal  applica- 
tion to  be  admitted  into  the  Association.  Mr.  Campbell 
himself  afterwards  explains  the  facts  and  incidents  con- 
nected with  this  matter,  as  follows : 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  153 


I  had  unfortunately  formed  a  very  unfavourable  opinion  of 
the  Baptist  preachers  as  then  introduced  to  my  acquaintance, 
as  narrow,  contracted,  illiberal,  and  uneducated  men.  This, 
indeed,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  is  still  my  opinion  of  the  ministry 
of  that  Association  at  that  day;  and  whether  they  are  yet 
much  improved  I  am  without  satisfactory  evidence. 

The  people,  however,  called  Baptists,  were  much  more  highly 
appreciated  by  me  than  their  ministry.  Indeed,  the  ministry 
of  some  sects  is  generally  in  the  aggregate  the  worst  portion 
of  them.  It  was  certainly  so  in  the  Red  Stone  Association 
thirty  years  ago.  They  were  little  men  in  a  big  office.  The 
oflBce  did  not  fit  them.  They  had  a  wrong  idea,  too,  of  what 
was  wanting.  They  seemed  to  think  that  a  change  of  apparel 
— a  black  coat  instead  of  a  drab — a  broad  rim  on  their  hat 
instead  of  a  narrow  one— a  prolongation  of  the  face,  and  a 
fictitious  gravity — a  longer  and  a  more  emphatic  pronunciation 
of  certain  words,  rather  than  scriptural  knowledge,  humility, 
spirituality,  zeal,  and  Christian  affection,  with  great  devotion, 
and  great  philanthropy,  were  the  grand  desiderata. 

Along  with  all  these  drawbacks,  they  had  as  few  means  of 
acquiring  Christian  knowledge  as  they  had  either  taste  or 
leisure  for.  They  had  but  one,  two,  or,  at  most,  three  sermons ; 
and  these  were  either  delivered  in  one  uniform  style  and  order, 
or  minced  down  into  one  medley  by  way  of  variety.  Of  course, 
then,  unless  they  had  an  exuberant  zeal  for  the  truth  as  they 
understood  it,  they  were  not  of  the  calibre,  temper,  or  attain- 
ments, to  relish  or  seek  after  mental  enlargement  or  inde- 
pendence. I,  therefore,  could  not  esteem  them,  nor  court  their 
favour  by  offering  any  incense  at  their  shrine.  I  resolved  to 
have  nothing  specially  to  do  with  them  more  than  other 
preachers  and  teachers.  The  clergy  of  my  acquaintance  in 
other  parties  of  that  day,  were,  as  they  believed,  educated  men ; 
and  called  the  Baptists  illiterate  and  uncouth  men,  without 
either  learning  or  academic  accomplishments,  or  polish.  They 
trusted  to  a  moderate  portion  of  Latin,  Greek,  and  meta- 
physics, together  with  a  synopsis  of  divinity,  ready  made  in 
suits  for  every  man's  stature,  at  a  reasonable  price.  They 
were  as  proud  of  their  classic  lore,  and  the  marrow  of  modern 
divinity,  as  the  Baptist  was  of  his  "  mode  of  baptism  "  and  his 
"  proper  subject,"  with  sovereign  grace,  total  depravity,  and 
final  perseverance. 

I  confess,  however,  that  I  was  better  pleased  with  the 
Baptist  people  than  with  any  other  community.  They  read 
the  Bible,  and  seemed  to  care  but  little  for  anything  else  in 
religion  than  "  conversion  "  and  "  Bible  doctrine."  They  often 
sent  for  us  and  pressed  us  to  preach  for  them.  We  visited 
some  of  their  churches ;  and,  on  acquaintance,  liked  the  people 
more  and  the  preachers  less.  Still  I  feared  that  I  might  be  un- 
reasonably and  by  education  prejudiced  against  them;  and 
thought  that  I  must  visit  their  Association  at  Uniontown, 
Pennsylvania,  in  the  autumn  of  1812.    I  went  there  as  an 


154    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


auditoi'  and  spectator,  and  returned  more  disgusted  than  I 
went.  They  invited  me  "  to  preach,"  but  I  declined  it  alto- 
gether, except  one  evening  in  a  private  family,  to  some  dozen 
preachers  and  twice  as  many  laymen.  I  returned  home,  not 
intending  ever  to  visit  another  Association. 

On  my  way  home,  however,  I  learned  that  the  Baptists  them- 
selves did  not  appreciate  the  preachers  or  the  preaching  of 
that  meeting.  They  regarded  the  speakers  as  worse  than 
usual,  and  their  discourses  as  not  edifying — as  too  much  after 
the  spirit  and  style  of  John  Gill  and  Tucker's  theory  of  pre- 
destination. They  pressed  me  from  every  quarter  to  \'isit  their 
churches,  and,  though  not  a  member,  to  preach  for  them.  I 
consented  through  much  importunity,  and  during  that  year  I 
often  spoke  to  the  Baptist  congregations  for  sixty  miles  round. 
They  all  pressed  us  to  join  their  Bedstone  Association. 

We  laid  the  matter  before  our  church  in  the  fall  of  1813. 
We  discussed  the  propriety  of  the  measure.  After  much  dis- 
cussion and  earnest  desire  to  be  directed  by  the  wisdom 
which  cometh  from  above,  we  finally  concluded  to  make 
an  overture  to  that  effect,  and  to  write  out  a  full  view 
of  our  sentiments,  wishes,  and  determination  on  that  subject. 
We  did  so — some  eight  or  ten  pages  of  large  dimensions, 
exhibiting  our  remonstrance  against  all  human  creeds  as 
bonds  of  union,  or  communion,  among  Christian  churches, 
and  expressing  a  willingness,  on  certain  conditions,  to  co- 
operate or  to  unite  with  that  Association;  provided  only,  and 
always,  that  we  should  be  allowed  to  preach  and  teach  what- 
ever we  learned  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  regardless  of  any 
creed  or  formula  in  Christendom.  A  copy  of  this  document, 
we  regret  to  say,  was  not  preserved;  and  when  solicited  from 
the  Clerk  of  the  Association,  was  refused. 

The  proposition  was  discussed  at  the  Association ;  and,  after 
much  debate,  was  decided  by  a  considerable  majority  in  favour 
of  our  being  received.  Thus  a  union  was  formed.  But  the 
party  opposed,  though  small,  began  early  to  work,  and  con- 
tinued with  a  perseverance  worthy  of  a  better  cause.  There 
was  an  Elder  Pritchard,  of  Cross  Creek,  Virginia ;  an  Elder 
Brownfleld,  of  Uniontown,  Fayette  Co.,  Pennsylvania;  an 
Elder  Stone,  of  Ohio,  and  his  son.  Elder  Stone,  of  the  Monon- 
gahela  region,  that  seemed  to  have  confederated  to  oppose 
our  influence.  But  they,  for  three  years,  could  do  nothing. 
We  boldly  argued  for  the  Bible,  for  the  New  Testament  Chris- 
tianity, vex,  harass,  or  discompose  whom  it  might.  We  felt 
the  strength  of  our  cause  of  reform  on  every  indication  of 
opposition,  and  constantly  grew  in  favour  with  the  people. 
Things  passed  along  without  any  very  prominent  interest  for 
some  two  or  three  years. 

At  the  close  of  1815  and  the  beginning  of  1816,  the  town  of 
Wellsburg,  the  capital  of  our  county,  had  not  a  meeting  house 
of  any  sort  whatever.  I  had  often  spoken  there  in  the  court- 
house, and  was  favourably  heard.    A  Baptist  church,  three 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  155 


miles  above,  on  Cross  Creek,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Elder 
I'ritchard,  a  Maryland  minister,  of  very  high  Calvinistic  views, 
was  the  only  Baptist  meeting  house  in  the  county.  We  had 
two  or  three  families  in  Wellsburg,  with  some  five  or  six 
members;  and  so  not  only  the  Baptist  cause,  but  all  forms 
of  Christianity  in  Boone  County  were  very  low.  I  proposed 
the  building  of  a  meeting  house  in  Wellsburg,  and  volunteered 
my  services  for  three  or  four  months  to  raise  a  portion  of  the 
means.  To  these  our  few  friends  in  time  consented ;  and, 
accordingly  by  our  conjoint  labours — I  raising  1000  dollars 
by  solicitation — the  house  was  reared.  But  this  became  the 
cause  of  my  heterodoxy,  and  of  seven  years'  persecution.  I 
soon  ascertained  that  Elder  Pritchard  regarded  his  little 
church  on  Cross  Creek,  with  its  little  frame  building,  enough 
for  the  Baptists  in  Wellsburg  and  Cross  Creek  also ;  and  that 
my  proposing  to  build  a  house  in  Wellsburg  was  done  with 
intent  to  undermine  and  nullify  his  influence  and  church. 

I  could  not  at  first  assent  to  such  a  representation.  I  had, 
indeed,  been  repeatedly  solicited  to  speak  to  his  church;  but 
on  my  second  \asit,  being  treated  discourteously  by  Elder 
Pritchard,  I  was  constrained  to  believe  there  was  some  fleshly 
principle  at  work.  I  never  again  visited  them  as  a  church. 
Reports  of  my  heterodoxy  began  to  radiate  to  Uniontown, 
Monongahela,  and  Ohio.  A  coalition  was  formed.  The  next 
Asociation  convened  at  Cross  Creek.  On  being  nominated  to 
preach  on  the  Lord's  Day,  I  was  objected  to  by  Elder  Pritchard 
on  the  ground  that  I  was  "  living  in  the  neighbourhood,  as  it 
were,  and  that,  according  to  Baptist  custom  in  Maryland, 
the  church  at  whose  house  the  Association  was  held  always 
had  the  privilege  of  selecting,  out  of  all  the  members  present, 
any  one  whom  they  chose  to  speak  on  the  Lord's  Day;  and 
that  custom  decreed  that  those  from  a  distance  ought  to  be 
heard  rather  than  those  in  the  neighbourhood — such  as  Brother 
Campbell — whom  the  Church  could  hear  at  any  time."  By  this 
objection  the  Association  substituted  for  my  name  that  of 
Elder  Stone,  of  Ohio.  Thus  I  was  disposed  of  from  the  same 
principle  which  inhibited  the  building  of  a  meeting  house  in 
Wellsburg — that  is,  I  was  too  near  Cross  Creek  meeting  house, 
living  only  ten  miles  distant. 

But  Elder  Philips,  of  Peter's  Creek,  the  oldest  and  best 
preacher  in  the  Association,  as  I  thought,  called  on  me  next 
morning  and  insisted  on  me  to  preach  because  of  a  multitude 
that  had  come  from  a  distance,  who  had  deputed  him  to  have 
the  decision  reversed,  and  in  whose  behalf  he  spoke  to  me. 
I  was  constrained  to  refuse,  as  I  would  not  violate  the  decision 
of  the  Association  on  the  appeal  of  Elder  Pritchard.  He  went 
away  with  much  reluctance.  Meanwhile,  Elder  Stone  was 
suddenly  taken  sick,  and  Elder  Philips  came  a  second  time  to 
urge  me  to  yield  to  their  request.  I  still  refused,  unless  a 
special  and  formal  request  was  tendered  to  me  by  Elder 
Pritchard  in  person.    He  assured  me  it  would  be  tendered 


156    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHEIST 


me.  Accordingly,  soon  as  I  appeared  on  the  ground,  I  was 
invited  and  enjoined  to  preach  by  the  Elder  Pritchard  him- 
self. 

Not  having  a  subject  at  my  command,  I  asked  to  speak  the 
second  discourse.  Elder  Cox  preceded  me.  At  the  impulse  of 
the  occasion,  I  was  induced  to  draw  a  clear  line  between  the 
Law  and  the  Gospel,  the  Old  Dispensation  and  the  New,  Moses 
and  Christ.  This  was  my  theme.  No  sooner  had  I  got  on  the 
way,  than  Elder  Pritchard  came  up  into  the  tent  and  called 
out  two  or  three  of  the  preachers  to  see  a  lady  suddenly  taken 
sick,  and  thus  created  much  confusion  amidst  the  audience.  I 
could  not  understand  it.  Finally,  they  got  composed,  and  I 
preceded.  The  congregation  became  much  engaged;  we  all 
seemed  to  forget  the  things  around  us  and  went  into  the  merits 
of  the  subject.  The  result  was,  during  the  interval  (as  I 
learned  long  afterwards)  the  over- jealous  Elder  called  a  coun- 
cil of  the  preachers  and  proposed  to  them  to  have  me  forth- 
with condemned  before  the  people  by  a  formal  declaration  from 
the  stand — repudiating  my  discourse  as  "  Not  Baptist  Doc- 
trine." One  of  the  Elders,  still  living  and  still  a  Baptist, 
said :  "  Elder  Pritchard,  I  am  not  yet  prepared  to  say  whether 
it  be  or  be  not  Bible  doctrine;  but  one  thing  I  can  say,  were 
we  to  make  such  an  annunciation,  we  would  sacrifice  our- 
selves, and  not  Mr.  Campbell." 

Thus  originated  my  SERMON  ON  THE  LAW,  republished, 
a  year  or  two  since,  in  the  Millennial  Harbinger.  It  was 
forced  into  existence;  and  the  hiie  and  the  cry  raised  against 
it  all  over  the  country  obliged  me  to  publish  it  in  print.  It 
was  first  issued  from  the  press  in  1816,  and  became  the  theme 
of  much  discussion ;  and  by  a  conspiracy  of  the  Elders  already 
named,  it  was  brought  up  for  trial  and  condemnation  at  the 
next  Association  at  Peter's  Creek  in  1817.  I  may,  I  presume, 
regard  its  existence  as  providential ;  and  although  long  un- 
willing to  believe  it,  I  must  now  think  that  envy,  or  jealousy, 
or  some  fleshly  principle,  rather  than  pure  zeal  for  divine 
truth,  instituted  the  crusade  which  for  seven  successive  years 
was  carried  on  against  my  views  as  superlatively  heterodox 
and  dangerous  to  the  whole  community. 

Till  this  time  we  had  laboured  much  against  the  Baptists 
with  good  effect — so  far,  at  least,  as  to  propitiate  a  very 
general  hearing  and  to  lay  a  foundation  for,  as  we  conceive,  a 
more  evangelical  and  scriptural  dispensation  of  the  gospel 
amongst  them.  Till  this  time,  however,  we  had  literally  no 
coadjutors  or  counsellors  without  the  precincts  of  our  little 
community,  amounting  only  to  some  hundred  and  fifty  persons. 

Sometime  in  1814  or  1815,  I  have  not  a  very  certain  recol- 
lection of  the  precise  date,  a  certain  Mr.  Jones,  from  England, 
and  a  Mr.  George  Forrester,  from  Scotland,  appeared  in  Pitts- 
burg— the  former  an  English  Baptist;  the  latter,  rather  a 
Haldanian  than  a  Scotch  Baptist.  They  were  both  much  in 
advance  of  the  regular  Baptists  of  Redstone  Association,  and 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE  AND  NEW  FRIENDS  157 

I  had  hoped  for  assistance  from  them.  But  neither  of  them 
could  found  a  community  in  Pittsburg.  Elder  Jones  migrated 
westwardly,  and  Mr.  Forrester  went  into  secular  business. 
Neither  of  them,  howevei',  had  progressed  beyond  the  limits 
of  James  Haldane  or  Andrew  Fuller.  * 

The  union  w  ith  the  Baptists  gave  the  Campbells  a  much 
wider  opportunity  for  disseminating  the  principles  of  the 

Declaration  and  Address."  While  this  paper  did  not 
specifically  repudiate  either  sprinkling  for  baptism  or 
infant  baptism,  we  have  already  seen  that  what  it  did 
say  necessarily  involved  practically  the  new  departure 
which  the  Church  at  Brush  Run  had  taken.  Speaking 
where  the  Scriptures  speak  and  keeping  silent  where  they 
are  silent  necessarily  involved  the  repudiation  of  both 
sprinkling  for  baptism  and  infant  baptism.  Hence,  the 
church  had  taken  the  only  logical  position  that  was  pos- 
sible while  holding  to  the  teaching  of  the  "  Declaration 
and  Address."  Of  course  the  union  with  the  Baptists 
was  not  involved ;  and  it  may  be  seriously  doubted  whether 
the  Brush  Run  Church  acted  consistently  in  this  respect. 
The  Baptists  were  unmistakably  a  denomination  and  be- 
longed to  the  sects  of  Christendom,  as  these  were  under- 
stood by  the  Campbells,  and  the  repudiation  of  sectarian- 
ism was  the  main  contention  for  which  the  Brush  Run 
Church  really  stood;  consequently,  the  action  of  the 
church  in  associating  itself  denominationally  with  the 
Baptists  was  excusable  only  on  the  ground  that  the  peti- 
tioners stated  definitely  and  clearly  the  terms  upon  which 
they  must  be  accepted,  and  these  terms  involved  the  liberty 
to  proclaim  the  principles  for  which  they  had  been  con- 
tending. 

•  Millennial  Harbinger,  1848,  pp.  345-349. 


CHAPTER  IV 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES 

FOR  a  time  the  union  with  the  Baptists  seemed  to 
work  well.  There  is  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that 
at  first  this  union  proved  advantageous  to  the  Camp- 
bellian  movement.  Among  the  Baptists  there  were  some 
liberal-minded  preachers  and  members  who  heartily  sym- 
pathised with  the  Campbells  in  their  earnest  plea  against 
sectarianism,  and  their  equally  earnest  plea  for  reforma- 
tion, and  these  gave  the  Brush  Run  Church  a  hearty  wel- 
come into  their  felloweship.  But  there  were  others  who 
looked  upon  the  principles  and  aims  of  this  Church  as 
inimical  to  "  Baptist  usage,"  and  there  were  not  a  few 
who  saw  real  dangers  ahead  to  the  Baptist  Zion. 

There  were  certain  important  points  of  agreement  be- 
tween the  Campbells  and  the  Baptists,  but  these  points 
were  chiefly  with  respect  to  the  action  and  subjects  of 
baptism,  and  the  main  features  of  church  organisation. 
But  there  were  also  wide  differences,  and  those  who  op- 
posed the  union  made  the  most  of  these  differences  from 
the  very  beginning.  These  differences  may  be  summarised 
as  follows : 

( 1 )  As  regarded  the  office  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
especially  in  conversion.  By  this  time  Mr.  Campbell 
had  completely  changed  his  views  with  regard  to  the  sub- 
ject of  regeneration,  as  it  was  popularly  understood  by 
the  Baptists.  In  the  union  that  had  been  effected,  the 
Brush  Run  Church  refused  to  be  bound  by  the  Philadel- 
phia Confession  of  Faith  as  a  doctrinal  standard.  This 
confession  was  practically  the  same  as  the  Westminster 
Confession,  though  it  was  slightly  modified  in  a  few  re- 
spects, so  as  to  fit  the  Baptist  latitude  and  longitude  of 
America.  In  short,  this  confession  was  intensely  Calvin- 
istic.  While  the  Campbells  did  not  propose  to  make  any 
philosophical  views  of  the  Divine  Government  a  test  of 

158 


NEW  FKIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  159 


religious  fellowship,  nevertheless,  as  a  working  hypothesis, 
Mr.  Campbell  regarded  the  view  of  regeneration  presented 
by  the  Philadelphia  Confession  as  altogether  unsatisfac- 
tory, nor  could  he  reconcile  it  with  the  teaching  of  Paul 
that  "  faith  conies  by  hearing  and  hearing  by  the  Word 
of  God."  The  Baptists,  however,  very  generally  accepted 
the  doctrine  of  the  Philadelphia  Confession,  though  many 
of  them  did  not  know  exactly  what  it  meant,  and  conse- 
quently there  was  at  this  particular  point  considerable 
antagonism  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  union. 

(2)  For  some  time  before  the  union  Alexander  Camp- 
bell had  held  to  the  notion  that  there  was  considerable 
difference  between  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New,  in 
reference  to  their  respective  authority  upon  Christians. 
He  claimed  that  Christians  are  not  under  Moses,  but  under 
Christ,  and  that  the  Old  Covenant  has  been  superseded 
by  the  New.    In  1812  he  wrote  to  his  father,  as  follows: 

How  many  disciples  of  Moses  are  to  be  found  in  the  professed 
school  of  Jesus  and  how  few  among  the  teachers  of  the  New 
Testament  seem  to  know  that  Christian  ministers  ai'e  not  able 
ministers  of  the  Old  Testament,  but  of  the  New.  Do  they 
not,  like  scholars  to  their  teachers,  run  to  Moses  to  prove 
forms  of  worship,  ordinances,  discipline,  and  government,  in 
the  Christian  Church  when  asked  to  account  for  their  practice? 

To  the  Baptists,  such  questions  as  these  seemed  to  in- 
dicate rank  heresy,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
some  of  the  Baptists  at  this  time  took  exceptions  to  Mr. 
Campbell's  position. 

(3)  He  and  the  Baptists  differed  also  with  respect 
to  the  ordination  and  authority  of  ministers.  While  for 
the  sake  of  order,  Mr.  Campbell  believed  in  a  very  simple 
ordination,  at  the  same  time  he  denied  the  Baptist  view 
with  respect  to  what  this  Baptist  view  carried  with  it. 
From  the  very  beginning  of  his  advocacy  he  repudiated 
the  distinction  between  what  was  called  "  laity "  and 
"  clergy."  Indeed,  his  "  Third  Epistle  of  Peter,"  which 
was  published  in  an  early  number  of  the  Christian  Baptist, 
contains  the  most  fearful  flagellation  of  the  clergy  that 
was  ever  published.  In  some  respects  it  did  the  clergy 
injustice,  but  as  a  picture  of  the  clergy,  at  the  time  this 
was  written,  it  may  not  be  a  very  great  exaggeration. 
In  any  case,  its  influence  was  very  considerable,  and  had 


160    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


something  to  do  with  bringing  about  the  separation  from 
the  Baptists  which  finally  took  place. 

(4)  Another  difference  was  in  the  administration  of 
the  Lord's  Supper.  The  Baptist  usage  was  to  administer 
the  Supper  either  monthly  or  quarterly,  and  they  also 
practised  close  communion,  but  the  Brush  Run  Church 
made  the  Supper  the  principal  part  of  every  Lord's  Day 
service.  This  was  a  fundamental  feature  of  the  new  move- 
ment, and  soon  became  a  powerful  factor  in  holding  the 
little  band  of  Disciples  together  when  they  were  perse- 
cuted by  their  religious  neighbours.     It  was  here  that 

Baptist  usage  "  again  became  a  potent  influence  in  op- 
position to  the  new  teaching,  and  this  very  fact  clearly 
demonstrated  the  influence  of  usage  over  principles  when 
these  two  come  in  conflict. 

(5)  At  this  time,  Mr.  Campbell  had  begun  to  look  at 
the  meaning  of  baptism  as  he  had  not  done  since  he  had 
landed  in  the  LTnited  States.  In  his  debate  with  Mr. 
Walker  he  clearly  foreshadowed  the  doctrine  of  "  Baptism 
for  the  remission  of  sins,"  which  afterwards  became  a 
cardinal  feature  in  his  contention.  The  Baptists  held 
to  the  view  that  the  sins  of  the  penitent  believer  are  par- 
doned before  his  baptism,  and  that  his  baptism  is  simply 
a  door  into  the  Baptist  Church  and  an  expression  of 
loyalty  to  Christ,  because  his  sins  are  pardoned. 

(6)  Another  charge,  that  some  of  the  Baptists  made 
at  this  time,  was  that  the  Campbells  were  practically 
Unitarians.  This  charge  was  grounded  chiefly  on  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Campbell  repudiated  as  tests  of  fellowship 
all  speculations  concerning  the  Trinity.  He  was  him- 
self, at  this  very  time  and  ever  afterwards,  largely  in 
sympathy  with  those  who  call  themselves  Trinitarians. 
He  also  believed  and  taught  the  Supreme  Deity  of  Jesus 
Christ,  but  he  preferred  to  express  the  relations  of  the 
Godhead  in  Scriptural  language  rather  than  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  schools,  and  he  utterly  refused  to  make  a 
test  of  fellowship  of  any  speculation  with  respect  to  the 
matter.  He  strongly  held  to  the  conviction  that  who- 
soever believeth  with  all  his  heart  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God,  believes,  so  far  as  faith  goes, 
all  that  is  necessary  to  becoming  a  Christian,  and  is  at 
the  same  time  worthy  of  fellowship  in  the  Christian 
Church.     All  the  Baptists,  however,  were  not  satisfied 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  161 


with  his  position  on  the  subject  of  the  Trinity,  and  this 
was  made  a  reason  for  questioning  the  wisdom  of  the 
union  which  had  taken  place.  In  after  years,  even  Mr. 
Jeter  defended  Mr.  Campbell  from  this  charge. 

(7)  The  Baptists  believed  and  practised  what  they 
called  a  "  Christian  experience  "  before  baptism,  and  as 
a  condition  to  entrance  into  the  Baptist  Church.  This 
"  experience "  was  regarded  by  Mr.  Campbell  as  wholly 
unscriptural,  for  according  to  Apostolic  teaching  a  hearty 
confession  of  faith  in  Christ  as  the  son  of  the  living  God 
was  all  that  the  New  Testament  required  in  order  to 
baptism,  and  that  any  one  who  was  baptised  upon  this 
confession  of  faith  had  a  right  to  all  the  privileges  and 
blessings  of  the  Church  of  God. 

These  differences  express  the  chief  barriers  in  the  way 
of  the  union  which  had  been  formed.  It  is  probable  that 
many  Baptists  did  not  know  at  the  beginning  that  these 
differences  actually  existed;  at  least  they  did  not  know 
that  they  existed  to  the  extent  that  they  did.  Looking 
at  the  facts  as  they  appear  at  this  day,  it  is  by  no  means 
wonderful  that  it  soon  began  to  dawn  on  the  Baptists 
that  they  had  practically  bargained  for  more  than  they 
anticipated  in  the  union  which  had  been  formed.  How- 
ever, it  is  only  fair  to  both  parties  to  say  that  Mr.  Camp- 
bell and  his  friends  stipulated  for  freedom  with  respect 
to  the  very  things  to  which  the  Baptists  afterwards  ob- 
jected. If  this  stipulation  was  not  in  direct  terms,  it 
was  clearly  implied  in  the  statement  which  was  made 
to  the  Redstone  Association  when  the  Brush  Run  Church 
asked  for  admission. 

Notwithstanding  these  differences  and  antagonisms  the 
Brush  Run  Church's  relation  to  the  Baptists  was,  in 
the^main,  for  a  time  at  least,  advantageous  to  the  New 
Movement.  On  account  of  Mr.  Campbell's  superior  ability 
and  education,  he  was  very  much  in  evidence  among  the 
Baptists  whenever  they  had  need  of  his  help.  The  Brush 
Run  Church  itself  was  no  longer  very  prominent  in  view 
of  the  wider  fellowship  into  which  it  had  entered.  But 
Alexander  Campbell  became  now  very  widely  known,  and 
he  was  everywhere  hailed  as  champion  of  the  Baptist 
faith,  notwithstanding  there  were  a  few  Baptist  ministers 
who  were  extremely  jealous  of  him,  and  were  constantly 
on  the  lookout  for  an  opportunity  to  destroy  his  influence. 


162    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


However,  in  the  main,  the  current  of  things  ran  smoothly 
at  this  time,  and  Mr.  Campbell  gave  himself  chiefly  to 
the  pursuits  of  agriculture  and  itinerating  among  the 
Baptist  churches. 

But  the  wave  of  peace  in  the  Baptist  Zion  did  not  con- 
tinue long.  In  1816,  Mr.  Campbell  attended  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Redstone  Baptist  Association,  and  was 
unexpectedly-  asked  to  address  the  Association,  which  he 
did  with  his  usual  earnestness  and  power.  It  was  at 
this  time  he  delivered  his  celebrated  Sermon  on  the  Law, 
which  was  really  the  entering  wedge  of  separation  between 
him  and  the  Baptists. 

This  sermon  emphasised  what  has  since  become,  even 
among  well-informed  Baptists,  as  orthodox  as  could  be 
desired.  But  at  the  time  of  its  delivery  the  Baptists 
very  generally  regarded  its  teaching  as  rank  heresy.  Mr. 
Campbell's  contention  was  that  Christians  are  not  under 
Moses'  law,  but  under  Christ.  He  further  contended 
that  Christ  was  the  "  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to 
every  one  that  believeth,"  that  the  law  was  for  a  special 
people  and  for  a  special  age,  and  for  that  people  and 
age  it  was  the  will  of  God,  but  for  the  people  of  the  whole 
world  and  for  the  Christian  age  the  law  of  Moses  does 
not  meet  the  case,  and  consequently  Christians  are  not 
under  the  law,  except  so  far  as  Christ  has  incorporated 
the  law  in  His  own  teaching. 

At  the  present  day  it  seems  somewhat  strange  that  any 
one  could  have  ever  imagined  that  Mr.  Campbell's  posi- 
tion was  heterodox.  It  seems  to  the  average  Christian 
intelligence  that  Mr.  Campbell  was  proclaiming  the  very 
essence  of  truth  itself;  and  yet  it  is  only  fair  to  the  Bap- 
tists of  1816  to  state  that  they  were  in  no  minority  of 
professing  Christians  at  that  time  in  the  interpretation 
put  upon  Mr.  Campbell's  teaching.  We  must  remember 
that  most  of  the  religious  denominations  in  Western  Penn- 
sylvania and  Western  Virginia  were  at  that  time  domi- 
nated by  a  clergy  of  little,  or  no,  education,  and  this  clergy 
were  themselves  governed  by  traditions,  rather  than  by 
an  appeal  to  the  Word  of  God.  Many  of  these  were 
good  men,  but  they  were  extremely  narrow  in  their  views 
of  the  Christian  religion,  and  were,  upon  the  whole,  legal- 
ists of  the  kind  that  would  "  kill  a  cat  on  Monday  for 
killing  a  rat  on  Sunday."     Of  course,  Mr.  Campbell's 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  163 


broad,  Scriptural  views,  with  respect  to  the  Old  Covenant 
and  the  New,  could  not  do  otherwise  than  shock  the  re- 
ligious convictions  of  these  apostles  of  religious  bigotry. 
The  consequence  was  that  his  enemies  in  the  Redstone 
Association  made  this  an  occasion  for  renewed  hostility 
to  him  and  the  Church  which  had  been  admitted  into  the 
Association. 

Finally  a  plan  was  made  by  these  enemies  to  exclude 
him  from  the  Association  in  1823.  A  rule  was  adopted 
as  to  the  reception  of  the  congregations  into  the  Associa- 
tion, provided  that  all  the  congregations  which  had  been 
"constitutionally-'  admitted  should  be  permitted  to 
continue  their  connection.  The  design  of  this  rule 
was  not  seen  at  the  time  of  its  adoption,  but  it  soon 
leaked  out  that  Mr.  Campbell's  enemies  had  a  man  for 
moderator  who  intended  to  apply  the  rule  to  exclude 
all  the  congregation  which  had  come  in  with  the 
Campbells. 

The  plan  was  this:  The  Constitution  of  the  Redstone 
Association  required  a  recognition  of  the  Philadelphia 
Confession  of  Faith;  but  these  had  been  admitted  under 
a  special  protest  against  all  the  confessions  of  faith ;  there- 
fore the  moderator  would  rule  that  they  had  not  been 
"  constitutionally  "  received,  and  must  be  excluded  from 
any  further  connection  with  that  body.  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, having  heard  of  the  course  that  was  to  be  taken, 
immediately  proposed  to  the  Brush  Run  Church  to  give 
him  and  others  letters  of  honourable  dismissal  from  the 
Brush  Run  Church.  This  was  done,  and  Mr.  Campbell 
with  all  the  other  members,  who  had  been  dismissed  from 
the  Brush  Run  Church,  proceeded  to  form  a  church  in 
Wellsburg,  Virginia,  now  West  Virginia.  In  the  mean- 
time, this  Wellsburg  Church  applied  for  admission  into  the 
Mahoning  Association,  in  Ohio,  and  was  accordingly  ac- 
cepted. When,  therefore,  the  Redstone  Association  had 
its  meeting,  in  which  Mr.  Campbell  and  others  were  to 
be  excluded  from  its  fellowship,  the  leaders  of  the  move- 
ment against  Mr.  Campbell  were  deeply  chagrined  when 
they  found  their  bird  had  flown,  as  he  was  no  longer  a 
member  of  their  Association,  therefore  not  under  their 
jurisdiction.  The  following  statement  of  the  faith  of 
the  Wellsburg  Church  was  presented  to  the  Mahoning 
Association : 


164    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


^ye  have  agreed  to  walk  together  in  obedience  to  the  au- 
thority and  institution  of  our  Lord  and  King,  as  exposed  in 
the  form  of  sound  words  delivered  unto  us  by  the  apostles, 
evangelists,  and  prophets,  of  the  Saviour,  and  recorded  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures  of  the  volume  called  the  New  Testament. 
Our  views  of  this  volume  are  brieflj-  these : — We  believe  that 
the  whole  Christian  religion  is  fully  and  explicitly  developed 
in  it,  and  that  nothing  is  ever  to  be  added  thereto,  either  by 
any  new  revelations  of  the  Spirit,  or  by  any  doctrines  or  com- 
mandments of  men ;  but  that  it  is,  as  presented  to  us,  perfectly 
adapted  to  all  the  wise  and  holy  ends  of  its  all-wise  and 
benevolent  Author. 

From  this  volume,  with  the  Old  Testament  Scripture,  which 
we  also  receive  as  of  divine  inspiration  and  authority,  we 
learn  everything  necessary  to  be  known  of  God,  his  works  of 
creation,  providence  and  redemption ;  and  considering  the  Old 
Testament  as  containing  the  Jew's  religion  as  fully  as  the  New 
contains  the  Christian,  we  avail  ourselves  of  both  as  con- 
taining everything  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for 
correction  and  instuction  in  righteousness,  to  make  the  man 
of  God  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  every  good  work. 
But  we  adhere  to  the  New,  as  containing  the  whole  Christian 
religion.  The  New  teaches  us — and  we  solemnly  declare  our 
belief  of  it — that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Son  of  God,  the 
Saviour,  that  was  to  come  into  the  world;  that  died  for  our 
sins,  was  buried,  and  rose  again  on  the  third  day  from  the 
dead,  and  ascended  to  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high; 
that  after  his  ascension  he  sent  down  the  Holy  Spirit  to  con- 
vince the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment,  by 
giving  testimony  of  the  Saviour,  and  by  confirming  the  word 
of  the  apostles  by  signs,  and  miracles,  and  spiritual  gifts; 
that  every  one  that  believeth,  by  means  of  the  demonstration 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  power  of  God,  is  born  of  God,  and 
overcometh  the  world,  and  hath  eternal  life  abiding  in  him; 
that  such  persons,  so  born  of  the  Spirit,  are  to  receive  the 
washing  of  water  as  well  as  the  renewal  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
order  to  admission  into  the  Church  of  the  living  God. 

And  that  such  being  the  natural  darkness  and  enmity  of 
the  children  of  men,  and  their  hearts  so  alienated  from  the  life 
of  God  through  the  ignorance  that  is  in  them,  and  by  their 
wicked  works,  none  can  enter  into  this  kingdom  of  heaven  but 
in  consequence  of  the  regeneration  or  renewal  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  For  it  is  now,  as  it  ever  was,  that  only  to  as  many 
as  received  Him,  who  are  born  not  of  blood,  nor  the  will  of 
the  flesh,  but  of  God,  does  He  give  power  to  become  the  sons 
of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  in  His  name.  For  we  are 
born  again  not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  by  the  incorruptible 
seed  of  the  word  of  God,  which  abideth  forever. 

Our  views  of  the  church  of  God  are  also  derived  from  the 
same  source,  and  from  it  we  are  taught  that  it  is  a  society  of 
those  who  have  believed  the  record  that  God  gave  of  His  Son, 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  165 


that  this  record  is  their  bond  of  union;  that  after  a  public 
profession  of  this  faith,  and  immersion  into  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  they  are  to  be  received  and 
acknowledged  as  brethren  for  whom  Christ  died.  That  such 
a  society  has  a  right  to  appoint  its  own  bishops  and  deacons, 
and  to  do  all  and  everything  belonging  to  a  church  of  Christ, 
independent  of  any  authority  under  heaven.  * 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  document  makes  the  very  dis- 
crimination between  Jews  and  Christians,  and  also  por- 
tions of  the  Bible  which  was  mainly  the  ground  of  allega- 
tion against  Mr.  Campbell  with  reference  to  his  "  Sermon 
on  the  Law."  It  is  also  characterised  by  several  other 
statements,  quite  in  harmony  with  the  principles  which 
had  been  enunciated  in  all  Mr.  Campbell  had  said  or 
written  before  this  time.  Nevertheless,  he  was  cordially 
received,  and  after  a  time  this  Association  abandoned  its 
creedal  statements  and  agreed  to  take  th'e  Word  of  God 
as  its  Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice,  the  whole  body  of  Bap- 
tists practically  adopting  Mr.  Campbell's  principles  and 
aims. 

Before  this  union  with  the  Mahoning  Association,  Mr. 
Campbell  had  a  memorable  debate  with  Rev.  John  Walker, 
a  minister  of  the  Secession  Presbyterian  Church,  held 
at  Mount  Pleasant,  Ohio,  in  the  year  1820.  This  debate 
was  attended  by  a  great  concourse  of  people  and  created 
much  local  interest.  In  the  year  1822  he  held  another 
debate  with  Rev.  William  McCalla,  on  Christian  Baptism. 
This  was  held  in  Washington,  Mason  County,  Kentucky. 
As  these  two  debates  were  published,  they  enabled  Mr. 
Campbell  to  disseminate  very  widely  the  views  which  he 
entertained  on  the  whole  subject  of  baptism,  and  incident- 
ally on  many  other  matters  connected  with  the  Christian 
religion. 

It  is  proper  to  state  that,  at  first,  Mr.  Campbell  was 
opposed  to  oral' debates,  but  after  these  two  experiments 
he  became  satisfied  that  this  was  a  most  excellent  way 
to  propagate  the  views  which  he  held.  But,  however  this 
may  have  been,  his  debates  gave  him  very  considerable 
notoriety.  His  name  was  now  prominent  in  all  the 
churches,  both  Baptist  and  Pedo-Baptist,  within  the 
regions  where  the  debates  were  held,  and  after  their  pub- 
lication, these  debates  were  circulated  far  and  wide,  and 
did  much  to  give  Mr.  Campbell  the  prominence  which  he 

*  "  History  of  the  Disciples  in  the  Western  Reserve,"  by  Hayden. 


166    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


now  had  as  a  religious  teaclier,  especially  throughout 
Kentutk}^  Ohio,  and  the  middle  West. 

In  1823,  he  became  the  publisher  of  the  Christian  Bap- 
tist, which  was  continued  for  seven  successive  years. 
This  periodical  became  a  most  potent  factor  in  the  advo- 
cacy of  the  cause  for  which  he  was  contending.  As  he 
still  regarded  himself  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
he  named  his  periodical  "  The  CHRISTIAN  BAPTIST," 
but  in  its  columns  were  to  be  found  some  unsparing  crit- 
icisms upon  the  Baptists  themselves,  as  well  as  other 
religious  denominations.  Indeed,  in  these  days  he  was 
practically  a  free  lance,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  attack  any 
knight  of  sectarianism,  no  matter  how  strongly  fortified 
he  seemed  to  be.  This  fearlessness  of  Mr.  Campbell,  his 
sublime  courage  in  dealing  with  his  adversaries,  compelled 
admiration,  even  where  his  course  of  action  may  not  have 
been  approved.  Some  of  his  articles  in  the  Christian 
Baptist  are  unequalled  in  strength  by  anything  that  was 
ever  written  before  or  since,  and  there  is  no  doubt  about 
the  influence  of  these  articles  upon  the  religious  convic- 
tions of  the  people  during  the  years  now  under  considera- 
tion. That  Mr.  Campbell  himself  was  deeply  conscious 
of  the  need  of  such  a  periodical  is  proved  by  the  following 
extracts  from  the  preface  of  the  first  number : 

No  man  can  reasonably  claim  the  attention  of  the  public, 
unless  he  is  fully  persuaded  that  he  has  something  of  sufficient 
importance  to  offer.  When  so  many  writers  are  daily  address- 
ing the  religious  community  it  may  perhaps  be  demanded  why 
another  should  solicit  a  reading?  When  so  many  religious 
papers  are  daily  issuing  from  the  press,  why  add  another  to 
the  number?  To  these  and  similar  queries  it  may  be  answered 
— that,  of  all  the  periodical  religious  papers  of  this  day,  with 
which  we  have  any  acquaintance,  but  a  few  are  of  an  inde- 
pendent character.  They  are  generally  devoted  to  the  interest 
of  some  one  or  other  of  the  religious  sects  which  diversify  the 
devout  community ;  so  much  so,  at  least,  that,  being  under 
control  of  the  leading  members  of  the  respective  sects,  under 
whose  auspices  they  exist,  and  to  whose  advancement  they 
are  destined,  they  are  commonly  enlisted  in  the  support  of 
such  views  and  measures  as  are  approbated  by  the  leaders  of 
each  sect.  And  such  must  every  sectarian  paper  be.  It  is  a 
rarity  seldom  to  be  witnessed  to  see  a  person  boldly  opposing 
either  the  doctrinal  errors  or  the  unscriptnral  measiires  of  a 
people  with  whom  he  has  identified  himself,  and  to  whom  he 
looks  for  approbation  and  support.  If  such  a  person  appears 
in  any  party,  he  soon  falls  under  the  frowns  of  those  who 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  167 


either  think  themselves  wiser  than  the  reprover,  or  would  wisli 
so  to  appear.  Hence  it  usually  happens  that  such  a  character 
must  lay  his  hand  upon  his  mouth,  or  embrace  the  privilege  of 
walking  out  of  doors.  Although  this  has  usually  been  the 
case,  we  would  hope  that  it  would  not  always  continue  so  to 
be.  If  this,  hoAvever,  had  not  usually  happened,  we  would  have 
had  no  Episcopalians,  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  &c.  If  the 
party  from  which  these  sects  sprang  had  received  the  admoni- 
tions and  attended  to  the  remonstrances  of  these  bold  and 
zealous  men  who  first  began  to  reprove  and  testify  against  it 
for  alleged  errors  and  evils  existing  in  it,  no  separation  would 
have  taken  place.  Had  the  well-meant  remonstrances  of 
Luther,  Calvin,  and  Wesley,  been  acknowledged  and  received 
by  the  sects  to  which  they  belonged,  the  mother  would  have 
been  reformed,  and  the  children  would  have  lived  under  the 
same  roof  with  her.  But  she  would  not.  They  were  driven 
out  of  doors,  and  were  compelled  either  to  build  a  house  for 
themselves  or  to  lodge  in  the  open  air.  As  it  has  happened  to 
those  called  teachers  of  religion,  so  it  has  happened  to  religious 
papers.  Hence  it  is  generally  presumed  that  a  paper  will  soon 
fall  into  disrepute  if  it  dare  to  oppose  the  views  or  practices 
of  the  leaders  of  the  people  addressed.  Editors  generally,  too 
sensible  of  this,  are  very  cautious  of  what  they  publish.  Some 
of  them  are  very  conscientiously  attentive  to  avoid  giving  of- 
fence ;  insomuch,  that  when  an  article  is  presented  for  in- 
sertion, the  first  objection  to  it  sometimes  is,  "  The  people  will 
not  like  this,  and  you  know  a  man  must  please  his  customers." 
All  this  may  do  very  well  when  a  writer  proposes  to  please 
his  readers,  or  when  he  pledges  himself  to  support  the  tenets 
or  practices  of  any  people.  But  when  the  exhibition  of  truth 
and  righteousness  is  proposed,  neither  the  passions  nor  prej- 
udices of  men — neither  the  reputation  nor  pecuniary  interest 
of  the  writer  should  be  consulted. 

To  this  course  we  have  heard  it  objected,  that,  "  should  a 
writer  on  religious  subjects  assert  the  truth,  oppose  error, 
and  reprove  unrighteousness,  with  Christian  fidelity,  regard- 
less of  pleasing  or  displeasing  men,  he  might  expect  to  starve 
to  death  if  he  seek  his  living  thereby,  or  to  be  imprisoned  and 
perhaps  beheaded  as  John  the  Baptist  was,  should  circum- 
stances permit."  We  shall  not,  in  the  meantime,  oppose  or 
assert  the  truth  of  this  objection.  We  shall  submit  the  prin- 
ciple to  the  test  of  experience,  and  practically  prove  its  truth 
or  falsehood. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Christian  Baptist  was  the 
first  religious  periodical,  published  in  this  country,  that 
aimed  to  be  wholly  unsectarian,  and  free  to  say  whatever 
the  editor  conceived  to  be  the  truth.  He  himself  evidently 
was  not  entirely  persuaded  that  such  a  periodical  would 
be  supported,  but  Alexander  Campbell  would  never  stop 


168    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


to  consider  what  might  be  the  result  of  any  advocacy  of 
his.  The  only  question  that  concerned  him  was  what  was 
his  duty  in  the  case.  He  always  left  the  consequence  with 
Him  who  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning.  This  is  what 
he  says  about  that  matter: 

We  now  commence  a  periodical  paper  pledged  to  no  religious 
sect  in  Christendom,  the  express  and  avowed  object  of  which 
is  the  eviction  of  truth  and  the  exposure  of  error,  as  stated  in 
the  Prospectus.  We  expect  to  prove  whether  a  paper  per- 
fectly independent,  free  from  any  controlling  jurisdiction  ex- 
cept the  Bible,  will  be  read ;  or,  whether  it  will  be  blasted  by 
the  poisonous  breath  of  .sectarian  zeal  and  of  an  aspiring 
priesthood.  As  far  as  respects  our.selves.  we  have  long  since 
afforded  such  evidence  as  would  be  admitted  in  most  cases,  of 
the  disinterested  nature  of  our  efforts  to  propagate  truth,  in 
having  .always  declined  every  pecuniary  inducement  that  was 
offered,  or  that  could  have  been  expected,  in  adopting  a  course 
of  public  instruction  suited  to  the  times,  the  taste  and  the 
prejudices  of  men.  Of  this  an  apostle  once  boasted,  that  he 
had  deprived  his  enemies  of  an  occasion  to  say  that  he  had 
made  a  gain  of  them.  Yea,  he  affirms  that,  "  as  the  truth  of 
Christ  is  in  me,  no  man  shall  stop  me  of  this  boasting  in  the 
regions  of  Achaia."  But,  adds  he,  •'  what  I  do,  I  will  do  that 
I  may  cut  off  occasion  from  them  that  desire  occasion."  So 
say  we. 

He  evidently  did  not  wish  to  give  offence  to  any  of  the 
religious  parties  by  which  he  was  surrounded,  much  less 
to  the  Baptists,  with  whom  he  was  at  this  time  associated. 
Nevertheless,  he  claimed  the  right  to  criticise  them,  as 
well  as  others,  whenever  and  wherever  they  seemed  to  go 
away  from  the  Divine  Standard.  And  this  he  did  not 
fail  to  do  ever  afterwards,  and  in  one  article,  published 
in  the  Chri.stian  Baptist,  he  distinctly  states  that  he  would 
prefer  to  be  ecclesiastically  associated  with  pious  Pedo- 
Baptists  than  with  some  of  the  Baptists  with  whom  he  was 
acquainted.  While  he  always  had  a  sincere  aft'ection  for 
the  fidelity  of  the  Baptists  with  respect  to  the  subject 
and  action  of  baptism,  he  nevertheless  was  often  mortified 
at  their  narrow  sectarian  spirit,  and  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  say  so.  But  here  is  what  he  says  about  the  attitude 
he  desired  to  occupy  with  respect  to  denominations: 

It  is  very  far  from  our  design  to  give  any  just  ground  of 
offence  to  any,  the  w-eakest  of  the  disciples  of  Christ,  nor  to 
those  who  make  no  pi-etensions  to  the  Christian  name;  yet  we 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  169 


are  assured  that  no  man  ever  yet  became  an  advocate  of  that 
faith  which  cost  tlie  lives  of  so  many  of  the  friends  and 
advocates  of  it,  that  did  not  give  offence  to  some.  We  are  also 
assured  that  in  speaking  plainly  and  accordant  to  fact,  of 
many  things  of  high  esteem  at  present,  we  will  give  offence. 
In  all  such  cases  we  esteem  the  reasoning  of  Peter  unanswer- 
able. It  is  better  to  hearken  unto  God,  in  his  word,  than  to 
men,  and  to  please  him  than  all  the  world  beside.  There  is 
another  difficulty  of  which  we  are  aware,  that  as  some  objects 
are  manifestly  good,  and  the  means  attempted  for  their  ac- 
complishment manifestly  evil,  speaking  against  the  means  em- 
ployed we  may  be  sometimes  understood  as  opposing  the  object 
abstractly,  especially  by  those  who  do  not  wish  to  understand, 
but  rather  to  misrepresent.  For  instance — that  the  conver- 
sion of  the  heathen  to  the  Christian  religion  is  an  object  mani- 
festly good  all  Christians  will  acknowledge;  yet  every  one 
acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  means  employed,  and  of  the 
success  attendant  on  the  means,  must  know  that  these  means 
have  not  been  blessed;  and  every  intelligent  Christian  must 
know  that  many  of  the  means  employed  have  been  manifestly 
evil.  Besides,  to  convert  the  heathen  to  the  popular  Chris- 
tianity of  these  times  would  be  an  object  of  no  great  con- 
sequence, as  the  popular  Christians  themselves,  for  the  most 
part,  require  to  be  converted  to  the  Christianity  of  the  New 
Testament.  We  have  only  one  request  to  make  of  our  readers 
— and  that  is  an  impartial  and  patient  hearing;  for  which  we 
shall  make  them  one  promise,  viz.,  that  we  shall  neither  approve 
nor  censure  anything  without  the  clearest  and  most  satis- 
factory evidence  from  reason  and  revelation. 

About  this  time  the  centre  of  the  movement  had  changed 
from  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  to  Ohio  and  Kentucky. 
The  union  with  the  Mahoning  Association  gave  the  Camp- 
bells a  wider  influence,  especially  among  the  Baptists. 
The  Creed  of  the  Association  was  as  follows : 

1.  Three  persons  in  the  Godhead — The  Father,  the  Word, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  these  three  are  one.    I.  John  v:7. 

2.  Eternal  and  personal  election  to  holiness,  and  the 
adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ  the  Redeemer,  Eph. 
i :  4,  5. 

3.  The  condemnation  of  all  mankind  in  consequence  of 
Adam's  transgression.    Rom.  v :  16,  18. 

4.  The  depravity  of  all  mankind,  in  all  the  faculties  of  the 
soul,  the  understanding,  will,  and  affections.  Col.  i:  18;  Acts 
xxvi :  18 ;  Eph.  iv :  18,  23 ;  John  v :  40 ;  Rom.  viii :  7. 

5.  Particular  redemption  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Rom.  v :  9 ;  Isa.  xxxv :  10  ;  John  vi :  37,  39. 

6.  Pardon  of  all  sin  through  the  merits  of  Christ's  blood  to 
all  true  believers.    I.  John  i :  7 ;  Col.  i :  14 ;  Acts  x :  43. 


170    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


7.  Free  justification  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed 
to  all  true  believers.  Jer.  xxxiii:6;  I.  Cor.  i:30;  Rom.  ix:5, 
18,  19. 

8.  The  irresistible  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  regeneration. 
Eph.  ii :  1 ;  John  i :  13. 

9.  The  perseverance  of  the  saints  in  grace,  by  the  power  of 
God  unto  eternal  life.  John  x :  27,  28,  29 ;  Col.  iii :  3,  9 ;  John 
x:  29. 

10.  Water  baptism,  by  immersion  of  the  whole  body  of  the 
party,  so  as  to  be  buried  with  Christ  by  baptism;  and  not  by 
sprinkling  or  pouring,  as  the  manner  of  some  is.  Mark  i :  9, 
10 ;  John  iii :  23 ;  Acts  viii :  38,  39 ;  Rom.  vi :  4 ;  Col.  ii :  12 ;  Heb. 
X :  22.  • 

11.  The  subjects  of  baptism:  those  who  repent  of  their  sins 
and  believe  in  Christ,  and  openly  confess  faith  in  the  Son  of 
God.    Matt,  iii :  8 ;  Acts  viii :  37  ;  x :  47. 

12.  The  everlasting  punishment  of  the  finally  impenitent  in 
as  unlimited  sense  as  the  happiness  of  the  righteous.  Matt. 
XXV :  41-46 ;  Mark  iii :  29 ;  Rev.  xiv :  11. 

13.  We  believe  that  the  first  day  of  the  week  is  Lord's  Day, 
and  that  it  ought  to  be  held  sacred  to  the  memory  of  Christ's 
glorious  resurrection,  and  devoted  in  a  special  manner  to  the 
duties  of  religion. 

Finally,  we  believe  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  be  the  only  and 
certain  rules  of  faith  and  practice.  - 

While  at  this  time  the  leadership  of  the  movement  had 
been  transferred  to  his  son  Alexander,  Thomas  Campbell 
was  by  no  means  inactive  during  the  years  preceding  the 
issuance  of  the  Christian  Baptist;  and  as  it  is  important 
to  indicate  some  of  the  facts  with  which  he  Avas  intimately 
associated,  during  the  interval  between  the  issuance  of 
the  Declaration  and  Address  "  and  what  followed  in  the 
next  decade,  it  is  thought  well  to  give  the  facts  of  this 
history  in  the  language  of  the  son,  who  wrote  the  life  of 
his  father;  and  although  there  is  a  slight  repetition  in  it 
of  matters  already  considered,  it  is  believed  that  the  fol- 
lowing liberal  extract  is  important  just  here,  as  the  facts 
are  narrated  by  Alexander  Campbell  himself,  and  he  is 
entitled  to  be  heard  in  so  important  a  case: 

Having  now  for  some  three  years  sought,  and  laboured  for 
congenial  Christian  society  in  the  Southwest  without  finding 
it,  Father  Campbell  again  determined  to  seek  such  society 
elsewhere.  About  this  time  his  son  Alexander,  who  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  a  classical  seminary  on  Buffalo  Creek, 
Brooke  County,  Virginia,  expressed  to  his  father,  by  letter,  his 
desire  that  he  would  return  to  Western  Virginia  and  assist 
him  in  his  educational  labours  where  he  could  also  enjoy  that 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  171 


Christian  society  wliich  ae  had  failed  to  find  in  the  West. 
Accordingly  in  the  Autumn  of  1819,  he  removed  his  family  to 
Washington  County,  Pennsylvania,  the  former  field  of  his 
evangelical  labours,  within  a  few  miles  of  his  son's  residence, 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  one  of  the  first  two  congregations  of  the 
current  reformation  which  he  had  planted  some  ten  years  pre- 
viously. In  connection  with  his  duties  as  assistant  in  the 
classical  department  of  Buffalo  Seminary,  he  resumed  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  Brush  Run  congregation,  in  the  vicinity 
of  which  he  now  resided. 

After  an  absence  of  some  ten  years,  Father  Campbell  found, 
upon  his  return  to  Washington  County,  that  but  little  effort 
had  been  made  to  advance  the  cause  of  that  religiou'fe  reforma- 
tion which  he  had  inaugurated  in  the  year  1810,  upon  the 
basis  of  his  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  before  the  Washing- 
ton Christian  Association. 

Besides  the  two  congregations  which  he  had  constituted  in 
1810,  but  some  four  congregations  had  been  added.  Of  these, 
two  had  been  formed  in  Brooke  County,  Virginia,  one  in  Harri- 
son County,  Ohio,  and  one  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  so  that 
at  the  beginning  of  the  year  1820  their  numerical  strength  in 
all  could  not  much  have  exceeded  two  hundred  members.  The 
two  congregations  in  Brooke  County  were  established  chiefly 
by  the  ministerial  labours  of  his  son  Alexander  Campbell,  who, 
about  the  year  1816,  visited  the  cities  of  Philadelphia  and 
New  York,  in  the  character  of  a  Baptist  minister,  to  raise 
funds  for  the  erection  of  a  church  edifice  in  the  town  of  Wells- 
burgh.  The  other  congregation  was  organised,  and,  for  some 
time,  met  in  his  own  house.  Prior  to  the  formation  of  these 
churches.  Father  Campbell  and  his  son  Alexander,  during  the 
years  of  1811,  1812,  1813,  and  1811,  had  been  occasionally 
making  preaching  excursions  in  the  counties  of  Jefferson,  Bel- 
mont, and  Harrison,  Ohio;  and  up  into  Western  Pennsylvania, 
as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  Laurel  Ridge,  into  the  counties  of 
Westmoreland  and  Fayette.  In  those  days  meeting  houses 
were  but  few  in  those  sections  of  the  country,  and,  therefore, 
their  addresses  to  the  people  were  mostly  delivered  in  their 
barns  and  forests,  where  often  vast  crowds  assembled  to  hear 
the  word.  Much  of  the  good  seed  of  the  word  was,  during 
this  period,  thus  sown  broadcast  among  the  people.  The  two 
congregations  of  Harrison  and  (luernsey  Counties  were  a  por- 
tion of  the  fruit  of  their  labours  in  that  region.  They  found 
also  many  excellent  brethi'en  in  the  above  named  counties  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  connection  with  the  Baptists.  And  about 
the  year  181,5  a  uni(m  of  these  six  congregations  upon  the  in- 
spired word  alone,  was  ])roposed  and  effected  between  them  and 
the  Baptists  during  one  of  the  se.ssions  of  the  Redstone  Baptist 
Association  in  Western  Pennsylvania. 

The  union  on  principle  was,  however,  neither  so  cordial  nor 
so  general  as  could  have  been  desired.  Not  a  few  of  the 
Baptists  of  that  Association  were  yet  enslaved  to  the  authority 


172    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


of  creeds  and  Church  standards  of  orthodoxy.  The  disaffec- 
tion, however,  was  much  more  among  the  preachers  than  the 
people.  Most  of  the  latter,  indeed,  gladly  heard  the  word; 
while  not  a  few  of  the  former  manifested  not  a  little  of  the 
leaven  of  jealousy  and  envy  toward  those  who  were  eloquent 
and  mighty  in  the  defence  and  advocacy  of  the  Divine  word 
alone  as  the  proper  standard  of  the  Christian  Church  in  all 
matters  of  faith,  doctrine,  and  practice. 

This  disaffection  was  not  a  little  aggravated  by  a  discourse 
delivered  before  this  Association  at  its  next  session  after  the 
union.  Alexander  Campbell  was  appointed  to  deliver  the 
opening  discourse  of  said  session,  in  1816.  This  discourse 
known  now  as  his  Sermon  on  the  Law  gave  great  offence  to  a 
number  of  their  preachers.  Measui'ed  by  their  standard,  the 
Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith,  it  was  anything  but  ortho- 
dox— wholly  inconsistent  with  their  preconceived  notions  both 
of  the  Law  and  the  Gospel  As  this  sermon  has  since  been 
given  to  the  readers  of  the  Millennial  Harbinger,  we  shall  not 
notice  the  line  of  argument  adopted  by  the  speaker  to  show 
that  Christians  are  not  under  the  law  of  Moses;  or,  that  w^e  are 
convinced  or  convicted  of  sin,  converted  and  saved  by  the 
Gospel,  and  thereby  furnished  for  all  good  works,  without  the 
need  of  a  legal  religion,  primarily  and  exclusively  instituted 
for  the  natural  seed  of  Abraham,  and  which  never  did,  nor 
never  could,  justify  any  one  who  worshipped  under  it.  This 
view  of  the  law  gave  great  offence  to  some  two  or  three  of  the 
preachers ;  who,  however,  never  attempted  to  meet  in  fair  and 
open  discourse  the  merits  of  the  argument.  But  to  men  aspir- 
ing to  clerical  pre-eminence,  the  thought  or  feeling  of  defeat 
could  not  be  anything  other  than  mortifying.  And  who  can 
set  bounds  to  the  hostile  attacks  of  mortified  pride  and  envy? 
Messrs.  Brownfield,  Fry,  and  a  few  other  malcontents,  were 
unwearied  in  their  opposition  to  Father  Campbell  and  son, 
because  of  their  uncompromising  opposition  to  the  idol  of 
that  faction,  of  which  these  men  were  the  leaders. 

Year  after  year,  before  this  Association,  they  were  indicted 
by  a  self-constituted  ecclesiastical  court,  on  the  charge  of 
heterodoxy,  and  made  to  answer  to  the  indictment.  Contrary 
to  all  righteous  law,  they  were  repeatedly  placed  in  jeopardy 
for  the  same  offence,  the  accused  having  shown  in  the  previous 
trial  that  the  charge  of  heresy,  on  the  ground  of  rejecting  the 
Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith,  was  a  non  seqiiitnr,  and 
accordingly  had  been  acquitted  by  the  jurors;  but  as  the  jurors 
in  the  case  were  not  unanimous,  this  self-constituted  court 
demanded  another  trial.  In  a  subsequent  trial  their  hope 
seemed  to  be  that  if  they  could  not  sustain  the  charge  of 
heresy,  they  could,  in  the  meantime,  tamper  with  the  prejudices 
and  weaknesses  of  brethren  under  their  influences,  and  thereby 
lessen  the  unanimity  of  the  Churches  in  favour  of  the  de- 
fendants in  the  case,  and  increase  the  chances  of  success  in 
their  ultimate  excommunication  from  the  Baptist  communion. 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES 


173 


At  no  subsequent  trial  had  they  any  charge  to  prefer  against 
the  defendants,  but  by  the  arts  of  intimidation  and  misrepre- 
sentation, they  now  hoped  to  be  able  to  gain  a  majority  of 
votes  in  favour  of  their  excommunication.  Father  Campbell 
and  son  foreseeing  their  unhallowed  purpose,  and  the  in- 
iquitous means  in  use  to  accomplish  it,  withdrew  their  con- 
nection from  the  Redstone  Baptist  Association,  and  united 
themselves  with  the  Mahoning  Baptist  Association,  which  had 
its  session  shortly  before  that  of  the  Redstone  Baptist  Associa- 
tion, and  by  this  step  frustrated  the  preconcerted  measures  of 
the  latter  for  the  excommunication  of  Father  Campbell 
and  son,  with  the  six  congregations  of  the  same  faith  and 
order,  from  the  fellowship  and  communion  of  the  regular 
Baptists. 

The  Redstone  Baptist  Association  having  shortly  met  in  con- 
vention, what  must  have  been  their  surprise  and  mortification 
upon  receiving  a  letter  from  Father  Campbell  and  son,  in 
the  name  of  the  congregations  whom  they  had  formerly  repre- 
sented as  a  constituent  part  of  that  said  Association,  inform- 
ing said  body  that  said  congregations  were  to  be  regarded  as 
no  longer  in  connection  with  them,  they  having  recently 
united  in  Church-fellowship  with  the  Mahoning  Baptist  Asso- 
ciation, on  the  Western  Reserve,  with  which  they  now  stand 
in  Christian  Church-fellowship.  The  Mahoning  Baptist  Asso- 
ciation, being  much  more  enlightened  and  liberal  in  their  views 
of  the  truth,  cordially  received  Father  Campbell,  with  the  other 
delegates  of  said  Churches  who  accompanied  him,  into  Church- 
fellowship  upon  the  New  Testament  platform  alone.  This  new 
connection  with  the  Baptists  was  desirable  on  several  accounts. 
It  gave  a  ready  access  to  the  families  and  congregations  of 
the  most  intelligent  portion  of  religious  society  in  that  region 
of  country.  Most  of  the  ministers  and  congi'egations  com- 
posing this  Association  had  but  little  respect  for  the  authority 
of  human  creeds  as  terms  of  Christian  Church-fellowship.  Not 
a  few  of  these  Churches,  in  after  years,  when  taught  the  insti- 
tutions of  the  Lord  more  perfectly,  became  identified  with  the 
Disciples.  After  the  aforesaid  union  of  the  Disciples  with  this 
Association,  its  progress  was  evidently  toward  a  radical 
reformation  in  principle  and  practice.  It  assumed  every  year 
less  the  form  of  an  ecclesiastical  body  met  to  legislate  for  the 
churches  under  its  care,  and  to  determine  the  faith  and  stand- 
ing of  these  churches.  As  the  faith  and  order  of  the  primitive 
churches  were  better  understood,  the  preaching  brethren  felt 
more  like  urging  the  claims  of  the  Divine  love  as  set  forth  in 
the  Gospel  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  than  of  legislating  for 
the  Christian  Churches;  a  work  which  they  now  began  to  see 
had  been  fully  and  infallibly  done  by  those  prime  ministers  of 
Christ,  the  apostles,  whom  he  had  placed  upon  twelve  thrones 
to  give  laws  to  his  people;  and  that  instead  of  instituting  a 
court  of  inquiry  for  ascertaining  the  standing  of  churches  as 
to  faith  or  orthodoxy,  they  could  much  better  employ  the  time 


174    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


*'  in  teaching  and  exhorting  the  brethren  to  love  and  good 
works,"  and  "  to  examine  themselves  whether  thev  were  in  the 
faith." 

Father  Campbell  during  this  period,  made  several  preaching 
tours  through  that  region,  and  did  much  in  edifying  and  con- 
firming the  brethren  in  the  faith  and  order  of  the  apostolic 
churches.  After  a  few  years  evei-y  vestige  of  a  regular  Baptist 
Association  had  worn  off  these  annual  meetings.  They  were 
now  called  "  Big  Meetings."  Vast  crowds  assembled  daily, 
for  some  three  or  four  days.  Many  congregations,  scattered 
over  an  area  of  some  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  square,  were 
represented  at  these  meetings.  The  order  of  exercises  was, 
first  to  receive  the  reports  of  the  delegates  with  respect  to  the 
numerical  strength  and  order  of  Christian  worshi])  of  each 
congregation,  and  the  things  that  were  wanting;  after  which, 
the  exercises  consisted  of  songs  of  praise,  prayer,  preaching, 
teaching,  and  concluded  with  a  series  of  exhortations  from  a 
few  of  the  elders.  During  these  meetings  numbers  frequently 
came  forward  and  confessed  the  Lord.  And  such  at  present  is 
the  character  of  these  annual  assemblages  of  the  brethren 
whenever  held  throughout  the  States. 

The  reader  cannot  but  perceive  in  this  brief  narrative  of 
the  progress  of  truth,  its  mighty  power  when  received  by  men 
of  honest  minds,  not  only  to  deliver  them  from  the  dominion 
of  error,  but  also  to  impart  to  the  mind  and  heart  a  peace  and 
joy  which  is  peculiarly  the  fruit  of  the  pure  word  of  the  Lord 
as  it  was  preached  and  taught  by  his  apostles.  Father  Camp- 
bell, upon  every  such  exhibition  of  its  power,  felt  himself  but 
the  more  assured  of  the  correctness  of  his  positions,  and  was 
but  the  more  convinced  X)i  the  futility  and  folly  of  preaching 
any  other  Gospel,  or  teaching  any  other  doctrine  to  save  and 
beautify  men  than  that  which  was  plainly  preached  and  taught 
by  the  holy  apostles.  Nor  did  any  one  more  sincerely  regret 
than  did  Father  Campbell,  the  substitution  of  theological 
.systems  and  religious  philosophies  for  the  living  and  effectual 
word  of  the  Gospel,  in  its  gracious  and  glorious  facts,  so  clearly 
and  forcibly  set  forth  by  the  preaching  and  teaching  of  the 
holy  Twelve.  Himself  mi.sguided  by  his  religious  teachers,  he 
was  made  to  feel  the  bewildering  influence  of  such  religious 
speculations  during  the  early  jieriod  of  his  ministry.  Year 
after  year  had  he  spent  in  reading  and  critically  examining 
the  best  and  most  orthodox  works  of  the  age,  in  search  after 
the  truth  that  saves  and  beautifies  its  possessor. 

How  diverse  soever  the  conclusions  of  their  authors,  they 
all  laid  their  premises  upon  proof-texts  drawn  from  the  Bible; 
and  if  the  premises  were  made  up  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
reasoning  fair,  conclusion  must  be  in  accordance  with  Divine 
Truth.  And,  hence,  every  religious  system  thus  based  upon 
the  Bible,  was  a  proper  foundation  for  the  true  Church  of 
Christ.  But  Father  Campbell  finally  came  to  another  logical 
conclusion,  that  if  Scriptural  deductions  were  the  proper 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  175 


material  for  the  foundation  of  the  Christian  Church,  then  the 
existence  of  sectional  Churches  is  all  right,  they  being  all 
Scriptural.  This  was  to  him  indeed  a  startling  conclusion. 
But  this  conclusion  was  inadmissible;  it  proved  too  much; 
it  would  justify  divisions  in  the  Christian  Church.  But  the 
apostles  most  pointedly  condemn  all  such  divisions  as  schisms 
in  the  spiritual  body  of  Christ,  and  the  founders  of  them  as 
carnal  men,  who  have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ ;  he  concluded, 
therefore,  that  there  must  be  some  flaw  in  the  premises.  He 
therefore  re-examined  the  premises,  and  asked  the  cjuestion : 
Are  deductions  from  isolated  passages  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
the  contextual  and  proper  meaning  of  those  passages?  They 
cannot  be;  for  all  heresies  have  been  thus  originated  and 
propagated.  The  true  contextual  meaning  of  the  passage  has 
been  overlooked  or  disregarded  and  perverted,  so  as  to  teach 
error  ratlier  than  the  truth  taught  by  the  context.  Again, 
it  was  asked:  Are  deductions  fair  and  legitimate  though  they 
be  the  material  which  the  Head  of  the  Church  has  made  the 
foundation  of  his  Church?  A  careful  and  devout  reading  and 
study  ofthe  holy  Scriptures  led  Father  Campbell  to  a  very  dif- 
ferent conclusion.  As  there  is  but  one  mystical  body  or 
Church  of  Christ,  it  must  have  its  own  appropriate  founda- 
tion. Father  Campbell,  in  quest  of  this  foundation,  abandoned 
as  hopeless  all  those  theological  works  which  had  been  for 
A'ears  his  daily  study  in  connection  with  the  Bible.  He  now 
reads  and  examines  the  Bible  alone  to  the  rejection  of  all  un- 
inspired writings.  His  search  ere  long  is  crowned  with  suc- 
cess. A  person,  yes,  a  person,  and  not  a  theory  or  system 
of  doctrine,  is  the  one  and  only  true  foundation  of  that  Church 
against  which  neither  earth  nor  Hades  shall  prevail.  But  it 
was  from  no  scriptural  inference  that  he  had  arrived  at  this 
great  truth.  The  question  was  forever  settled  by  a  plain  and 
positive  declaration :  "  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  son  of  the 
living  God,"  said  Peter.  "  Blessed  art  thou,  Peter,  for  upon 
this  rock  I  will  build  my  Church,"  said  Christ.  Paul,  a  wise 
master-builder,  like  Peter,  also  laid  the  foundation.  Other 
foundation,  said  he,  can  no  man  lay  than  that  which  is  laid, 
which  is  Jesus  the  Christ.  For  the  confirmation,  peace,  and 
joy  of  believers,  Father  Campbell  was  wont  to  represent  the 
members  of  Christ's  body  as  the  living  stones  of  a  great 
spiritual  temple,  all  rejoicing  in  <me  spirit,  having  the  one 
hope,  the  one  Lord,  the  one  faith,  the  one  baptism,  and  the  one 
God  and  Father  of  all. 

With  the  discovei'v  of  this  grand  fundamental  truth  of  the 
Christian  Church  and  institution.  Father  Campbell  closed  for- 
ever his  readings  of  religious  controversies.  The  Bible  thence- 
forth, with  him,  was  the  book  to  which  he  bowed  with  a  most 
devout  and  reverential  spirit,  and  most  heartily  vowed  ex- 
clusive allegiance  to  the  teachings  of  Moses  and  Christ,  of 
apostles  and  prophets.  * 

*  "  Life  of  Thomas  Campbell,"  by  Alexander  Campbell. 


176    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


In  August,  1826,  a  meeting  of  the  Mahoning  Baptist 
Association  was  held  at  Canfield,  Ohio,  and  among  the 
ministers  in  attendance  were  Thomas  Campbell  and  Alex- 
under  Campbell,  A.  Bentley,  Walter  Scott,  Sidney  Rigdon, 
Thomas  Miller,  William  West,  Corbley  Martin,  and  Jacob 
Osborne.  This  was  a  memorable  meeting,  and  especially 
the  meeting  on  Sunday,  which  was  held  in  the  Congrega- 
tional meeting-house  in  the  centre  of  the  town.  The  fol- 
lowing extract  gives  a  xirid  description  of  what  took 
place : 

At  a  very  early  hour  it  was  filled  and  many  around  it 
endeavoured  to  hear.  Rigdon  and  Scott  preached  in  the  morn- 
ing. Some  having  heard  the  eloquent  preacher  from  Pitts- 
burg, left  the  meeting,  supposing  they  had  heard  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, whose  name  had  already  become  famous.  Mr.  Campbell 
followed  after  a  brief  recess.  He  founded  bis  discourse  on 
Malachi  iv:2:  "Unto  you  that  fear  my  name,  shall  the  Son 
of  righteousness  arise  with  healings  in  his  wings."'  He  an- 
nounced his  theme,  "  The  Progress  of  Revealed  Light."  His 
discourse  abounded  in  thoughts  so  fresh,  he  made  his  theme  so 
luminous  and  instructive  that  the  most  rapt  attention  followed 
him  throughout  the  delivery. 

Seizing  on  the  evident  analogy  between  light  and  knowledge, 
and  using  the  former,  as  the  Scripture  everywhere  does,  as  a 
metaphor  for  the  latter,  the  eloquent  preacher  exhibited  the 
gradual  and  progressive  unfolding  of  divine  revelation  under 
four  successive  periods  of  development,  which  he  characterised 
as,  1st.  The  Starlight  Age;  2d.  The  Moonlight  Age;  3d.  The 
Twilight  Age;  4th.  The  Sunlight  Age;  and  employed  these 
respectively  to  explain.  1st,  The  Patriarchal;  2d,  The  Jewish 
Dispensation;  3d,  The  Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist,  with  the 
personal  ministry  of  the  Lord  on  the  earth;  and  4th.  The  full 
glory  of  the  perfect  system  of  salvation  under  the  apostles 
when  the  Holy  Spirit  was  poured  out  on  them,  after  the 
ascension  and  coronation  of  Jesus  as  Lord  of  all.  Under  his 
remarks,  and  applications  of  the  theme,  the  whole  Bible  be- 
came luminous  with  a  light  it  never  before  seemed  to  possess. 
The  scope  of  the  whole  book  appeared  clear  and  intelligible; 
its  parts  were  so  shown  to  be  in  harmony  with  each  other,  and 
with  the  whole,  that  the  exhibition  of  the  subject  seemed  little 
else  to  many  than  a  new  revelation,  like  a  "  second  sun  risen 
on  midnoon,"  shedding  a  flood  of  light  on  a  book  hitherto 
looked  upon  as  dark  and  mysterious.  The  style  of  the  preacher 
was  plain,  common-sense,  manly.  His  argumentation  was 
sweeping,  powerful,  and  convincing;  and  above  all,  and  better, 
his  manner  of  preaching  formed  so  pleasing  and  instructive  a 
contrast  with  the  customary  style  of  taking  a  text  merely  or 
of  sermonising  in  which  the  mystery  prevailed  and  the  "  dark- 


NEW  FRIENDS  BECOME  ENEMIES  177 


ness  "  became  "  visible,"  that  the  assembly  listened  to  the  last 
of  a  long  address  scarcely  conscious  of  the  lapse  of  time. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  sermon,  after  dwelling-  with  earnest 
and  thrilling  eloquence  on  the  glory  of  the  gospel  dispensation, 
the  consummation  of  all  the  revelations  of  God,  the  Sun  of 
righteousness  "  now  risen  with  healing  in  his  wings,"  putting 
an  end  to  the  moonlight  and  starlight  ages,  he  proceeded: — 

"  The  day  of  light,  so  illustrious  in  its  beginning,  became 
cloudy.  The  Papacy  arose  and  darkened  the  heavens  for  a 
long  period,  obscuring  the  brightness  of  the  risen  glory  of  the 
Sun  of  righteousness  so  that  men  grouped  in  darkness.  By 
the  reformation  of  the  17th  century  that  dark  cloud  was  broken 
in  fragments;  heavens  of  gospel  light  are  still  obscured 
by  many  clouds — the  sects  of  various  names— the  promise  is 
that  '  at  evening  time  it  shall  be  light.'  The  primitive  gospel, 
in  its  effulgence  and  power,  is  yet  to  shine  out  in  its  original 
splendour  to  regenerate  the  world." 

That  discourse  was  never  forgotten.  It  never  will  be.  It 
formed  an  era  in  respect  to  the  gospel  on  the  Western  Reserve. 
The  shell  of  sect-sermons  was  broken.  The  Bible  was  a  new 
book ;  its  meaning  could  be  comprehended ;  its  language  could 
be  understood.  * 

Alexander  Campbell's  visits  to  the  Western  Reserve  in- 
cluded attendance  at  the  ministers'  meetings,  as  well  as 
the  annual  gatherings  of  the  Association,  and  his  presence 
at  all  these  assembles  gave  a  new  impetus  to  the  movement, 
which  began  to  spread  in  all  directions  throughout  North- 
ern and  Eastern  Ohio,  as  well  as  in  some  parts  of  the 
south  and  west. 

*  "  History  of  the  Disciples  in  the  Western  Reserve." 


CHAPTER  V 


WALTER  SCOTT  AND  THE  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  BAPTISM 

IN  August,  1827,  the  Mahoning  Association  met  at  New 
Lisbon,  Ohio.  Walter  Scott,  who  was  then  preach- 
ing at  Steubenville,  Ohio,  was  appointed  Evangelist. 
On  the  way  to  this  meeting,  Alexander  Campbell  stopped 
at  Scott's  home  and  asked  him  to  attend  the  meeting. 
Scott  rather  hesitated,  but  finally  threw  himself  into  the 
work  with  all  the  zeal  which  he  possessed. 

He  was  born  October  31,  1796,  in  Dumfriesshire,  Scot- 
land, and  was  educated  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh. 
He  came  to  America  in  1818,  and  at  first  settled  in  Pitts- 
burg. He  there  met  Mr.  Forrester,  who  had  been  closely 
associated  with  the  Campbells  from  the  verj'  beginning 
of  the  movement  and  was  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with 
their  leading  contention.  It  was  not  long  until  Mr.  Scott 
became  deeply-  interested,  and  when  Mr.  Campbell  met 
him  on  his  way  to  the  meeting  of  the  Mahoning  Associa- 
tion at  New  Lisbon,  Scott  was  already  much  inclined  to 
give  himself  wholly  to  the  new  movement.  Both  in  his 
personality,  education,  and  remarkable  gifts  as  a  speaker, 
he  was  just  the  man  for  the  crisis  which  had  arisen.  As 
soon  as  he  had  a  clear  comprehension  of  the  Gospel,  as  it 
was  now  presented  to  him,  he  became  an  enthusiastic 
advocate  of  it.  To  use  the  language  of  Professor  C.  L. 
Loos,  who  heard  him  frequently,  "  he  was  filled  with  an 
all-consuming  passion  to  preach  to  men.  It  was  to  him 
the  restored  light  of  heaven  that  now  shone  forth  in  full 
radiance  after  ages  of  observation.  His  speech  was  like 
fire.  His  setting  forth  of  the  newly  found  truth  was 
wondrously  complete,  exact,  and  clear.  The  people  saw 
the  Scriptural  doctrine,  such  was  the  logical  accuracy 
and  symmetry  of  his  arguments,  so  vivid  was  his  presenta- 
tion of  it.  It  broke  upon  the  people  like  a  new  revelation 
from  heaven.  The  New  Testament — the  whole  Bible — now 
became  greatly  intelligible  to  them." 

178 


SCOTT  AND  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  BAPTISM  179 


The  present  writer  knew  him  intimately  for  several 
years,  and  he  bears  willing  testimony  to  the  truth  of  this 
characterisation.  Scott  was  a  marvel  as  a  speaker  when 
he  was  at  his  best,  and  not  the  least  characteristic  was  his 
great  simplicity.  He  was  child-like  in  this  respect.  His 
discourses  were  as  luminous  as  night  itself,  and  his  ear- 
nestness as  warm  as  heat  itself.  He  has  been  rightly 
classed  with  Thomas  Campbell,  Alexander  Campbell,  and 
Robert  Richardson  as  constituting  one  of  the  Big  Four  of 
the  reformation  in  its  early  days.  Barton  W.  Stone  be- 
longed to  another  group,  viz.,  Stone,  John  Smith,  John 
Rogers,  and  John  T.  Johnson. 

In  his  debates  with  Mr.  Walker  and  McCalla,  Alex- 
ander Campbell  had  used  two  arguments  against  infant 
baptism  which  were  entirely  new  to  the  Baptists  at  that 
day.  One  was  that  the  arguments  usually  made  by  the 
Pedo-Baptists  on  the  ground  that  the  Old  and  New  Cov- 
enants are  practically  identical,  is  entirely  faulty,  since 
the  Old  Covenant  has  been  abrogated  by  the  New.  This 
identity  of  the  Covenants,  or  the  Testaments,  as  they  are 
usually  called,  was  the  very  foundation  of  Mr.  W^alker's 
contention ;  and  it  was  in  the  complete  annihilation  of  this 
foundation  that  Alexander  Campbell's  victory  over  Walker 
was  so  apparent.  Nevertheless,  the  irony  of  this  whole 
matter  consisted  in  the  fact  that  Mr.  Campbell's  position 
on  this  subject  was  the  very  ground  of  the  opposition  to 
him  in  the  Redstone  Baptist  Association.  His  debate  with 
Mr.  Walker,  in  its  principle,  was  only  a  repetition  of  his 
great  sermon  on  the  Law  which  had  given  such  offence  to 
some  of  the  leaders  of  the  Redstone  Association  in  1816. 
But  when  Mr.  Campbell  gained  his  signal  victory  over 
Walker  many  of  the  Baptists  began  to  re-examine  the  re- 
lation of  the  Covenants,  and  not  a  few  came  over  to  Mr. 
Campbell's  position. 

Another  new  argument  was  based  upon  the  design  of 
baptism.  In  his  debate  with  Mr.  Walker,  he  foreshadowed 
his  view  on  this  subject,  but  it  did  not  take  very  defi- 
nite form  until  his  debate  with  Mr.  McCalla.  In  the 
latter  debate,  he  said,  the  water  of  baptism,  then, 
formally  washes  away  our  sins.  The  blood  of  Christ 
really  washes  away  our  sins.  Paul's  sins  were  really 
pardoned  when  he  believed.  Yet  he  had  no  solemn  pledge 
of  the  fact,  no  formal  acquittal,  no  formal  purgation 


180    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


of  his  sins,  until  he  washed  them  away  in  the  waters  of 
baptism." 

While  this  was  not  a  very  clear  statement  of  the  case, 
from  a  Scriptural  point  of  view,  it  evidently  shows  that 
Mr.  Campbell  was  attaching  much  more  importance  to 
baptism  at  this  time  than  was  usually  done  by  the  Baptists, 
their  position  being  that  baptism  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  remission  of  sins,  but  is  a  mere  expression  of 
loyalty  to  Christ  after  the  penitent  believer's  sins  are 
pardoned.  Mr.  Campbell's  position  meant  more  than  this, 
though  it  did  not  mean  as  much  as  it  did  when  he  came  to 
see  a  little  further  into  the  subject.  A  Baptist  preacher 
once  quoted  the  above  quotation  to  John  Smith,  of  Ken- 
tucky, in  proof  that  Mr.  Campbell  at  one  time  said  what 
was  not  far  from  the  truth  as  regards  the  design  of  bap- 
tism, and  that  his  position  was  very  different  from  what 
he  afterwards  held.  Mr.  Smith  replied  by  saying  that 
Mr.  Campbell  said  what  he  did  in  the  McCalla  debate 
while  he  was  a  Baptist,  but  when  he  left  the  Baptists  he 
had  more  sense." 

It  was  Walter  Scott  who  gave  emphasis  to  the  doctrine 
of  "  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins."  *  The  scene  of 
his  first  proclamation  of  that  great  truth  was  at  New 
Lisbon,  Columbiana  County,  Ohio.  The  Baptist  Church 
at  that  place  had  become  acquainted  with  Scott,  during  the 
meeting  of  the  Mahoning  Association,  and  consequently 
were  delighted  when  he  made  an  appointment  to  preach  a 
series  of  discourses  in  their  Church  on  the  "  Ancient  Gos- 
pel." Scott  was  a  most  eloquent  speaker,  and  the  people 
of  the  community  were  equally  pleased  that  they  were  to 

*  "  Mr.  Scott's  biographer,  Wm.  Baxter,  ascribes  the  authorship  of  the 
new  doctrine  of  "  Baptism  for  the  remission  of  Sins  "  to  Mr.  Scott.  This 
is  not  correct.  Mr.  Campbell  had  talked  this  matter  over  with  Mr. 
Scott  some  time  before  the  New  Lisbon  meeting;  Mr.  Scott  finally  acquiesc- 
ing in  Mr.  Campbell's  view.  It  is  true  that  Mr.  Scott  was  the  first  to 
preach  baptism  as  one  of  the  conditions  of  forgiveness,  but  he  did  not 
discover  this  important  truth.  Mr.  Campbell  came  to  adopt  it  somewhat 
gradually,  but  before  Scott  preached  it,  Mr.  Campbell  had  fully  accepted 
the  view  which  has  ever  since  been  held  by  the  Disciples.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  neither  Mr.  Campbell  nor  Mr.  Scott  claimed  to  have  discovered 
it.  They  both  claimed  that  it  was  as  old  as  Christianity  itself,  and  Mr. 
Campbell  subsequently  was  at  pains  to  show  that  it  was  the  view  held  by 
the  oldest  theologians  of  all  ages  of  the  Christian  Church.  Campbell  and 
Scott  simply  claimed  that  they  uncovered  this  truth  and  gave  it  practical 
significance  at  a  time  when  it  was  almost  buried  under  the  rubbish  of 
traditions.  Neither  Mr.  Campbell  nor  any  of  his  associates  claimed  to 
have  discovered  anj'thing;  all  any  one  claimed  was  a  return  to  the  Apos- 
tolic faith  and  practice. 


SCOTT  AND  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  BAPTISM  181 


have  the  privilege  of  hearing  a  man  so  distinguished  for 
his  pulpit  power. 

When  Scott  arrived  on  Sunday  to  fill  his  appointment, 
every  seat  in  the  building  was  literally  crowded,  and  soon 
even  standing  room  was  at  a  premium.  Scott  was  just 
the  man  to  be  moved  to  the  highest  point  of  his  power  by 
such  an  occasion.  The  following  vivid  description  of  this 
meeting  is  worth  quoting: 

His  theme  was  the  confession  of  Peter,  Matt,  xvi :  16 :  "  Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,"  and  the  promise 
which  grew  out  of  it,  that  he  should  have  entrusted  to  him 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  declaration  of  Peter 
was  a  theme  upon  which  he  had  thought  for  years;  it  was  a 
fact  which  he  regarded  the  four  gospels  as  written  to  establish; 
to  which  type  and  prophecy  had  pointed  in  all  the  ages  gone 
by;  which  the  Heavenly  Father  had  announced  when  Jesus 
came  up  from  the  waters  of  Jordan  and  the  Spirit  descended 
and  abode  upon  him,  and  which  was  repeated  again  amid  the 
awful  grandeur  and  solemnity  of  the  transfiguration  scene. 
He  then  proceeded  to  show  that  the  foundation  truth  of 
Christianity  was  the  divine  nature  of  the  Lord  Jesus — the 
central  truth  around  which  all  the  others  revolved,  and  from 
which  they  derived  their  efficacy  and  importance — and  that 
the  belief  of  it  was  calculated  to  produce  such  love  in  the 
heart  of  him  who  believed  it  as  would  lead  him  to  true  obedi- 
ence to  the  object  of  his  faith  and  love.  To  show  how  that 
faith  and  love  were  to  be  manifested,  he  quoted  the  language 
of  the  great  commission,  and  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
Jesus  had  taught  his  apostles  that  repentance  and  remission 
of  sins  should  be  preached  in  his  name  among  all  nations, 
beginning  at  Jerusalem."  He  then  led  his  hearers  to  Jeru- 
salem on  the  memorable  Pentecost  and  bade  them  listen  to  an 
authoritative  announcement  of  the  law  of  Christ,  now  to  be 
made  known  for  the  first  time,  by  the  same  Peter  to  whom 
Christ  had  promised  to  give  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
which  he  represented  as  meaning  the  conditions  upon  which 
the  guilty  might  find  pardon  at  the  hands  of  the  risen, 
ascended,  and  glorified  Son  of  God,  and  enter  his  kingdom. 

After  a  rapid  yet  graphic  review  of  Peter's  discourse,  he 
pointed  out  its  effect  on  those  that  heard  him,  and  bade  them 
mark  the  inquiry  which  a  deep  conviction  of  the  truth  they 
had  heard  forced  from  the  lips  of  the  heart-pierced  multitudes, 
who,  in  their  agony  at  the  discovery  that  they  had  put  to  death 
the  Son  of  God,  their  own  long-expected  Messiah,  "cried  out, 
Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?"  and  then,  with  flash- 
ing eye  and  impassioned  manner,  as  if  he  fully  realised  that 
he  was  but  re-echoing  the  words  of  one  who  spake  as  the 
Spirit  gave  him  utterance,  he  gave  the  reply,  "  Repent  and 
be  baptised,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for 


182    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit."  He  then,  with  great  force  and  power,  made  his 
application;  he  insisted  that  the  conditions  were  unchanged, 
that  the  Word  of  God  meant  what  it  said,  and  that  to  receive 
and  obey  it  was  to  obey  God  and  to  imitate  the  example  of 
those  who,  under  the  preaching  of  the  apostles,  gladly  accepted 
the  gospel  message.  His  discourse  was  long,  but  liis  hearers 
marked  not  the  flight  of  time ;  the  Baptists  forgot,  in  admira- 
tion of  its  scriptural  beauty  and  simplicity,  that  it  was  con- 
rary  to  much  in  their  own  teaching  and  practice;  some  of 
them  who  had  been,  in  a  measure,  enlightened  before,  re- 
joiced in  the  truth  the  moment  they  received  it ;  and  to  others, 
who  had  long  been  perplexed  by  the  difficulties  and  contra- 
dictions of  the  discordant  views  of  the  day,  it  was  like  light 
to  weary  travellers  long  benighted  and  lost.  The  man  of  all 
others,  however,  in  that  community  who  would  most  have  de- 
lighted in  and  gladly  accepted  those  views,  so  old  and  yet  so 
new,  was  not  there,  although  almost  in  hearing  of  the  preacher, 
who,  with  such  eloquence  and  power,  was  setting  forth  the 
primitive  gospel.  This  was  Wm.  Amend,  a  pious.  God-fearing 
man,  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  regarded  by 
his  neighbours  as  an  "  Israelite  indeed."  He  had  for  some 
time  entertained  the  same  views  as  those  Mr.  Scott  was  then 
preaching  in  that  place  for  the  first  time,  but  was  not  aware 
that  any  one  agreed  with  him.  He  was  under  the  impression 
that  all  the  churches — his  own  among  the  number,  had  de- 
parted from  the  plain  teachings  of  the  Word  of  God.  He  had 
discovered,  some  time  before,  that  infant  baptism  was  not 
taught  in  the  Bible,  and,  consequently,  that  he  was  not  a 
baptised  man;  the  mode  of  baptism  seemed  also  to  him  to 
have  been  changed,  and  he  sought  his  pastor,  and  asked  to 
be  immersed.  He  endeavoured  to  convince  him  that  it  was 
wrong,  but  finding  that  he  could  not  be  turned  from  his  pur- 
pose, he  proposed  to  immerse  him  privately,  lest  others  of  his 
flock  might  be  unsettled  in  their  minds  by  his  doing  so,  and 
closed  by  saying  that  baptism  was  not  essential  to  salvation. 
Mr.  Amend  regarded  everything  that  Christ  had  ordained  as 
being  essential,  and  replied  that  he  should  not  immerse  him  at 
all ;  that  he  would  wait  until  he  found  a  man  who  believed  the 
Gospel,  and  who  could,  without  any  scruple,  administer  the 
ordinance  as  he  conceived  it  to  be  taught  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 

He  was  invited  a  day  or  two  before  to  hear  Mr.  Scott,  but 
knowing  nothing  of  his  views,  he  supposed  that  he  preached 
much  as  others  did,  but  agreed  to  go  and  hear  him.  It  was 
near  the  close  of  the  services  when  he  reached  the  Baptist 
Church  and  joined  the  crowd  at  the  door,  who  were  unable  to 
get  into  the  house.  The  first  sentence  he  heard  aroused  and 
excited  him;  it  sounded  like  that  gospel  which  he  had  read 
with  such  interest  at  home,  but  never  had  heard  from  the  pulpit 
before.    He  now  felt  a  great  anxiety  to  see  the  man  who  was 


SCOTT  AND  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  BAPTISM  183 


speaking  so  much  like  the  oracles  of  God,  and  pressed  through 
the  throng  into  the  house.  Mr.  Dibble,  the  clerk  of  the  church, 
saw  him  enter,  and  knowing  that  he  had  been  seeking  and 
longing  to  find  a  man  who  would  preach  as  the  Word  of  God 
read,  thought  within  himself,  "  Had  Mr.  Amend  been  here  dur- 
ing all  those  discourse  I  feel  sure  he  would  have  found  what 
he  has  so  long  sought  in  vain.  I  wish  the  preacher  would  re- 
peat what  he  said  before  he  came  in."  Greatly  to  his  surprise 
the  preacher  did  give  a  brief  review  of  the  various  points  of 
his  discourse,  insisting  that  the  Word  of  God  meant  what  it 
said,  and  urging  his  hearers  to  trust  that  Word  implicitly.  He 
rehearsed  again  the  Jerusalem  scene,  called  attention  to  the 
earnest,  anxious  cry  of  the  multitude,  and  the  comforting  reply 
of  the  apostle,  "  Kepent.  and  be  baptised,  every  one  of  you, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye 
shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  He  invited  any  one 
present  who  believed  with  all  his  heart,  to  yield  to  the  terms 
proposed  in  the  words  of  the  apostle,  and  show  by  a  willing 
obedience  his  trust  in  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory.  Mr.  Amend 
pressed  his  way  through  the  crowd  to  the  preacher  and  made 
known  his  purpose;  made  a  public  declaration  of  his  belief  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  his  willingness  to  obey  him,  and 
on  the  same  day,  in  a  beautiful,  clear  stream  which  flows  on 
the  southern  border  of  the  town,  in  the  presence  of  a  great 
multitude,  he  was  baptised  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for 
the  remission  of  sins.* 

The  effect  of  this  preaching  and  the  baptism  of  Mr. 
Amend  were  electrical.  The  whole  community  was  stirred. 
Mr.  Scott  continued  his  labours  during  the  following  week 
and  many  others,  who  had  been  unable  to  accept  the  usual 
teaching  upon  the  subject  of  conversion,  saw  for  the  first  - 
time  their  way  into  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  result 
was  that  Scott's  name  and  the  new  doctrine  became  prac- 
tically household  words,  and  from  that  time  forward  the 
great  Evangelist  continued  to  give  baptism  a  prominent 
place  in  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  He  afterwards 
generalised  the  whole  scheme  of  redemption  under  three 
heads : 

1.  Evangelical. 

2.  Transitional. 

3.  Ecclesiastical. 

But  at  the  time  just  now  under  consideration,  his 
scheme  comprehended  the  whole  subject  under  seven 
divisions : 

1.  It  introduced  Faith  on  Evidence.    2.  Repentance  on 
Motive.    3.  Obedience  on  Authority.    4.  It  put  the  gift  of  the 
*"Life  of  Walter  Scott,"  by  William  Baxter. 


184    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Holy  Spirit  where  the  Scriptures  put  it.  5.  It  restored  the 
creed  of  our  religion  to  its  proper  place  and  eminence  above 
all  other  things  in  the  gospel.  0.  It  limited  the  faith  and  love 
of  the  gospel  to  a  person;  not  a  doctrine  or  a  fact.  7.  It 
delivered  from  false  centres  of  affection,  as  well  as  false  centres 
of  faith;  for  while  it  held  up  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  his 
divine  nature  or  faith,  it  also  held  him  up  in  his  oflSces  for 
affection;  for  it  baptised  men  for  remission  of  sins  by  his 
blood.    A  doctrine  was  no  longer  the  centre.* 

This  style  of  preaching  was  at  least  intelligible  to  the 
popular  mind.  The  whole  subject  of  conversion  was  at 
this  time  much  obscured  by  mysticism,  abstract  operations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  indefiniteness  as  to  the  time  when 
and  place  w^here  the  penitent  believer  could  be  assured 
of  pardon.  Among  the  Baptists,  what  was  called  a 
"  Christian  experience  "  was  usually  accepted  as  the  evi- 
dence of  pardon.  These  "experiences "  were  sometimes 
very  curious  and  ludicrous.  They  nearly  always  lacked 
dignity  and  were,  for  the  most  part,  wholly  without  even 
a  Scriptural  reference,  to  say  nothing  of  misapplication 
of  Scripture,  even  when  it  was  mentioned.  The  new  doc- 
trine, however,  had  both  Scripture  and  definiteness  to 
recommend  it.  Whoever  read  the  New  Testament  with 
care  could  not  fail  to  see  that  there  was  in  many  passages 
a  close  connection  between  baptism  and  remission  of 
sins,  and  these  Scriptures  became  a  powerful  instrumen- 
tality in  the  hands  of  as  eloquent  a  preacher  as  Mr.  Scott 
was.  He  quoted  these  texts  with  a  full  assurance  of 
faith,  and  there  was  no  doubt  as  to  their  meaning  from 
his  point  of  view.  To  the  average  inquirer  his  preaching 
was  like  a  new  revelation  from  Heaven.  Hundreds  of 
people  declared  that  they  now  for  the  first  time  could 
read  their  titles  clear,  for  the  reason  that  they  could 
quote  the  Word  of  God  for  every  step  they  had  taken  in 
accepting  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

Of  course  there  were  some  who  railed  against  the  new 
doctrine.  It  was  called  "  Salvation  by  Water,"  or  "  Water 
Salvation."  With  those  who  were  more  serious  and  better 
informed  it  was  regarded  with  very  great  suspicion,  be- 
cause it  seemed  to  verge  closely  upon  the  doctrine  of  "  bap- 
tismal regeneration."  In  view  of  this  fact,  not  a  few  of 
the  preachers  became  alarmed,  and  began  a  strong  oppo- 
sition to  Scott  and  his  new  doctrine  of  baptism.  But 

•  "  Historical  Documents,"  p.  7. 


SCOTT  AND  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  BAPTISM  185 


all  the  same  Scott  was  really  sweeping  everything  before 
him.  The  whole  Western  Reserve  was  deeply  affected 
by  the  new  movement.  The  Mahoning  Association  prac- 
tically unanimously  came  over  to  the  movement,  abandon- 
ing their  articles  of  faith,  and  agreeing  to  take  the  Word 
of  God  as  their  all-sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 
Mr.  Scott's  preaching  was  quite  different  from  the  popu- 
lar preaching  in  another  respect.  He  insisted  that  faith 
is  personal,  not  doctrinal.  In  short,  it  was  a  hearty  ac- 
ceptance of  Jesus  as  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 
With  him  it  was  not  so  much  that  the  creeds  were  wrong 
in  this  or  that  respect,  but  they  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  sinner's  salvation.  He  was  called  upon  to  look  to 
Christ  for  this,  to  believe  in  Christ  with  all  his  heart, 
and  the  question  of  doctrine,  if  any  such  question  should 
arise,  could  be  settled  after  he  became  a  Christian.  It 
was  the  duty  of  an  evangelist  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and 
this  comprehended  facts,  commands,  and  promises;  facts 
to  be  believed,  commands  to  be  obeyed,  and  promises  to 
be  enjoyed.  The  facts  were  all  embraced  in  the  proposi- 
tion that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 
Mr.  Scott  declared  that  this  Christ  is  our  Prophet,  Priest, 
and  King.  Our  Prophet  to  teach  us,  our  Priest  to  inter- 
cede for  us,  and  our  King  to  rule  over  us.  The  transitional 
part  of  Christianity  was  covered  by  the  conditions  of  the 
Gospel,  namely  faith,  repentance,  and  baptism,  the  last 
being  the  consummating  act  of  the  penitent  believer  in 
passing  from  darkness  to  light,  from  the  power  of  Satan 
to  God;  or  in  other  words,  baptism  is  the  act  by  which 
the  penitent  believer's  state  is  changed;  faith  changing 
the  heart,  repentence  the  life,  and  baptism  the  state. 
Perhaps  some  of  these  generalisations  were  not  specially 
insisted  upon  at  the  time  now  under  consideration,  but 
these  became  the  watchwords  of  the  movement  during  its 
progress  after  this  time. 

But  Mr.  Scott  was  not  only  an  efficient  evangelist;  he 
was  also  a  graceful  and  effective  writer.  He  became  ac- 
tively associated  with  Mr.  Campbell  in  the  very  beginning 
of  the  Christian  Baptist.  Indeed,  Mr,  Campbell  consulted 
him  in  making  the  arrangements  for  the  publication  of 
that  periodical,  and  Mr.  Scott  became  a  regular  contribu- 
tor to  its  pages,  usually  writing  under  the  pseudonym  of 
"  Philip."    Many  of  the  most  trenchant  articles  of  that 


186   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


remarkable  magazine  were  written  by  Mr.  Scott.  It  was 
chiefly  in  these  articles  that  he  laid  the  foundation  for 
his  subsequent  mature  works,  such  as  the  Messiahship 
or  the  Great  Demonstration."  This  latter  is  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  books  that  were  produced  during  the 
lifetime  of  Mr.  Scott.  His  work  on  the  "  Gospel  Re- 
stored "  was  of  great  value  to  the  Reformation  at  the  time 
it  was  issued  from  the  press.  It  is  yet  a  classic  with 
the  Disciples,  and  doubtless  the  young  preachers  could 
not  do  better  than  to  read  these  works  of  Mr.  Scdtt.  As 
the  "  Gospel  Restored  "  is  founded  upon  a  very  luminous 
generalisation,  it  may  be  well  to  quote  from  its  preface 
the  following  paragraph : 

In  the  tenth  number  of  the  Millennial  Harbinger,  for  1831, 
the  restoration  of  the  true  gospel  is  referred  to,  in  the  following 
manner :  "  Brother  Walter  Scott,  who,  in  the  fall  of  1827, 
arranged  the  several  items  of  faith,  repentance,  baptism,  re- 
mission of  sins,  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  eternal  life,  restored 
them  in  this  order  to  the  church  under  the  title  of  the  ancient 
gospel,  and  preached  it  successfully  to  the  world — has  written 
a  discourse,"  etc.  In  the  Evangelist,  for  1833,  the  following 
paragraph,  of  the  connection  between  the  above  elements  and 
sin,  which  they  are  intended  to  destroy,  occurs :  "  In  regard  to 
sinners  and  sin,  six  things  are  to  be  considered — the  love  of  it, 
the  practice  of  it,  the  state  of  it,  the  guilt  of  it,  the  power  of 
it,  and  the  punishment  of  it.  The  first  three  relate  to  the  sin- 
ner;  the  last  three  to  sin.  Now  faith,  repentance,  and  baptism 
refer  to  the  first  three,  the  love,  and  practice,  and  state  of 
sin;  while  remission,  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  resurrection 
relate  to  the  last  three,  the  guilt,  and  power,  and  punishment 
of  sin.  In  other  words,  brethren,  to  make  us  see  the  beauty 
and  perfection  of  the  gospel  theory  as  devised  by  God;  faith 
is  to  destroy  the  love  of  sin,  repentance  to  destroy  the  practice 
of  it,  baptism  the  state  of  it,  remission  the  guilt  of  it,  the 
Spirit  the  power  of  it,  and  the  resurrection  to  destroy  the 
punishment  of  sin;  so  that  the  last  enemy,  death,  will  be 
destroyed. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  foregoing  that  Mr.  Scott  made  at 
least  three  very  practical  contributions  to  the  great  move- 
ment which  he  had  espoused,  and  whose  principles  he 
advocated  with  such  ability. 

(1.)  His  insistence  upon  the  personal  element  in  the 
Gospel  as  a  thing  to  be  preached,  rather  than  doctrines, 
whether  true  or  false.  With  him  all  Gospel  preaching 
centered  in  Jesus,  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 


SCOTT  AND  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  BAPTISM  187 


(2.)  His  insistence  that  baptism  is  the  consummating 
act  of  the  sinner's  return  to  God;  that  when  the  sinner 
believes  with  all  his  heart,  repents  sincerely  of  his  sins, 
the  final  act  by  which  he  definitely  takes  his  stand  on  the 
side  of  Christ,  is  baptism;  and  this  makes  conversion  de- 
pend upon  the  action  of  the  subject,  and  practically  as- 
sumes that  conversion  itself  is  active,  just  as  the  Greek 
word  which  expresses  it  requires  it  to  be,  for  "  epistrepho  " 
is  in  the  active  voice.  Conversion,  therefore,  is  not  some- 
thing that  is  done  for  the  sinner,  or  in  the  sinner,  but 
something  he  himself  does.  He  must,  therefore,  believe 
for  himself,  repent  for  himself,  be  baptised  for  himself; 
the  last  act  consummating  the  transitional  part  of  his 
return  to  God.  By  dividing  the  whole  of  Christianity 
into  the  three  parts  indicated  by  Mr.  Scott,  namely,  evan- 
gelical, transitional,  and  ecclesiastical,  the  whole  subject 
took  on  a  new  aspect  in  the  popular  mind ;  and  Mr.  Scott's 
preaching,  as  well  as  that  of  those  associated  with 
him,  became  well  nigh  irresistible,  not  only  because  of 
the  important  matter  presented,  but  also  because  it 
was  presented  with  such  clearness,  force,  and  enthu- 
siasm. 

(3.)  Mr.  Scott  made  a  very  distinct  and  important  con- 
tribution to  the  movement  in  his  differentiating  the 
Church,  or  the  ecclesiastical  part  of  Christianity,  from 
the  other  two  parts,  to  which  attention  has  already  been 
called.  He  showed  that  in  this  relationship  the  penitent 
baptised  believer  had  certain  promises  made  to  him  which 
could  now  be  realised  and  enjoyed.  These  promises  were 
remission  of  sins,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  hope 
of  Eternal  Life. 

Mr.  Scott's  work  was  very  influential  in  shaping  the 
character  and  giving  success  to  the  religious  movement 
with  which  he  had  become  so  enthusiastically  identified. 
When  he  espoused  its  cause,  he  practically  burned  the 
bridges  and  gave  himself  unreservedly  to  its  advocacy  both 
day  and  night.  In  some  respects,  he  was  the  most 
scholarly  man,  excepting  the  Campbells,  who  was  identi- 
fied with  the  movement  at  this  time.  But  it  was  as  a 
public  speaker  that  his  influence  was  most  felt.  His  mag- 
netic personality,  behind  a  voice  which  was  matchless  in 
its  unique  melody,  gave  him  unrivalled  power  in  the  pulpit. 
His  earnestness,  also,  was  like  a  flame  of  fire.    He  knew 


188   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


no  such  word  as  fail,  and  when  he  was  pleading  with 
sinners  to  accept  the  Saviour,  or  with  sectarians  to  aban- 
don their  denominational  positions,  he  was  practically 
irresistible. 

But  not  the  least  element  of  power  was  the  definite, 
reasonable,  and  Scriptural  plea  which  he  had  to  present. 
His  new  doctrine  of  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins 
may  have  been  overworked  occasionally,  and  in  the  case 
of  a  few  men  who  accepted  this  doctrine,  there  was  doubt- 
less sometimes  an  imperfect  statement  of  it;  so  that  the 
opposition  to  it  was  not  altogether  without  some  founda- 
tion in  reason.  Nevertheless,  as  it  was  stated  by  Scott 
and  advocated  by  the  more  intelligent  men  associated 
with  him,  it  was  a  most  potent  element  in  evangelisation. 
The  difficulty  with  the  popular  doctrine  of  conversion  was 
mainly  in  the  fact  that  there  was  no  place  in  the  whole 
process  where  the  sinner  could  know  definitely  that  his 
sins  were  forgiven.  He  was  taught  to  rely  upon  feeling, 
or  what  was  called  "  Christian  Experience,"  and  as  this 
was  variable,  and  altogether  without  Scriptural  warrant, 
it  did  not  bring  a  satisfactory  assurance  to  those  who  were 
seeking  salvation.  The  mourners'  bench  was  substituted 
for  obedience,  and  the  sinner  was  urged  to  rely  upon  emo- 
tional states  for  the  evidence  of  his  pardon.  Scott's  new 
view  of  the  matter  gave  the  assurance  of  the  Word  of 
God.  When  the  sinner  believed  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
with  all  his  heart,  confessing  Him  before  men,  and  turn- 
ing away  from  his  sins,  he  was  then  ready  to  be  baptised, 
and  this  baptism  was  the  consummating  act  on  his  part 
of  his  return  to  God,  and  he  had  the  assurance  of  Scrip- 
ural  testimony  that  his  sins  were  pardoned;  consequently 
he  was  not  left  in  doubt  as  to  his  religious  state,  for  if 
the  Word  of  God  is  to  be  believed,  then  he  was  undoubtedly 
forgiven,  because  he  had  done  what  that  Word  requires 
in  order  to  forgiveness. 

It  was  not  affirmed  that  no  one  could  obtain  forgiveness 
except  through  the  ordinance  of  baptism;  but  it  was 
affirmed  that  baptism  was  included  in  the  Divine  Plan, 
and  that  when  the  sinner  had  the  privilege  of  meeting  all 
the  conditions  of  this  plan,  baptism  was  the  place  where 
and  time  when  he  received  forgiveness  of  sins  through 
faith  in  the  name  of  Christ  and  through  the  efficacy  of 
his  redeeming  blood. 


SCOTT  AND  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  BAPTISM  189 


Whatever  else  may  be  said  of  this  contention,  it  certainly 
had  great  advantages  as  an  evangelistic  method.  It  had 
deflniteness.  It  dealt  with  time  and  place.  It  drew  a 
distinct  line  between  the  sinner  out  of  Christ  and  the 
believer  in  Christ.  The  advocates  of  this  view  utterly 
repudiated  the  popular  doctrine  of  baptismal  regeneration, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  they  advocated  an  important  place 
for  baptism  in  the  evangelistic  programme.  Instead  of 
baptism  being  an  ordinance  of  the  Church,  they  insisted 
that  it  was  an  ordinance  of  the  Gospel.  It  came  before  the 
Church,  and  was  one  of  the  conditions  of  the  Gospel  ante- 
ceding  Church  relationship. 

In  looking  over  the  whole  field  of  operations,  as  this 
field  presented  itself  during  Mr.  Scott's  active  evangelistic 
work,  it  seems  highly  probable  that  his  view  of  the  design 
of  baptism  had  more  to  do  with  his  great  success  than 
perhaps  any  other  thing.  In  any  case,  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  the  new  doctrine  was  very  attractive  to  those 
who  studied  the  Scriptures,  and  it  is  also  true  that  the 
earnest  way  in  which  this  doctrine  was  preached  greatly 
stimulated  the  study  of  the  Scriptures  as  they  had  not 
been  studied  before  this  doctrine  was  preached. 

It  was  not  long  until  Scott  had  gathered  about  him 
other  men  who  became  very  influential  in  carrying  on  the 
work  in  the  Western  Reserve.  Such  men  as  Joseph  Gas- 
ton, John  Whitacre,  John  Secrest,  James  G,  Mitchell, 
Adamson  Bentley,  Cyrus  Bosworth,  John  Henry,  Marcus 
Bosworth,  Jacob  Osborne,  the  Haydens,  and  many  others 
too  numerous  to  mention,  became  active  participants  in 
the  movement  during  its  early  stages,  many  of  whom  were 
second  only  to  Scott  in  their  evangelistic  zeal  and  their 
intelligent,  forcible  advocacy  of  the  plea.  But  it  was 
Walter  Scott  who  brought  into  the  movement  the  emphatic 
evangelistic  element,  and  it  is  perhaps  due  to  him  more 
than  to  any  one  else  that  the  movement  has  always  been 
characterised  for  its  strong  note  of  evangelism.  However, 
it  is  only  fair  to  state  the  fact  that  the  Stone  movement 
in  Kentucky,  which  ultimately  reached  Ohio,  and  some 
parts  of  the  Western  Reserve,  was  also  characterised  by 
a  strong  evangelistic  tendency.  But  the  Stone  movement 
very  largely  ignored,  or  else  did  not  at  least  emphasise 
the  third  important  fact  in  preaching  the  whole  Gospel. 
From  a  Scriptural  point  of  view,  in  order  to  preach  the 


190    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


whole  Gospel,  it  is  necessary  to  declare  first  of  all  that 
men  are  sinners,  and  second,  that  Jesus  is  the  Saviour  of 
sinners,  and  third,  how  this  Saviour  saves  these  sinners. 
The  Stone  movement  dealt  very  earnestly  and  intelligently 
with  the  first  two,  but,  after  all,  it  left  the  sinner  un- 
certain as  to  how  the  Saviour  would  save  them.  This  last 
was  the  thing  that  Scott  made  clear  as  it  had  not  been 
made  before.  It  was  the  added  statement  in  the  Gospel 
message  which  gave  the  sinner  an  assurance  that  when 
he  had  complied  with  the  conditions  of  the  Gospel,  he 
was  undoubtedly  saved  from  his  sins,  and  that  he  had  the 
Word  of  God  to  substantiate  his  contention.  It  will  be 
seen,  therefore,  that  while  the  Stone  movement  was  evan- 
gelistic in  its  character,  it  did  not  do  much  more  than  had 
been  done,  in  the  days  that  were  passed,  with  respect  to 
a  definite  Gospel  message.  It  was,  therefore,  from  the 
Western  Reserve,  under  the  influence  of  Walter  Scott 
that  the  full  evangelistic  note  of  the  Reformation  rang 
out.  This  fact  should  be  accepted  as  one  of  the  well 
attested  facts  connected  with  the  genesis  of  the  Camp- 
bellian  Reformation. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  nature  of  the  contention  with 
respect  to  baptism,  in  the  early  days  of  the  Reformation 
in  the  Western  Reserve,  the  following  incident  is  an  ex- 
ample of  many  others  that  might  be  mentioned.  At  one 
of  A.  B.  Green's  meetings  there  was  a  Miss  Langworthy 
among  the  converts.  The  Congregational  minister  be- 
came much  excited  at  seeing  the  people  so  deluded  and 
led  away  in  error,  as  he  supposed  them  to  be.  Mr.  Green 
had  taught  the  converts  simply  to  believe  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  as  their  Saviour,  and  to  trust  honestly  to 
His  Gospel  Word  of  Promise,  "  He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptised  shall  be  saved."  The  Congregational  minister 
came  in  the  crowd  to  the  meeting,  and  noting  Miss  Lang- 
worthy's  presence,  he  took  the  liberty  to  call  her  attention 
to  the  danger  of  the  error  she  was  embracing.  "  Why," 
she  innocently  responded,  "  has  not  the  Lord  told  us  to 
come  and  be  baptised?  "  "  Oh,  I  tell  you,"  said  the  min- 
ister, "  it  is  a  most  pernicious  doctrine,  and  you  are  ex- 
posing yourself  and  being  damned  if  you  believe  it." 
"  But,"  she  responded,  "  the  Saviour  said  that  '  he  that 
believeth  and  is  baptised  shall  be  saved,'  and  now  if  I 
believe  on  Him  with  all  my  heart  and  am  baptised,  will 


SCOTT  AND  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  BAPTISM  191 


He  damn  me?  "  This  ended  the  discussion.  Meantime, 
Green  did  not  say  a  word,  perceiving  that  the  youug 
woman  in  her  tears  and  simplicity  was  effectually  defend- 
ing the  faith.  Such  incidents  only  strengthened  the  cause 
which  was  advocated  by  the  Reformers  of  that  period. 


CHAPTER  VI 


SCRIPTURAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM 

THE  doctrine  of  Christian  baptism  for  the  remission 
of  sins  became  such  a  prominent  feature  of  the  re- 
formatory movement  that  it  deserves  a  separate 
chapter  for  a  somewhat  exhaustive  statement  with  regard 
to  it. 

It  is  probable  that  in  no  other  respect  have  the  "  Re- 
formers," as  they  were  called  in  those  days,  been  more 
shamefully  misrepresented.  However,  it  is  probable  that 
the  misrepresentation,  at  least  in  many  cases,  was  unin- 
tentional. The  new  view  was  so  radically  different  from 
the  general  understanding  of  the  matter  by  religious 
teachers,  at  the  period  under  consideration,  it  is  not  at  all 
remarkable  that  many  thoroughly  conscientious,  and  even 
intelligent,  people  regarded  the  doctrine  of  baptism,  as 
presented  by  the  "  Reformers,"  as  essentially  the  doctrine 
of  "  baptismal  regeneration."  Every  one  knows  how  diffi- 
cult it  is  to  overcome  honest  prejudices.  It  is  charitable 
to  believe  that  very  many  of  those  who  opposed  the  new- 
doctrine  did  so  because  they  thoroughly  misunderstood  its 
meaning,  and  especially  as  it  required  of  them  an  entire 
reconstruction  of  their  views  as  to  the  design  of  baptism. 

But  another  reason  may  be  given  for  the  violent  oppo- 
sition which  the  new  doctrine  received.  Alexander  Camp- 
bell himself  admitted  that  the  early  Church  made  baptism 
and  regeneration  equivalent  terms,  and  from  a  Scriptural 
point  of  view  this  contention  was  justifiable.  The  diffi- 
culty in  the  case  was  mainly  in  the  meaning  Mr.  Campbell 
ascribed  to  regeneration,  not  to  baptism.  Regeneration 
was  used  in  the  sense  of  a  process  of  which  baptism  was 
simply  the  consummating  act.  But  the  popular  view  of 
regeneration,  during  the  time  of  the  Campbells,  was  that 
"  Regeneration  "  is  an  act  of  God.  It  is  not  simply  re- 
ferring to  Him  as  its  giver,  and,  in  that  same  sense  its 
author,  as  He  is  the  giver  of  faith  or  of  repentance. 

192 


SCRIPTURAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM  193 


It  is  not  an  act  by  which  argument  and  persuasion,  or 
by  moral  power,  He  induces  the  sinner  to  reform.  But  it 
is  an  act  of  which  He  is  the  agent.  It  is  God  who  re- 
generates. The  soul  is  regenerated.  In  this  sense  the 
soul  is  passive  in  regeneration,  which  (subjectively  con- 
sidered) is  a  change  wrought  in  us,  not  an  act  performed 
by  us.  .  .  .  Regeneration  is  not  only  an  act  of  God, 
but  also  an  act  of  His  almighty  power.  Raising  Lazarus 
from  the  dead  was  an  act  of  omnipotence.  Nothing  inter- 
vened between  the  volition  and  the  effect.  The  act  of 
quickening  was  the  act  of  God."  * 

It  can  readily  be  seen  that  those  who  held  to  this  view 
of  regeneration  could  not  admit  that  baptism  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  it,  since  it  is  "  wholly  an  act  of  God." 
But  Mr.  Campbell's  contention  was  that  this  doctrine  of 
regeneration  was  itself  unscriptural,  and  also  contrary 
to  the  teaching  of  the  Ante-Nicene  fathers.  However,  if 
regeneration  is  to  be  confined  simply  to  a  divine  act,  an 
implantation  of  the  new  life  in  the  sinner  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  or  by  God  Himself,  as  Dr.  Hodge  presents  the 
matter,  then  Mr.  Campbell  and  his  associates  did  not  be- 
lieve that  baptism  had  anything  to  do  with  the  question  of 
regeneration.  Hence  their  contention  had  to  do  with  the 
word  regeneration  rather  than  with  baptism.  No  one 
taught  more  earnestly  the  importance  of  faith  and  re- 
pentance, as  antecedents  of  baptism,  than  Mr.  Campbell 
and  those  associated  with  him.  His  book  on  baptism  is 
entitled  "  Christian  Baptism,  with  its  Antecedents  and 
Consequents."  In  this  book  Mr.  Campbell  sets  forth, 
in  a  very  comprehensive  manner,  his  whole  view,  and  the 
following  liberal  extract  will  serve  to  correct  any  false 
impression  that  may  have  been  entertained  with  respect 
to  his  mature  teaching  with  respect  to  the  matter: 

In  the  evangelical  dispensation  of  justification,  it  is  in  some 
sense  connected  with  seven  causes.  Paul  affirms  that  a  man 
is  justified  by  faith:  Rom.  v:l;  Gal.  ii:16;  iii :  24.  In  the 
second  place,  he  states  that,  "  we  are  justified  freely  by  his 
grace":  Rom.  iii:  24;  Titus  iii :  7.  In  the  third  place,  on  an- 
other occasion,  he  teaches  that  "  we  are  justified  by  Christ's 
hlood  " :  Rom.  v :  9.  Again,  in  the  fourth  place,  he  says  that 
"  we  are  justified  by  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  tfie 
spirit  of  our  God  " :  I.  Cor.  vi :  11.   To  the  Galatians,  in  the 

•  "  Systematic  Theology,"  by  Dr.  Hodge. 


194    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


fifth  place,  he  dechxres,  that  "  we  are  jiistitied  hj  Christ'':  Gal. 
ii :  16.  In  the  sixth  place,  Isaiah  says,  "  we  are  justified  by 
knowledge":  Isa.  liii:ll.  And  James,  in  the  seventh  place, 
says,  we  are  justified  by  tcorks  " :  chap,  ii :  21.  Thus,  by 
Divine  authority,  faith  is  connected  as  an  effect,  in  some  sense, 
of  seven  causes,  viz.  Faith,  Grace,  the  Blood  of  Christ,  the 
Name  of  the  Lord,  Knowledge,  Christ,  and  Works.  May  it 
not,  then,  be  asked,  "  Why  do  so  many  select  one  of  these  only 
as  essential  to  justification?  This  is  one  of  the  evidences  of 
the  violence  of  sectarianism. 

Call  these  causes  or  means  of  justification  and  they  may 
severally  indicate  an  influence  or  an  instrumentality  in  the 
consummation  of  this  great  act  of  Divine  favour.  He  that 
assumes  any  one  or  two  of  them,  as  the  exclusive  or  one  only 
essential  cause  of  a  sinner's  justification,  acts  arbitrarily  and 
hazardously,  rather  than  discreetly  or  according  to  the  oracles 
of  God.  We  choose  rather  to  give  to  them  severally  a  Divine 
significance,  and  consequently,  a  proper  place  in  the  consum- 
mation of  evangelical  justification.  We  feel  obliged  to  use  the 
same  reason  and  discretion  in  ascertaining  the  developments  of 
this  work  of  Divine  grace,  that  we  may  employ  in  searching 
into  the  works  of  God  in  nature  and  in  moral  government. 
How  many  agents  and  laws  of  nature  co-operate  in  providing 
our  dail}-  bread  Suns  rise  and  set,  moons  wax  and  wane,  tides 
ebb  and  flow,  the  planets  observe  their  cycles,  morning,  noon, 
and  night,  perform  their  functions,  the  clouds  pour  their 
treasures  into  the  bosom  of  the  thirsty  earth,  the  dews  distil 
their  freshness  on  the  tender  blade,  and  the  electric  fluid,  un- 
observed, in  perpetual  motion,  as  the  anima  mundi  ministers 
to  life  in  every  form  of  vegetable,  animal,  and  human  existence. 

Why,  then,  to  reason's  ear  should  it  sound  discordant  or  to 
reason's  eye  appear  uncouth,  that,  in  the  scheme  of  redemption 
and  regeneration,  God's  instrumentalities  should  be  as  numer- 
ous and  as  various,  yet  as  co-operative  as  those  in  outward 
and  sensible  nature? 

Again,  let  us  survey  the  works  of  man  to  man,  his  modes  and 
forms  of  action  in  the  consummation  of  some  grand  scheme  of 
human  benefaction.  Take,  for  example,  that  philanthropist 
who,  standing  on  the  seashore,  descries  a  shipwrecked  crew 
clinging  to  a  portion  of  the  wreck,  tossed  to  and  fro  among 
the  foaming  billows  of  an  angry  sea.  He  calls  to  his  son  and 
commands  him  to  seize  a  boat  and  hasten  to  the  rescue.  He 
obeys.  Cheerfully  he  plies  the  oars,  and  fearlessly  struggles 
through  many  a  conflicting  wave,  till  he  reaches  the  almost 
famished  and  fainting  crew.  He  commands  them  to  seize  his 
arm  and  let  go  the  wreck,  and  he  will  help  them  into  his  boat. 
They  obey,  and,  all  aboard,  he  commands  them  to  grasp  each 
his  oar  and  co-operate  with  him  in  seeking  the  port  of  safety. 
They  cheerfully  co-operate,  and  are  saved. 

The  spectators  and  the  narrators  of  this  scene  form  and  ex- 
press very  different  views  of  it.    One  says  the  perishing  crew 


SCRIPTURAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM  195 


were  saved  by  a  man  on  the  shore ;  another,  by  his  son ;  another 
by  a  boat ;  another,  by  getting  into  a  boat ;  another,  by  rowing 
themselves  to  the  shore;  another,  by  a  favourable  breeze. 

They  all  told  the  truth.  There  is  no  contradiction  in  their 
misrepresentations.  But  a  philosopher  says  they  were  saved 
by  all  these  means  together.    Such  is  the  case  before  us. 

These  meaus  may  be  regarded  as  causes  co-operating  in  the 
result,  all  necessary,  not  one  of  them  superfluous.  But  some 
one  of  them,  to  one  person;  another,  to  a  second  person; 
another,  to  a  third  person ;  and  another,  to  a  fourth,  appears 
more  prominent  than  the  others;  consequently,  in  narrating 
the  deliverance,  he  ascribes  it  mainly  to  that  cause  which, 
at  the  time,  made  the  most  enduring  impression  on  his  own 
mind. 

But  the  calm,  contemplative  thinker  thus  arranges  these 
concurrent  causes.  The  original  or  moving  cause  was  the  hu- 
manity and  kindness  of  the  father  that  stood  on  the  shore  and 
saw  them  about  to  perish.  His  son,  who  took  the  boat  and  im- 
perilled his  life,  was  the  efficient  or  meritorious  cause.  The 
boat  itself  was  the  instrumental  cause.  The  knowledge  of 
their  own  condition  and  the  kind  invitation  tendered  to  the 
sufferers  was  the  disposing  cause.  Their  consenting  to  the 
condition  was  the  formal  cause.  Their  seizing  the  boat  with 
their  hands  and  springing  into  it  was  the  immediate  cause. 
And  their  co-operating  rowing  to  the  shore  was  the  concurrent 
and  effectual  cause  of  their  salvation. 

Had  any  one  of  the  Apostles  been  accosted  by  captious,  in- 
quisitive, and  speculative  partisans  for  a  reconciliation  of  all 
he  had  said,  or  that  his  fellow-labourers  had  said  in  their  nar- 
ratives, or  allusions  to  particular  persons,  scenes,  or  events 
happening  in  his  presence,  or  under  his  administration  of 
affairs;  had  he  been  requested  to  explain  and  reconcile  them 
with  what  he,  or  others  of  equal  authority,  had  on  other 
occasions  said  or  written  concerning  them,  doubtless,  in  some 
way  he  could  and  would  have  explained  them.  Indeed,  in  the 
common  experience  of  all  courts  of  enquiry,  and  tribunals  of 
justice,  where  numerous  statements  are  made  on  questions  of 
facts,  by  a  single  witness,  and,  still  more,  when  a  plurality  are 
examined,  such  diversified  representations  are  made  rather  to 
the  confirmation  than  to  the  detriment  or  disparagement  of  the 
import  or  the  credibility  of  these  statements.  How  often,  and 
by  how  many  cavillers  have  the  Four  Gospels  been  subjected 
to  such  ordeals,  on  such  pretences?  But  who  has  yet  found 
good  reasons  to  disparage  or  discredit  these  narratives  on  ac- 
count of  such  assaults  or  misunderstanding? 

No  question  agitated  since  the  era  of  Protestantism  has 
occupied  so  much  attention,  or  concentrated  a  greater  amount 
of  learning  and  research  than  the  question  of  justification  by 
faith;  not,  indeed,  because  of  the  inherent  difficulties  of  the 
subject,  but  because  of  the  defection  and  apostasy  of  the  papal 
hierarchy,  and  the  thick  pall  of  darkness  and  error  with  which 


196    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


it  had  developed  the  whole  Bible.  One  extreme  generates 
another.  Hence  the  terminology  of  the  most  orthodox  schools 
on  this  subject  is  neither  so  scriptural  nor  so  intelligible  as 
the  great  importance  of  the  subject  demands. 

To  harmonise  the  seven  statements  found  in  the  Bible  on  this 
subject,  we  know  no  method  more  rational  or  more  scriptural 
than  that  indicated  in  the  illustration  given.  We  are  par- 
doned and  treated  as  righteous,  or,  in  other  words,  we  are 
justified  by  the  grace  of  God  the  Father,  as  the  original  and 
moving  cause;  by  Christ  his  Son,  and  by  the  blood  or  sacrifice, 
as  the  meritorious  cause;  by  faith  and  knowledge,  as  instru- 
mental causes ;  by  our  convictions  of  sin  and  penitence,  as  the 
disposing  cause;  and  by  works,  as  the  concurrent  or  con- 
comitant cause.  This,  however,  is  justifying  God  in  justifying 
us.  "  You  see,"  said  the  Apostle  James,  "  how  faith  wrought 
by  works,"  in  the  case  of  Abraham,  when  he  offered  up  his  son 
upon  the  altar;  "and  by  works  his  faith  was  made  perfect." 
Indeed,  true  faith  necessarily  works;  therefore,  a  working 
faith  is  the  only  true,  real,  and  proper  faith  in  Divine  or 
human  esteem. 

Faith  without  works  is  no  more  faith  than  a  corpse  is  a  man. 
It  is,  therefore,  aptly,  by  high  authority,  regarded  as  "  dead." 
Faith  alone,  or  faith  without  works,  profits  nothing.  But,  as 
Romanists  taught  works  without  faith,  Protestants  have  some- 
times taught  faith  without  works.  The  latter  quote  Paul,  and 
the  former  quote  James,  as  plenary  authority.  But  the  two 
Apostles  have  fallen  into  bad  hands.  Paul  never  preached 
faith  without  works,  nor  James  works  without  faith.  Between 
these  parties,  the  Apostles  have  been  much  abused. 

Controversies  generate  new  terms  or  affix  new  ideas  to 
words.  The  question  between  Calvin  and  Arminius — or  be- 
tween their  followers — is  not  the  identical  question  between 
Paul  and  the  Jews,  or  James  and  nominal  Christians. 

The  works  of  the  law,  and  the  works  of  faith  are  as  different 
as  law  and  gospel.  Works,  indeed,  are  to  be  considered  as 
the  embodiments  of  views,  thoughts,  emotions,  volitions,  and 
feelings.  They  are  appreciable  indications  of  the  states  of  the 
mind;  sensible  exponents  of  the  condition  of  the  inner  man. 
For  example  he  that  seeks  justification  by  the  works  of  the 
law  is  not  in  a  state  of  mind  to  be  justified  by  the  blood  of 
Christ,  or  by  the  grace  of  God;  he  is  ignorant  of  himself, 
ignorant  of  God ;  consequently,  too  proud  of  his  powers  to 
condescend  to  be  pardoned  or  justified  by  the  mere  mercy  and 
merits  of  another.  Rich,  and  independent  in  his  views  of  him- 
self, he  cannot  think  of  being  a  debtor  to  the  worth  and  com- 
passion of  one  who  contemplates  him  as  ruined  and  undone 
forever.  He  is  too  proud  to  be  vain,  or  too  vain  to  be  proud 
of  himself.  In  either  view,  he  cannot  submit  to  the  righteous- 
ness of  faith.  For  this  purpose,  Paul  says  of  the  Pharasaic 
Jews,  "  They,  being  ignorant  of  God's  righteousness  and  going 
about  to  establish  their  own  righteousness,  have  not  submitted 


SCRIPTUKAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM  19T 


themselves  to  the  righteousness  of  God/'  or  to  that  righteous- 
ness which  God  has  provided  for  the  ungodly. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  works  of  him  that  is  justified  by  faith 
are  exponents  of  an  essentially  different  state  of  mind.  He  is 
humble,  dependent,  grateful.  Feeling  himself  undone,  ruined, 
a  debtor  without  hope  to  pay,  he  sues  for  mercy,  and  mercy  is 
obtained ;  he  is  grateful,  thankful,  and  humble,  before  God.  In 
this  view  of  the  matter,  to  justify  a  man  for  any  work  of  which 
he  is  capable,  would  be  to  confirm  him  in  carnality,  selfishness, 
and  pride.  But,  convinced,  humbled,  emptied  of  himself,  and 
learning,  through  faith  in  the  gospel,  that  God  has  provided  a 
ransom  for  the  ruined,  the  wretched,  and  the  undone,  he  gladly 
accepts  pardon  through  sovereign  mercy,  and  humbles  himself 
to  a  state  of  absolute  dependence  on  the  merits  and  mercy  of 
another.  Justification  by  faith  in  Christ  is,  then,  the  em- 
bodiment of  views  in  perfect  harmony  with  truth,  with  our 
condition,  with  the  whole  revealed  character  of  God,  and, 
necessarily,  tends  to  humility,  gratitude,  piety  and  humanity; 
while  justification  sought  by  works  as  naturally  tends  to  pride, 
ingratitude,  impiety,  and  inhumanity. 

Such  being  the  true  philosophy  of  justification  by  faith,  and 
of  justification  sought  and  supposed  to  be  obtained  by  works 
of  law,  we  need  not  marvel  that  the  God  of  all  grace,  after 
having  sent  his  Son  into  our  world  to  become  a  sacrifice  for 
us — to  die  for  our  sins,  and  to  rise  again  for  our  justification- 
should  have  instituted  faith  in  him,  in  his  death,  burial,  and 
resurrection,  as  the  means  of  a  perfect  reconciliation  to  him- 
self, commanding  us  not  only  to  cherish  this  faith  in  our 
hearts,  but  exhibit  it  by  a  visible  death  to  sin;  a  burial  with 
Christ  to  sin,  and  a  rising  again  to  walk  into  a  new  life,  ex- 
pressed and  symbolised  by  an  immersion  in  water,  into  the 
name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  not  as 
a  work  of  righteousness,  but  as  a  mere  confession  of  our  faith 
in  what  he  did  for  us,  and  of  our  fixed  purpose  to  walk  with 
him.  Hence,  it  is  the  only  suitable  institution  to  such  an  in- 
dication, as  being,  not  a  moral  work  of  righteousness,  but  a 
mere  passive  surrendering  of  ourselves  to  die,  to  be  buried,  and 
to  be  raised  again  by  the  merit  and  aid  of  another. 

Baptism,  is,  therefore,  no  work  of  law,  no  moral  duty,  no 
moral  righteousness,  but  a  simple  putting  on  of  Christ  and 
placing  ourselves  wholly  in  his  hand  and  under  his  guidance. 
It  is  an  open,  sensible,  voluntary  expression  of  our  faith  in 
Christ,  a  visible  embodiment  of  faith,  to  which,  as  being  thus 
perfected,  the  promise  of  the  remission  of  sins  is  divinely  an- 
nexed. In  one  word,  it  is  faith  perfected.  Hence,  when  Paul 
exegetically  develops  its  blessings,  he  says,  "  But  you  are 
washed,  but  you  are  sanctified,  but  you  are  justified  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  spirit  of  our  Lord."  Thus 
justification,  sanctification,  and  adoption — the  three  most 
precious  gifts  of  the  gospel— are  evangelically  connected  with 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  baptism  unto  his  death. 


198    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


The  immediate  baptism  of  the  first  converts  after  faith  is 
satisfactorily  explained  in  this  view  of  it:  three  thousand  in 
one  day  believed  and  were  baptised.  The  jailer  and  his  family 
were  enlightened,  believed,  and  were  baptised  the  same  hour 
of  the  night.  Paul  himself,  as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  from 
the  influence  of  the  supernatural  brightness  which  deprived 
him  of  sight,  and  before  he  had  eaten  or  drunk  anything,  was 
commanded  without  delay,  to  be  forthwith  baptised.  And 
he  arose  and  was  baptised."  Baptism,  with  them,  was  the 
perfecting,  or  confession  of  their  faith.  The  Ethiopian  eunuch, 
on  his  journey  in  the  desert,  is  as  striking  an  example  of  this 
as  are  the  cases  named.  It  was  "  putting  on  Christ "  as  their 
righteousness. 

Baptism,  without  faith,  is  of  no  value  whatever;  for  in 
truth,  baptism  is  but  the  actual  and  symbolic  profession  of 
faith.  It  is  its  legitimate  embodiment  and  consummation. 
And  whatever  virtue  there  is  in  it,  or  connected  with  it,  is  but 
the  virtue  of  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ  applied  to  the  con- 
science and  to  the  heart.  The  burial  in  water  is  a  burial  in 
Christ  and  with  Christ.  "  For  in  him  shall  all  the  seed  of 
Israel,"  the  believing  children  of  Abraham,  "■  be  justified,"  and 
in  him,  "  and  not  in  themselves,  shall  they  glory."  It  is,  then, 
the  sensible  and  experimental  deliverance  from  both  the  guilt 
and  the  pollution  of  sin ;  and  for  this  reason,  or  in  this  view  of 
it,  believing  penitents,  when  enquiring  ichat  they  should  do, 
were  uniformly  commanded  by  the  ambassadors  of  Christ  to 
be  "  baptised  for  the  remission  of  sins  "  as  God's  own  way, 
under  the  New  institution,  of  receiving  sinners  into  favour, 
through  the  death,  burial,  and  resurrection  of  his  Son  into 
whose  name  especially,  as  well  as  by  whose  mediatorial  au- 
thority, they  were  commanded  to  be,  on  confession,  buried  in 
baptism. 

Salvation,  in  the  aggregate,  is  all  of  grace;  and  all  the 
parts  of  it,  consequentl3%  gracious.  Nor  do  we,  in  truth,  in 
obeying  the  Gospel,  or  in  being  buried  in  baptism,  make  void, 
either  law  or  gospel,  but  establish  and  confirm  both.  * 

Of  course  it  must  be  conceded  that  some  of  the  oppo- 
sition to  the  new  view"  of  baptism  was  owing  to  the  igno- 
rance of  the  clergy  at  the  time  it  was  announced  and 
advocated. 

In  the  regions  where  the  Campbells,  Mr.  Scott,  and  their 
associates  laboured  there  were  very  few  educated  men  in 
the  ministry  of  any  of  the  religious  denominations.  This 
was  especially  true  of  the  Baptists,  with  w^hom  Mr.  Camp- 
bell had  become  identified  after  his  immersion.  These 
ignorant  ministers  began  a  most  persistent  opposition  to 
the  Campbellian  movement,  and  they  made  their  attack 

•"Campbell  on  Baptism,"  pp.  279-285. 


SCEIPTURAL  MEANING  OP  BAPTISM  199 


on  the  leaders  of  this  movement  mainly  from  the  point 
of  view  of  baptism  and  regeneration.  It  is  easy  to  see 
how  Mr.  Campbell  could  be  charged  by  ignorant  men 
with  holding  heretical  views  on  the  subject  of  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  well  as  on  the  design  of  baptism. 
If  regeneration  was  directly  wholly  a  divine  act,  then 
Mr.  Campbell  was  necessarily  heterodox  as  regards  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  also  the  design  of  baptism. 

But  when  Mr.  Campbell's  view  became  thoroughly  un- 
derstood many  of  the  more  intelligent  ministers  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  as  Avell  as  other  denominations,  could 
very  easily  see  that  the  whole  matter  in  discussion  turned 
upon  the  meaning  of  the  word  regeneration  rather  than 
the  meaning  of  baptism.  At  any  rate,  it  became  increas- 
ingly certain  that  Mr.  Campbell  was,  from  a  Scriptural 
point  of  view,  not  only  orthodox,  but  his  position  offered 
an  immense  advantage  as  an  element  in  evangelical  work. 
It  was  from  this  practical  j)oint  of  view  of  the  new  posi- 
tion, as  we  have  already  seen,  that  Mr.  Scott  and  those 
associated  with  him  in  evangelistic  work  demonstrated 
the  great  value  of  baptism  as  one  of  the  conditions  in  the 
Gospel  plan  of  salvation.  It  ought  to  be  stated  just  here 
that  while  the  Disciples  have  always  held  to  the  view  of 
baptism  as  presented  in  the  foregoing  considerations,  they 
have  never  made  the  acceptance  of  their  view  a  test  of 
religious  fellowship.  Indeed,  they  have  urged  their  view 
mainly  on  the  ground  of  its  scripturalness  and  its  prac- 
tical character  in  the  evangelistic  programme. 

In  a  work  entitled  "  The  Fundamental  Error  of  Chris- 
tendom," *  a  very  conservative  view  is  presented,  and  yet 
it  is  certain  that  this  view  is  generally  adopted  by  the 
Disciples  of  the  present  day. 

It  is  believed  that  a  practical  solution  of  this  difficult 
problem  may  be  found  in  at  least  three  directions.  In 
the  first  place,  we  may  limit  regeneration  to  the  antecedent 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the  Gospel  in  producing 
faith  and  begetting  in  us  the  new  life,  and  then  allow 
that  baptism  may  take  the  place  of  a  covenant,  or  "  Sac- 
ramentum,"  in  which  the  believer  takes  upon  himself  the 
obligations  of  the  Divine  government,  while  at  the  same 
time  he  receives  the  assurance  of  pardon  by  relying  upon 
the  testimony,     He  that  believeth  and  is  baptised  shall 

*  By  W.  T.  Moore,  Christian  Publishing  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


200   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


be  saved."  In  the  second  place,  the  term  "  regeneration  " 
may  be  regarded  as  including  everything  belonging  to  the 
new  birth,  or  the  return  of  the  sinner  to  God;  and  in  this 
case  baptism  would  be  properly  the  consummating  act  of 
all  that  is  involved  in  the  change,  or  the  decisive  act  by 
which  the  believing  penitent  definitely  takes  up  his  cross 
to  follow  Christ.  This  view  would  seem  to  be  in  harmony 
with  Peter's  teaching  (I.  Peter  iii:21)  that  baptism  is 
the  "answer  (Greek  decision)  of  a  good  conscience  to- 
wards God."  Hence  it  is  the  act  by  which  the  penitent 
believer  definitely  and  fully  accepts  Christ  and  takes  his 
position  on  the  Lord's  side.  Or,  in  the  third  place,  we 
need  not  concern  ourselves  with  any  special  theory  of 
either  regeneration  or  baptism,  but  simply  insist  upon 
all  that  the  Lord  has  commanded,  without  formulating 
anything  whatever. 

This  last  is,  doubtless,  the  safest  course  to  pursue,  and 
consequently  this  is  the  course  many  Disciples  would  most 
earnestly  recommend  in  order  to  Christian  union.  From 
almost  the  very  beginning  of  the  Christian  era  down  to  the 
present  time  speculations  and  theories  with  regard  to  bap- 
tism have  been  a  perpetual  source  of  discord  and  strife,  and 
even  now  there  really  seems  little  hope  of  peace  while  we 
are  engaged  in  adding  to  or  taking  from  the  Word  of 
God.  In  my  judgment,  it  is  quite  useless  to  think  seri- 
ously of  Christian  union  until  the  baptismal  question  is 
solved,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  no  satisfactory  solution 
will  be  reached  unless  we  are  willing  to  take  a  practical 
view  of  the  whole  matter  by  simply  following  the  plain 
teaching  of  the  Scriptures. 

But  I  am  thankful  there  is  a  sure  way  to  peace,  and 
this  is  by  recognising  the  supreme  authority  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  this  matter  as  in  all  other  things.  He 
has  evidently  spoken  definitely  upon  the  baptismal  ques- 
tion. There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  He  com- 
manded it.  Indeed,  He  himself  submitted  to  baptism  in 
order  that  He  might  fulfil  all  righteousness,  or  ratify 
every  Divine  institution.  Ought  we  not  to  be  as  loyal 
to  Him  as  He  was  to  His  Father?  Surely  if  we  call  Him 
Lord,  Lord,  we  ought  to  do  the  things  which  He  says. 
And  if,  when  He  tells  us  to  be  baptised,  we  willingly  sub- 
mit to  the  ordinance,  it  does  not  matter  much  whether  we 
understand  the  whole  meaning  or  not.    When  the  Israel- 


SCRIPTURAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM  201 


ites  were  told  to  look  to  the  brazen  serpent  and  be  healed, 
it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  any  of  them  understood  the 
philosophy  of  the  Lord's  appointment;  but  all  the  same, 
both  safety  and  loyalty  required  implicit  obedience  to  what 
they  had  been  divinely  commanded  to  do. 

No  one  supposes  that  Naaman  understood  the  secret 
of  Divine  healing  when,  in  obedience  to  the  commandment 
of  Elisha,  he  dipped  seven  times  in  the  River  Jordan ; 
and  yet  he  could  not  have  been  healed  had  he  not  done 
what  the  prophet  told  him  to  do.  Is  not  this,  after  all, 
the  best  way  to  treat  the  question  of  baptism?  The  Lord 
has  commanded  it,  and  His  Apostles  everywhere  practised 
it.  Is  not  this  a  sufficient  reason  why  we  should  attend 
to  it  as  soon  as  we  heartily  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ? 

Surely  there  is  no  need  for  hair-splitting  on  this  ques- 
tion any  more  than  other  questions  which  have  furnished 
such  a  battleground  for  Christians  of  all  ages.  Loyalty 
is  what  our  Divine  King  wants,  and  this  can  only  be 
given  to  Him  by  a  hearty  submission  to  His  will  whenever 
and  wherever  that  will  is  made  known.  This,  I  believe, 
is  the  only  sure  solution  of  the  baptismal  question ;  and 
as  this  question  lies  at  the  very  basis  of  all  feasible  plans 
for  permanent  Christian  union,  I  most  earnestly  hope 
that  all  who  love  our  Lord  and  Master,  and  would  sur- 
render everything  in  order  to  honour  Him,  will,  from 
this  day  forward,  determine,  by  the  help  of  God,  to  be 
true  to  Christ's  commandments,  even  though  this  should 
involve  submission  to  the  Divine  ordinance  of  believer's 
baptism. 

It  would  be  easy  enough  to  quote  volumes  from  the 
writings  of  the  Disciples,  positively  contradicting  the 
charges  which  have  been  made  against  them  in  reference 
to  their  teaching  concerning  the  design  of  baptism.  As 
already  intimated,  they  have  perhaps  sometimes  been  hon- 
estly misunderstood,  but  evidently  no  legitimate  construc- 
tion of  their  teaching  will  yield  the  notion  that  they  have 
at  any  time  ever  taught  the  doctrine  of  baptismal  regen- 
eration as  that  doctrine  is  understood  in  the  popular  mind. 
Undoubtedly  the  text  which  has  been  the  battleground  be- 
tween Disciples  and  their  opponents,  with  respect  to  the 
design  of  baptism,  is  Acts  ii :  38,  and  it  may  be  well  to 
give  an  exposition  of  this  passage  from  one  of  their 


202    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


writers,  as  this  will  show  not  only  the  Disciple  view  of 
the  legitimate  place  of  baptism,  but  also  will  illustrate 
their  inductive  method  of  settling  everything  by  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Scriptures: 

Let  us  study  carefully  the  following  passage :  "  And 
Peter  said  to  them:  Repent  and  be  baptised  each  one  of 
you,  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  in  order  to  the  re- 
mission of  your  sins,  and  you  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit."    ( Acts  ii :  38. ) 

There  are  at  least  two  extreme  views  with  respect  to 
this  passage,  and  these  both  have  a  bad  influence  on  the 
practical  results  of  evangelistic  labour.  One  view  makes 
too  much  of  baptism,  teaching  in  effect  the  doctrine  of 
"  baptismal  regeneration,"  while  the  other  makes  too  little 
of  baptism,  and  consequently  this  fine  saying  of  Peter  is 
very  seldom  if  ever  used  in  the  ministry  of  those  who  hold 
this  view.  Indeed,  it  is  believed  that  not  many  preachers 
of  the  evangelical  sort  ever  quote  this  passage  at  all  in 
these  beginning  days  of  the  twentieth  century. 

Now.  why  is  this?  Has  the  passage  ceased  to  possess 
any  binding  force,  as  an  authoritative  declaration  of  the 
Holy  Spirit?  Is  it  no  longer  to  be  consulted  when  seek- 
ing to  know  the  Divine  way  of  dealing  with  earnest  in- 
quirers? I  ask  these  questions  because  I  have  a  notion 
that  the  passage  has  special  importance  in  determining 
the  way  of  salvation.  Not  that  it  settles  everything. 
Xot  that  it  even  settles  anything  without  the  concurrent 
evidence  of  other  Scripture.  But  if  the  most  obvious  in- 
terpretation of  this  text,  not  only  does  not  contradict 
other  parts  of  the  Word  of  God,  but  is  really  supported 
by  the  whole  tenor  of  Divine  teaching,  then  we  should 
certainly  be  slow  to  neglect  it  in  our  preaching,  and  es- 
pecially in  instructing  earnest  inquirers.  It  seems  to  me 
its  importance  is  emphasised  in  the  light  of  the  facts  in 
which  it  stands.  It  is  the  first  deliverance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit's  teaching  after  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  which 
our  Lord  made  to  His  disciples.  The  disciples  were  com- 
manded to  "  tarry  at  Jerusalem  until  they  were  endued 
with  power  from  on  high."  At  Pentecost  they  received  that 
power,  and  Peter,  the  very  person  who  had  been  specially 
chosen  to  open  the  new  kingdom,  is  the  speaker.  He 
preaches  a  most  remarkable  sermon,  concluding  with  a 
splendid  climax :  "  Therefore,  let  all  the  house  of  Israel 


SCRIPTURAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM  203 


know  assuredly  that  God  hath  made  that  same  Jesus,  whom 
ye  have  crucified,  both  Lord  and  Christ.''  Never  was  there 
a  finer  summary  of  the  gospel  facts  than  this.  Jesus,  the 
historical  name,  is  here;  Christ  crucified  is  here;  Christ 
the  Anointed  One  is  here;  and  the  Lord,  the  One  having 
all  authority  in  heaven  and  earth,  is  here.  What  more 
was  needed  as  far  as  faith  was  concerned?  The  people 
had  clearly  set  before  them  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  em- 
bracing everything  that  was  necessarj^  to  be  addressed 
to  their  faith.  No  wonder  they  cried  out :  "  Men  and 
brethren,  what  must  we  do?  "  Peter's  answer  was :  "  Re- 
pent and  be  baptised,  every  one  of  you,  upon  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye 
shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost."    (Acts  ii :  38. ) 

Now  it  may  be  well  to  notice  the  order  in  which  the 
Apostle  places  the  various  items  in  this  text.  The  in- 
quirers were  told  to  repent  and  be  baptised."  They 
were  deeply  moved  by  Peter's  sermon — so  much  so,  that 
they  were  pricked  to  the  heart,  and  cried  out.  Surely 
here  was  real  conviction.  Consequently  the  Apostle  does 
not  tell  them  that  they  must  believe — they,  doubtless,  al- 
ready had  suflScient  faith  to  obey  Peter's  command;  and 
so  he  just  told  them  what  to  do,  and  then  exhorted  them 
to  do  it.  And  the  promise  was  that,  following  their 
obedience,  they  were  to  receive  remission  of  sins  and  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Now,  can  there  be  any  reasonable 
doubt  that  this  is  the  order  in  which  the  items  stand  re- 
lated? Of  course,  much  depends  upon  the  force  of  the 
proposition  eis,  which  in  the  Authorised  Version  is  trans- 
lated for."  And  we  think  it  will  help  us  to  determine 
the  exact  meaning  of  eis  here,  if  we  consider  the  whole 
phrase,  eis  aphesin  hamartioon, — "  for  the  remission  of 
sins."  The  phrase  only  occurs  in  three  other  places, 
viz.,  Matt,  xxvi :  28 ;  Mark  i :  4 ;  Luke  iii :  3.  Hence  four 
occurrences  exhaust  the  New  Testament  use  of  eis  aphesin 
hamartioon,  rendered  in  the  authorised  version  uniformly 
"  for  the  remission  of  sins,"  and  in  the  revised  version 
"  unto  the  remission  of  sins."  Now  if  we  can  certainly 
determine  the  force  of  eis  in  the  phrase  as  found  in 
Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke,  we  think  there  is  no  doubt  that 
it  should  have  the  same  force  in  Acts  ii :  38.  In  MattheAV 
xxvi :  28,  it  cannot  have  a  retrospeetive  significance,  since 
it  is  impossible  to  suppose  that  Jesus  shed  His  blood 


204    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

because  the  sins  of  the  world  icere  already  pardoned. 
And  it  is  just  as  evident  that  John  did  not  preach  the 
baptism  of  repentance  because  the  sins  of  the  people  were 
pardoned,  but  in  order  to  remission  (Mark  1:4;  Luke 
iii:3).  Now  as  the  force  of  eis  is  unmistakably  pros- 
pective in  all  the  other  occurrences  of  the  phrase,  it  must 
have  the  same  force  in  the  passage  under  consideration, 
unless  there  are  good  and  valid  reasons  why  the  uniformity 
of  meaning  should  be  broken.  No  such  reasons,  I  feel 
sure,  can  be  given.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  strong  cor- 
roborative evidence  that  the  Pentecostians  did  not  have 
their  sins  pardoned  when  Peter  told  them  to  "  repent  and 
be  baptised."  It  is  altogether  improbable  that  he  would 
have  told  them  to  repent  because  their  sins  were  pardoned. 
Nor  is  it  possible  to  suppose  that  their  inquiry  is  the  lan- 
guage of  sins  forgiven.  They  had  been  charged,  only  a 
few  moments  before,  with  crucifying  the  innocent  Jesus. 
Surely  they  were  not  such  characters  as  could  expect  the 
remission  of  sins  without  sincere  repentance.  But  bap- 
tism is  placed  between  the  repentance  and  the  remission 
of  sins,  which  was  promised,  and  consequently,  it  cannot 
be  said  that  they  were  to  be  baptised  because  of  the  re- 
mission of  sins  any  more  than  it  can  be  said  that  they 
were  to  repent  because  their  sins  were  remitted.  Hence 
we  conclude  that  every  rule  of  fair  exegesis  compels  us 
to  recognise  the  fact  that  Peter  told  these  Pentecostians 
to  repent  and  be  baptised  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  order  to  the  remission  of  sins. 

But,  it  may  be  asked,  how  can  this  interpretation  be 
made  to  harmonise  with  many  passages  which  do  not 
mention  repentence  and  baptism  as  in  any  way  connected 
with  remission  of  sins?  Let  us  just  here  state  a  canon 
of  criticism  which  is  most  important  in  this  discussion. 
'When  the  Scriptures  promise  a  blessing,  that  blessing 
may  depend  upon  more,  but  can  never  depend  upon  less, 
than  the  conditions  expressed  in  any  given  case.  For 
instance,  when  salvation  is  promised  to  any  one  who  calls 
upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  (Rom.  x:13),  it  is  evident 
that  nothing  short  of  this  calling  will  meet  the  case;  but 
no  one  would  seriously  contend  that  calling  upon  the 
name  of  the  Lord  entirely  exhausts  all  that  is  required  in 
order  to  salvation.  Precisely  so  is  it  as  regards  faith. 
Whenever  the  Scriptures  state  this  as  the  condition  of 


SCRIPTURAL  MEANING  OP  BAPTISM  205 


salvation,  and  mention  nothing  else,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  salvation  cannot  be  predicated  without  this 
faith,  but  it  does  not  follow  that  no  other  conditions  are 
understood,  because  they  are  not  specially  stated  in  the 
particular  case  referred  to.  Surely  the  command  to  be- 
lieve does  not  exclude  repentance,  calling  on  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  confession  of  Christ,  etc.  And  if  it  does  not 
exclude  these,  why  is  it  essential  to  suppose  that  it  neces- 
sarily excludes  baptism?  I  demur  to  that  method  of 
reasoning  which  leaves  the  Word  of  God  in  hopeless  con- 
fusion. 

But  we  are  told  that  the  remission  of  sins  is  promised 
to  faith  as  the  only  condition,  and  Acts  x :  43  is  quoted 
in  proof.  Now  it  is  not  stated  here  that  this  faith  is 
the  only  condition.  Undoubtedly,  remission  cannot  de- 
pend on  less  than  this,  but  it  may  depend  on  more.  It 
is  not  even  said  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  shall 
have  remission  of  sins,  without  adding  "  THROUGH  HIS 
NAME."  This  important  phrase  is  often  overlooked,  as 
if  it  were  not  in  the  text.  The  believer  receives  remission 
of  sins  THROUGH  HIS  NAME.  Let  us  put  this  state- 
ment by  the  side  of  Acts  ii :  38 :  "  Repent  and  be  baptised 
every  one  of  you  upon  the  NAME  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the 
remission  of  sins,"  etc.,  and  we  readily  see  how  the  be- 
lieving penitent  receives  remission  of  sins  through  His 
NAME.  Evidently  baptism  brings  him  to  that  NAME 
whereby  we  are  said  to  be  saved.  (Acts  iv:12. )  It  is 
furthermore  evident  that  there  is  no  antagonism  between 
these  two  passages.  Acts  ii :  38  is  in  perfect  harmony 
with  Acts  x:43.  One  is  really  the  explanation  of  the 
other,  because  a  fuller  statement  of  practically  the  same 
thing.  Hence  we  should  not  allow  some  foolishly  extreme 
sacramental  notions  of  baptism  to  crowd  this  divine  ordi- 
nance out  of  its  proper  place.  What  is  generally  under- 
stood by  Baptismal  Regeneration  is  r.  dangerous  heresy, 
and  should  be  earnestly  repudiated  by  all  Christians,  but 
repentance  and  baptism  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  are 
in  order  to  the  remission  of  sins.  At  least  that  is  Avhat 
the  Apostle  Peter  taught  at  Pentecost,  and  we  have  al- 
ready seen  that  he  taught  practically  the  same  thing  at 
the  house  of  Cornelius.  Not  only  did  he  tell  these  Gen- 
tiles that  "  through  His  name,  whosoever  believeth  in  Him 
shall  receive  remission  of  sins,"  but  he  concludes  by  "  com- 


206   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


manding  them  to  be  baptised  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 
Surelj'  nothing  could  be  clearer  than  the  teaching  of 
Peter  on  this  subject.  Is  his  teaching  authoratative  now? 
If  not,  why  not?  But  if  it  is,  what  becomes  of  many 
modern  methods  of  evangelising? 

There  remains  but  one  other  point  to  be  noticed,  and 
that  is  necessary  to  meet  the  first  extreme  to  which  atten- 
tion has  been  called.  What  is  the  force  of  epi  too  anomati 
leesou  Christouf  This  I  have  translated:  Upon  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ."  Now  what  does  this  mean?  Does  it 
not  signify  clearly  that  whatever  efficacy  there  may  be  in 
baptism  is  derived  wholly  from  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ? 
The  baptism  which  Peter  demanded  was  grounded  upon 
the  all-prevailing  NAME — the  only  name  by  which  any 
one  can  be  saved.  Hence  all  who  were  baptised  at  Pente- 
cost would  understand  that  their  whole  reliance  for  re- 
mission of  sins,  from  an  important  point  of  view,  rested 
upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  They  did  not  trust  in  the 
water,  nor  even  in  the  act  of  baptism ;  but  they  were  bap- 
tised, relying  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins;  and  the  value  of  baptism  was  chiefly 
owing  to  the  fact  that  it  placed  these  penitent  believers  in 
contact  with  the  name  in  which  all  redeeming  power  is 
concentrated.  Upon  this  name  they  based  their  trust, 
as  it,  in  its  proper  place,  possessed  the  potent  charm  to 
put  away  sins. 

This  view  of  the  matter  does  not  in  the  slightest  degree 
change  the  chronological  order.  It  still  leaves  baptism 
a  condition  precedent  to  remission  of  sins;  but  it  does 
change  the  emphasis  from  the  baptism  to  the  name  from 
which  baptism  receives  mainly  its  real  significance.  This, 
I  think,  is  a  gain  to  the  cause  of  truth ;  and  if  I  am  justified 
in  this  conclusion,  it  seems  to  me  a  legitimate  accentuation 
of  the  right  word  or  phrase  is  the  only  thing  that  is 
necessary  to  redeem  this  passage  from  the  extremes  to 
which  it  has  been  subjected,  and  restore  it  to  its  rightful 
authority  in  directing  inquiring  souls  in  the  way  of 
salvation. 

Baptism  is  joined  to  the  death  of  Christ — (Rom.  vi :  3)  ; 
it  is  joined  to  the  burial  of  Christ — (Rom.  vi:4);  it  is 
also  joined  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ — (Col.  ii:12). 
These  are  what  are  usually  called  the  facts  of  the  Gospel, 
and  when  stated  in  the  language  of  the  inspired  record, 


SCRIPTUKAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM  207 


they  furnish  the  foundation  of  everything  in  Christianity. 
Baptism  is  joined  to  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Spirit  (Matt,  xxviii:  19).  It  is  also  joined  to  faith, 
repentance,  and  confession  (Mark  xvi:16,  Acts  ii:38; 
Acts  viii:37).  Finally  it  is  joined  to  remission  of  sins, 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  adoption  into  the  family  of 
God  (Acts  ii:38;  Gal.  iii:26,  27). 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  baptism  has  under  it  the  death, 
burial,  and  resurrection  of  Christ;  over  it  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit;  before  it  faith,  repentance, 
and  confession;  following  it  remission  of  sins,  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  children  of  God.  In  short,  baptism  is 
the  key  stone  which  binds  all  these  together.  We  have 
here  twelve  most  important  things  all  joined  to  one  an- 
other by  a  Scriptural  baptism  which  forms  a  common 
centre  around  which  all  these  different  parts  of  the  Gospel 
— the  facts,  conditions,  sanctions,  and  promises — are 
grouped,  and  without  which  the  symmetry  of  the  whole 
would  be  broken  and  consequently  the  scheme  of  redemp- 
tion left  in  utter  confusion.  This  being  true,  it  is  surely 
wisdom  to  say,  "  what  God  had  joined  together,  that  let 
no  man  put  asunder." 

Perhaps  the  chief  mistake  that  has  been  made,  as  re- 
gards the  meaning  of  baptism,  is  that  it  stands  for  only 
one  thing,  whereas  it  is  rather  the  connecting  link  for 
many  things.  It  is  the  place  where  all  the  elements  of 
the  Gospel  meet,  where  they  all  coalesce,  and  thereby 
become  harmoniously  co-operative  in  the  plan  of  salvation. 
Hence,  while  baptism  doubtless  has  a  significance  all  its 
own,  it  seems  to  me  its  chief  office  is  to  bring  all  the  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  Gospel  into  practical  union  in  one  great 
overt  act  of  obedience. 

We  may  now  easily  account  for  the  variety  of  views 
with  respect  to  the  design  of  baptism.  As  already  inti- 
mated, it  is  the  place  where  the  facts,  commands,  sanctions, 
and  blessings  of  the  Gospel  normally  meet — where  the 
divine  and  human  sides  of  salvation  are  brought  together 
in  orderly  co-operation.  But  as  baptism  is  joined  to  so 
many  things,  and  as  the  human  mind  is  prone  to  seize 
upon  one  thing  only  at  a  time,  and  that  always  the  one 
thing  most  agreeable  to  preconceived  opinions,  it  follows 
that  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  how  there  exists  so 
much  confusion  upon  a  subject  which  is  as  clear  as  sun- 


208   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


light  when  we  once  occupy  the  proper  standpoint  with 
respect  to  it. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  if  a  ray  of  light  pass  through 
a  prism  and  be  thrown  on  a  screen,  the  ray  will  be  divided 
into  seven  different  colours.  It  is  also  known  that  if 
these  colours  are  painted  on  a  wheel  in  their  proper  pro- 
portions, and  then  the  wheel  is  turned  rapidly,  the  colours 
will  all  blend  and  make  what  we  call  white  light.  Just 
so  with  baptism.  It  may  be  regarded  as  the  wheel  by 
the  action  of  which  all  the  elements  of  the  Gospel  are 
blended  into  the  clear  light  of  salvation.  Without  the 
action  of  this  wheel  these  elements  remain  in  separate 
parts,  and  while  in  this  state  of  separation  they  are  often 
treated  by  theologians  as  if  they  actually  contradict  each 
other.  But  this  is  mainly  for  the  reason  that  these  ele- 
ments are  considered  separately,  as  if  each  one  was,  in 
itself,  the  whole  of  the  plan  of  salvation.  But  we  must 
remember  that,  as  in  the  case  of  light,  all  the  colours  are 
necessary  and  each  colour  must  be  in  its  legitimate  place, 
and  in  its  right  proportion,  in  order  to  produce  perfect 
light,  so  must  all  the  elements  of  the  Gospel  be  included 
in  their  normal  places  and  proportions  in  order  to  give 
us  the  perfect  plan  of  salvation.  An  undue  emphasis 
upon  any  part,  or  the  leaving  out  of  a  part,  would  at  once 
destroy  the  harmony  of  the  whole,  and  in  some  cases  might 
endanger  the  efficacy  of  the  plan.* 

In  this  connection,  it  is  well  to  understand  the  fact 
that  the  objection  made  to  the  Disciple  view  of  the  design 
of  baptism,  was  mainly  owing  to  a  misconception  as  to 
what  baptism  really  is.  The  usual  reply  to  Disciples, 
when  they  insisted  upon  it  being  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
was  that  there  is  no  efficacy  in  water  to  wash  away  sins, 
thereby  making  water  practically  the  only  thing  to  be 
considered  in  baptism.  But  water  is  only  one  of  the 
things  belonging  to  baptism.  We  have  already  seen  that 
the  death,  burial,  and  resurrection  of  Christ  are  under  it ; 
the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit  over  it; 
faith,  repentance,  and  confession  before  it;  and  remission 
of  sins,  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  hope  of  eternal 
life  after  it.  Water  is  simply  the  element  in  which  the 
baptism  takes  place,  and  is,  therefore,  not  the  baptism 
as  a  whole,  but  only  a  part  of  it.    Strictly  speaking,  bap- 

*  See  "  Fundamental  Error  of  Christendom,"  by  W.  T.  Moore. 


SCRIPTURAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM  209 


tism  is  the  proper  action,  while  all  other  things  belonging 
to  it  should  be  considered  as  accessories,  but  evidently 
necessary  accessories.  The  failure  of  any  of  these  to  be 
present  would  endanger  the  validity  of  the  baptism. 
While  the  Disciples  have  very  generally  associated  remis- 
sion of  sins  wuth  baptism,  in  doing  so  they  have  assumed 
that  baptism  means  everything  that  is  ascribed  to  it  in 
the  Scriptures.  Of  course,  a  superficial  view,  as  to  what 
the  baptism  is,  would  make  the  Disciples'  contention  simply 
absurd,  but  when  what  they  contended  for  is  clearly  under- 
stood, it  is  difficult  to  see  that  their  position  is  contrary 
to  the  teaching  of  Scriptures  and  the  practice  of  the 
Apostles.  Disciples  do  not  teach,  they  never  did  teach, 
that  baptism,  even  when  it  is  considered  from  its  full 
import,  ever  procures  remission  of  sins.  They  have  always 
taught  that,  in  the  final  anlysis,  the  blood  of  Christ  is 
what  washes  away  sins,  and  consequently  this  blood  is  the 
procuring  cause  of  our  salvation.  Nevertheless,  they  have 
taught  that  we  must  come  in  contact  with  that  blood  in 
order  to  secure  the  efficiency  of  it;  and  as  Christ  shed 
His  blood  in  His  death,  we  must  come  to  where  He  shed 
His  blood,  in  order  to  meet  the  blood  in  its  cleansing 
power.  The  Apostle  Paul  says  that  "  as  many  as  were 
baptised  into  Christ  were  baptised  into  His  death,"  and 
consequently  in  this  baptism  they  would  come  in  contact 
with  the  cleansing  blood.  Disciples  have  always  been  very 
careful  to  discriminate  between  a  logical  cause  and  an 
occasion.  To  illustrate  this  point,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  say  that  the  cause  of  the  loud  explosion  in  a  gun  is 
not  simply  the  pulling  of  the  trigger.  This  pulling  of 
the  trigger  is  the  last  apparent  cause  or  occasion  of  the 
explosion.  There  are  several  other  things  that  are  ante- 
cedent to  the  pulling  of  the  trigger,  and  that  are  abso- 
lutely essential  before  the  explosion  can  take  place. 
Among  these  antecedents  may  be  mentioned  the  quality 
of  the  powder,  the  form  of  the  gun  barrel,  the  proper 
arrangement  of  the  percussion  cap  and  powder,  the  ex- 
istence of  a  surrounding  atmosphere,  etc.,  etc.  Any  of 
these  conditions  being  absent,  the  loud  report  of  the  gun 
might  not  occur. 

Now  there  must  be  the  proper  antecedents  of  baptism, 
such  as  the  blood  of  Christ,  faith,  repentance,  etc.,  before 
baptism  itself  can  be  worth  anything  whatever.    But  when 


210    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


these  antecedents  exist,  the  baptism  is  the  occasion,  or 
to  use  the  figure  already  introduced  in  the  case  of  the 
gun,  baptism  is  the  trigger,  which,  when  pulled,  brings 
into  active  exercise  the  efficient  causes  which  are  essential 
to  salvation. 

In  this  case  it  might  appear  to  some  that,  after  all, 
baptism  is  an  essential  part  of  the  whole  plan  of  salva- 
tion, and  consequently,  if  the  trigger  is  not  pulled,  or 
if  baptism  does  not  take  place,  no  result  will  follow. 
Surely  no  result  will  follow  in  harmony  with  the  whole 
plan,  but  in  the  case  of  the  gun  the  explosion  can  take 
place  without  pulling  the  trigger  at  all,  as  there  are  other 
ways  of  firing  the  gun  without  using  the  regular  method, 
though  in  such  cases  we  would  depart  from  the  plan  upon 
which  the  gun  is  made.  When  Disciples  have  advocated 
baptism,  with  its  proper  antecedents,  as  the  means  by 
which  remission  of  sins  is  secured,  they  always  are  to 
be  understood  as  referring  to  the  loJiole  regular  plan  of 
salvation  as  taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  They  have 
always  admitted  that  God  may  forgive  sins  in  exceptional 
cases  without  baptism,  but  that  baptism  is  included  in 
the  regular  plan  as  taught  by  Christ  and  illustrated  in 
the  practice  of  the  Apostles. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  when  the  Disciples'  position 
is  clearly  understood,  the  charge  against  them  that  they 
teach  a  water  salvation  is  not  only  absurd,  but  actually 
false,  and  ought  not  to  be  repeated  by  any  one  who  may 
be  informed  upon  the  subject,  and  who  at  the  same  time 
has  a  proper  respect  for  the  truth  of  history. 

It  has  been  thought  proper  to  treat  this  matter  some- 
what exhaustively  for  the  reason  that  perhaps  the  Dis- 
ciples have  been  more  shamefully  misunderstood  wath  re- 
spect to  this  part  of  their  contention,  than  at  any  other 
point.  It  has  been  seen  that  this  misunderstanding  has 
largely  come  from  a  wrong  view  of  what  baptism  is  and 
how  it  is  related  to  the  plan  of  salvation.  Furthermore, 
those  who  have  objected  to  the  Disciples'  position  have 
not  sufficiently  considered  the  difference  between  a  perfect 
plan  and  a  perfect  obedience  which  meets  all  the  condi- 
tions of  the  plan.  The  plan  of  salvation  is  perfect,  but  a 
failure  to  comply  with  every  condition  in  that  plan  may 
not  be  fatal  to  him  who  is  honestly  striving  to  do  what  the 
Lord  has  enjoined  upon  him.    But  Disciples  have  con- 


SCRIPTURAL  MEANING  OF  BAPTISM  211 


stantly  insisted  that  we  ought  not  to  lower  the  plan  itself 
in  order  to  make  provision  for  the  failure  of  human  weak- 
ness to  do  everything  that  the  Lord  has  commanded. 
They  have  insisted  upon  proclaiming  the  Truth,  the  whole 
Truth,  and  nothing  but  the  Truth,  and  then  leave  the 
consequences  with  God,  who  knows  how  to  make  allow- 
ance for  those  who  make  mistakes,  when  making  them 
"  ignorantly  through  unbelief."  As  the  Apostle  Paul  re- 
ceived mercy  on  this  account,  those  who  are  as  honest  as 
he  was,  and  who  at  the  same  time  do  not  strictly  obey 
one  of  the  conditions  of  the  Gospel,  will  no  doubt  be 
mercifully  dealt  with  by  Him  who  is  more  than  a  God 
of  Justice,  but  also  a  God  of  Love. 


CHAPTEK  VII 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES 

IT  has  already  been  seen  that  the  relations  between  the 
Reformers  and  the  Baptists  became  somewhat  strained 
soon  after  the  Campbells  united  with  the  latter.  This 
condition  of  things  continued,  notwithstanding  Mr.  Camp- 
bell did  valiant  service  for  the  Baptist  cause  with  his 
periodical,  the  Christian  Baptist,  up  to  the  time  when  it 
was  discontinued.  Finally  it  became  evident  that  Mr. 
Campbell  and  his  friends  could  no  longer  remain  in  fel- 
lowship with  the  Baptist  denomination.  There  was  never 
any  formal  exclusion  from  the  Baptist  Church.  In  a 
few  instances  individuals  were  excluded,  though  in  most 
cases,  where  there  was  an  antagonism  between  the  two 
parties,  a  majority  of  the  Baptists  became  identified  with 
the  Campbellian  movement.  In  some  instances,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  Mahoning  and  Stillwater  Associations, 
many  of  the  Baptist  Churches  sided  with  the  Campbells. 

However,  at  this  time  the  tension  between  the  two  wings 
was  very  acute,  and  this  tension  arose  mainly  from  the 
considerations  which  have  already  been  presented.  Most 
of  the  Baptists  at  this  period  were  decidedly  Calvinistic, 
though  probably  very  few  of  them  knew  why  they  were 
so.  They  were  not  theologians,  but  they  had  inherited 
this  doctrine  from  their  ancestors,  and  they  believed  it 
was  their  duty  to  defend  it  against  all  encroachments. 

The  Campbells  insisted  that  all  such  questions  as  were 
involved  in  the  hyper-Calvinism  of  the  day  should  have  no 
place  in  determining  the  fellowship  of  Christians.  Much 
of  the  great  "  Declaration  and  Address "  was  devoted 
to  showing  the  true  ground  of  Christian  Union,  and  per- 
haps no  part  of  the  Address  "  was  more  forcibly  pre- 
sented than  that  which  condemned  philosophical  or  theo- 
logical speculations  as  tests  of  Christian  fellowship.  Both 
of  the  Campbells  had,  at  one  time,  believed  heartily  in 
the  popular  Calvinism  of  the  day.    Alexander  Campbell 

213 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  213 


continued  to  be  a  Calvinist  in  a  mild  form  throughout 
his  life,  though  he  persistently  refused  to  make  this  a 
question  of  fellowship  among  Christians.  Indeed,  one 
of  the  cardinal  rules  by  which  he  was  guided  in  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  Scriptures  was  that  inferences,  however 
apparently  logical,  must  not  be  insisted  upon  as  conditions 
of  Christian  fellowship.  Only  a  clearly  expressed  Scrip- 
tural precept  or  example  must  be  regarded  as  binding  upon 
the  followers  of  the  Lord.* 

Perhaps  at  this  time,  as  ever  afterward,  the  Disciples 
mainly  leaned  to  the  Arminian  view  of  the  Divine  govern- 
ment, but  even  the  most  pronounced  Arminian  did  not 
make  his  Arminianism  a  barrier  in  the  way  of  Christian 
Union.  In  fact,  many  theological  speculations  have  been 
tolerated  among  the  Disciples  from  the  very  beginning  of 
their  movement  to  the  present  time;  but  generally  they 
have  adhered  strictly  to  the  dictum  of  the  Campbells, 

where  the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak :  where  the  Bible  is 
silent,  we  are  silent." 

But  many  Baptists  could  not  easily  surrender  the  theo- 
logical tenets  which  they  held  as  sacred  as  their  house- 
hold gods.  These  Baptists  became  bitterly  opposed  to 
the  Campbellian  movement,  which  was  regarded  by  them 
as  extremely  heretical  with  respect  to  the  tenets  which 
they  held  as  sacred. 

Of  course  there  were  many  who  sympathetically  shared 
with  the  Campbells  in  pleading  for  a  Reformation,  who, 
at  the  same  time,  remained  in  the  Baptist  Churches.  But 
when  the  time  of  separation  came,  many  Baptist  Churches 
came  over  in  a  body  to  the  new  movement,  or  else  members 
of  these  churches  united  with  it. 

This  separation  was  somewhat  gradual.  As  already 
intimated,  in  a  preceding  chapter,  the  trouble  began  as 
early  as  1816,  when  Mr.  Campbell  delivered  his  celebrated 
sermon  on  the  "  Law."  From  that  time  forward  he  was 
more  or  less  suspected  by  many  of  the  Baptist  clergy, 
and  finally,  about  the  years  1828,  '29,  and  '30  it  became 
evident  that  the  Disciples  would  have  to  occupy  a  separate 
position,  though  this  was  contrary  to  their  wish,  and  cer- 
tainly contrary  to  the  whole  aim  of  the  Campbells  when 
they  began  their  reformatory  movement. 

Mr.  Campbell  continued  to  publish  the  Christian  Bap- 

*  See  Millennial  Harbinger,  1843,  pp.  4-5;  1846,  pp.  325-326. 


214    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tist  until  July,  1830,  when  that  periodical  was  discon- 
tinued, he  having  already  started  the  Millennial  Har- 
binger with  the  beginning  of  that  year.  This  later  period- 
ical was  to  take  the  place  of  the  former,  while  it  was,  at 
the  same  time,  greatly  enlarged  and  its  scope  also  con- 
siderably extended.  He  abandoned  the  name  of  the 
former  periodical,  for  the  reason  that  it  had  to  him  a 
denominational  appearance,  which  he  had  never  liked, 
but  it  now  could  no  longer  be  tolerated.  Millennial  Har- 
binger seemed  to  him  to  appropriately-  express  what  he 
was  aiming  to  bring  about.  He  was  advocating  a  new 
age  for  the  Christian  Church.  Indeed,  while  a  separa- 
tion from  the  Baptists  seemed  to  be  a  necessity,  it  was 
by  no  means  his  choice.  When  he  united  with  the  Bap- 
tists he  distinctly  stipulated  that  he  would  not  have  to 
accept  the  Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith,  and  further- 
more, he  was  to  have  liberty  to  advocate  what  he  con- 
scientiously believed.  But  this  condition,  in  his  agree- 
ment with  the  Baptists,  seemed  no  longer  to  have  weight 
with  the  Baptist  denomination  as  a  whole.  Mr,  Camp- 
bell claimed  to  be  a  reformer.  He  found  many  things 
among  the  Baptists  that  he  thought  ought  to  be  changed. 
He  conscientiously  exercised  the  liberty  which  he  stipu- 
lated should  be  his  when  he  united  with  the  Baptist 
Church.  But  the  Baptists,  as  a  whole,  refused  to  be 
reformed.  They  still  hung  to  their  old  habits  and  old 
creeds.  In  this  they  evidently  illustrated  the  history 
of  human  nature.  We  can  always  see  the  need  of  reforma- 
tion in  others,  but  when  the  limelight  is  turned  on  our- 
selves, the  case  is  very  materially  altered.  While  Mr. 
Campbell  was  pleading,  from  the  Baptist  point  of  view, 
that  other  religious  denominations  needed  reformation, 
his  Baptist  brethren  heartily  applauded  him,  and  even 
went  so  far  as  to  proclaim  him  a  great  champion  of  their 
cause.  When  he  had  his  debates  with  Mr.  Walker  and 
Mr.  McCalla,  the  Baptists  lined  up  on  the  side  of  Mr. 
Campbell  and  gave  him  their  hearty  support,  though,  as 
already  remarked  in  another  chapter,  Mr.  Campbell's 
main  argument  against  infant  baptism  was  founded  on 
exactly  the  same  truth  as  that  defended  in  his  great  ser- 
mon on  the  Law,"  which  had  given  the  Baptists  their 
first  suspicions  that  he  was  unsound  as  regarded  the  Bap- 
tist faith.     It  was  quite  another  thing  when  Mr.  Camp- 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  215 


bell  turned  away  from  the  Pedo-Baptist  denominations 
and  began  to  insist  that  the  Baptists  themselves  were 
largeh'  governed  by  the  "  traditions  of  the  fathers,"  rather 
than  by  a  legitimate  understanding  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
The  Baptists  resented  his  well-intended  efforts  at  their 
reformation.  Many  of  them  claimed  that  they  did  not 
need  reformation,  and  so  his  good  efforts  in  this  respect 
were  persistently  rejected  by  a  large  number  of  the  de- 
nomination, and  especially  by  a  number  of  Baptist  lead- 
ers who  seemed  to  be  wholly  unable  to  understand 
either  Mr.  Campbell's  real  position  or  their  own  short- 
comings. 

However,  the  work  of  reformation  continued  to  spread 
in  many  directions;  in  some  places  in  sweeping  tides  of 
influence  similar  to  that  which  emanated  from  Western 
Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia,  and  Northeastern  Ohio. 
Some  of  these  movements  will  be  considered  in  subsequent 
chapters,  when  it  will  be  seen  that  the  principles  advocated 
by  the  Campbells  and  those  associated  with  them  had  be- 
come common  property  with  other  religious  people  in  many 
other  parts  of  the  country. 

The  splendid  advocacy  of  the  Millennial  Earhinger  be- 
came a  new  inspiration  to  the  reformers  in  propagating 
their  plea,  but  by  this  time  they  were  a  little  careful  about 
forming  any  kind  of  denominational  alliances.  Evidently 
Mr.  Campbell  and  those  associated  with  him  had  given 
up  the  idea  of  securing  the  co-operation,  or  even  sym- 
pathy, of  the  denominations  as  they  then  existed.  It 
became  increasingly  apparent  that  the  movement  must 
stand  on  its  own  merits,  and  though  it  might,  by  virtue 
of  its  isolation  from  all  other  bodies,  be  regarded  as  an- 
other denomination,  there  seemed  to  be  no  help  for  any- 
thing else  than  the  position  which  the  movement  now  as- 
sumed. It  was  passing  out  of  the  chaotic  period  and 
taking  on  definite,  well-defined  characteristics  of  its  own. 
One  of  the  main  contentions  of  Mr.  Campbell  was  that 
the  people  must  have  the  right  to  decide  for  themselves 
with  respect  to  their  fa^*^h  and  practices,  and  this  was  the 
controlling  reason  in  starting  the  Millennial  Earhinger. 
Indeed,  it  is  worth  while  to  quote  the  preface  to  the  first 
volume  of  that  periodical,  as  this  will  give  Mr.  Campbell's 
position  at  the  time  when  he  had  given  up  all  hope  of 
uniting  with  any  other  religious  denomination  which  at 


216    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


that  time  existed.  Referring  to  the  chaotic  condition  of 
religion  at  the  time  when  the  Harbinger  was  started,  Mr. 
Campbell  used  the  following  vigorous  language: 

Time,  the  great  innovator,  brings  to  pass  everything.  Grad- 
ual but  unceasing  is  its  march.  It  never  slumbers.  It  never 
pauses.    It  gives  maturity  to  everything. 

When  we  are  taught  to  read  the  volume  of  Nature,  or  rather 
the  great  library  of  God,  and  have  made  some  proficiency  in 
the  volume  of  Revelation,  we  discover  that  there  is  an  admi- 
rable analogy  between  the  volumes  of  Creation  and  Redemp- 
tion. As  is  the  progress  of  natural,  so  has  been  the  progress 
of  supernatural  light.  First  there  are  glimmerings  of  dawn 
— then  the  twilight — then  the  risen  day,  and  then  the  radiance 
of  noon.  So  is  not  only  the  faith  of  the  just,  which  brightens 
more  and  more  until  the  perfect  day;  but  also  such  are  the 
developments  of  the  light  of  life. 

Starlight  and  moonlight  ages  are  no  more.  The  Sun  of 
Mercy  has  arisen.  But  as  in  the  natural,  so  in  the  moral 
world,  there  are  clouds  and  obscurations.  There  are  inter- 
ceptions of  the  light  of  the  sun.  There  are  eclipses  partial 
and  total.  In  a  total  eclipse  there  is  a  darkness  of  night. 
There  have  been  both  partial  and  total  eclipses  of  the  Sun  of 
Mercy  since  his  rising.  Not  only  have  there  been  cloudy  and 
dark  days,  but  actual  darkness  like  that  of  night. 

Had  not  a  thick  vapour  arisen  from  the  unfathomable  abyss 
and  hid  the  Sun  of  Mercy  and  of  Life  from  human  eyes,  neither 
the  heast  nor  the  false  prophet  could  have  been  born.  Wild 
beasts  go  forth  in  the  night,  and  in  darkness  commit  their 
depredations.  So  the  apocalyptic  "  wild  beast "  was  the  crea- 
ture of  night  and  darkness. 

Vapours  arise  from  the  waters,  and  from  the  unfathomable 
ocean  the  densest  fogs  arise.  When  we  dream  of  troubles,  we 
wade  through  deep  waters.  Hence,  the  commotions  and 
troubled  agitations  of  communities  are  symbolised  by  the 
waters  of  the  great  abyss.  From  these  commotions,  these  deep 
waters,  arose  the  symbolic  fog,  the  figurative  vapours  which 
overspread  the  heavens  and  hid  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  from 
the  eyes  of  mortals.  The  volumes  of  traditions,  the  cabalistic 
dogmas,  the  eastern  philosophy,  the  pagan  speculations,  com- 
bined and  modified,  intercepted  entirely,  or  totally  eclipsed  the 
light  of  the  moral  sun.  Nearly  all  the  earth  was  overspread 
in  this  darkness.  The  middle  of  this  period  has  properly  been 
called  the    dark  ages." 

Though  the  eclipse  was  total  in  Rome,  it  was  not  so  every- 
where. But  the  fairest  portions  of  the  Old  World  shared  in 
it,  and  it  was  partial  almost  everywhere,  where  it  was  not 
total. 

Why  was  this  so?  is  one  question;  but  Was  it  so?  is  another. 
That  it  was  so  needs  no  proof,  because  all  agree  in  the  belief  of 
this  fact.   We  know  some  reasons,  which  may  be  offered,  why 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  217 


it  was  so.  But  now  we  only  appeal  to  the  fact  that  it  was  so. 
This  darkness  has  been  only  partially  dissipated. 

The  Bible  was  brought  out  of  prison,  and  Luther  bid  it 
march.  He  made  it  speak  in  German,  and  thus  obtained  for 
it  a  respectful  hearing.  It  was  soon  loaded  with  immense 
burthens  of  traditions,  drawn  from  the  cloisters  and  the  cells 
where  it  had  so  long  been  incarcerated.  It  soon  became  un- 
able to  travel  with  its  usual  speed — and  then  stopped  the 
Reformation.  They  took  the  points  off  of  the  arrows  of  truth, 
and  blunted  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  so  that  the  enemies  of 
the  truth  could  not  be  conquered. 

About  the  commencement  of  the  present  century,  finding 
that  notes  and  comments,  that  glosses  and  traditions  were 
making  the  word  of  God  of  little  or  no  effect — I  say,  the  pious 
of  several  of  the  great  phalanxes  of  the  rival  Christian  in- 
terests did  agree  to  unmanacle  and  unfetter  the  testimony  of 
God,  and  send  it  forth  without  the  bolsters  and  crutches  fur- 
nished by  the  schools;  and  this,  with  the  spirit  of  enquiry 
which  it  created  and  fostered,  has  contributed  much  to  break 
the  yoke  of  clerical  oppression,  which  so  long  oppressed  the 
people — I  say  clerical  oppression;  for  this  has  been,  and  yet 
is,  though  much  circumscribed,  the  worst  of  all  sorts  of  op- 
pression. The  understandings,  the  consciences,  the  feelings, 
the  bodies,  and  the  estates  of  men  have  been  seized  by  this  most 
relentless  of  tyrants.  All  who  have  demanded  the  first  fruits 
and  tithes;  all  who  have  paralysed  the  mind  and  forced  the 
assent  or  secured  the  homage  of  the  conscience  have  not  been 
tyrants.  Neither  have  all  they  who  have  rejected  and  repro- 
bated this  system,  been  humane,  courteous,  and  merciful. — 
There  are  exceptions,  even  among  priests.  If  the  clergy  never 
could  reform  the  system,  the  system  always  could  reform  them. 
To  repudiate  this  system,  is  to  desecrate  the  priest ;  and  what- 
soever has  profaned  or  made  common  the  priests,  has  been  not 
only  unchurched,  but  unchristianised.  Such  have  been  the 
past  fates  of  those  who  ventured  to  depart  from  the  conse- 
crated way.  But  a  new  order  of  things  has,  within  the  mem- 
ory of  the  present  generation,  begun.  Many  of  the  priests 
have  become  obedient  to  the  faith,  and  the  natural,  political, 
and  religious  rights  of  men  have  begun  to  be  much  better 
understood.  All  these  indications  are  favourable  to  the  hopes 
of  the  expectants  of  the  restoration  of  the  ancient  order  of 
things.  But  nothing  has  contributed  so  much  to  the  hopes  of 
the  intelligent,  and  nothing  can  more  conduce  to  the  regenera- 
tion of  the  church,  than  the  disentanglement  of  the  Holy 
Oracles  from  the  intricacies  of  the  variant  rules  of  interpre- 
tation which  the  textuaries  have  fashioned  into  a  system  the 
most  repugnant  to  all  we  call  reason,  common  sense,  and 
analogy. 

In  the  happiest  state  which  we  can  ever  expect  on  earth,  we 
can  only,  as  individuals,  enjoy  as  much  of  the  favour  of  God  as 
the  most  intelligent  and  devout  of  the  first  converts;  and,  as 


218    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


communities,  we  could  enjoj  no  more  Christian  peace  and  joy 
than  some  of  the  first  congregations  after  the  first  promulga- 
tion of  the  gospel.  Greater  temporal  felicity  might  be  en- 
joyed, but  the  spiritual  attainments  of  many  of  the  congre- 
gations cannot,  in  the  aggregate  mass  of  religious  communi- 
ties, be  much,  if  at  all,  surpassed. 

Place  the  whole  of  any  communit}-,  or  even  the  great  mass 
of  any  community,  under  influences  similar  to  those  which 
governed  them,  and  what  the  most  sanguine  expect  from  a 
Millennium  would  in  social  and  religious  enjoyments  be 
realised.  But  there  is  no  fixing  bounds  to  the  maximum  of 
social  and  refined  bliss  which  would  flow  from  the  very  general 
or  universal  prevalence  and  triumphs  of  evangelical  principles. 
To  see  a  nation  bowing,  with  grateful  and  joyous  homage  to 
the  King  Eternal,  immortal,  and  invisible,  mingling  all  their 
affections  in  their  admiration  and  love  of  him  who  had  ob- 
tained immortality  for  man,  would  open  a  new  fountain  of 
enjoyments  of  which  we  have  not  yet  tasted.  To  see  even  a  few 
scores  of  intelligent  Christians,  in  whom  we  confide  as  fellow- 
soldiers  and  fellow-citizens,  and  joint  heirs  of  the  heavenly 
inheritance,  meeting  around  one  and  the  same  Lord's  table, 
and  uniting  in  the  praises  and  adorations  of  one  and  the  same 
common  Lord  and  Saviour,  imparts  to  us  a  joy  which  we  are 
unable  to  express.  What  we  should  feel,  or  how  we  should 
feel,  among  myriads  of  such,  is  not  for  us  now  to  conjecture. 
But  of  this  in  its  proper  place. 

All  I  wish  to  remark  on  this  occasion  is,  that  the  first  step 
toward  the  introduction  of  this  glorious  age,  is  to  dissipate  the 
darkness  which  covers  the  people  and  hides  from  their  eyes 
the' Sun,  the  quickening,  renewing,  animating  Sun  of  Mercy. 
We  expect  no  new  Sun,  no  new  revelation  of  the  Spirit;  no 
other  than  the  same  Gospel  and  the  same  religion,  only  that  it 
shall  be  disinterred  from  the  rubbish  of  the  dark  ages,  and 
made  to  assume  its  former  simplicity,  sublimity,  and  majesty. 
The  demons  of  party  must  be  dispossessed,  and  the  false  spirits 
cast  out.  The  human  mind  must  be  emancipated  from  the 
bondage  of  error,  and  information  not  only  augmented,  but 
extended  to  all  the  community. 

Light  is  certainly  increasing — charity  enlarging  the  circle 
of  its  activities — the  mountains  of  discord  diminishing,  and 
the  deep  valleys  which  separated  Christians,  are  filling  up. 
But  much  is  to  be  done  before  all  flesh  shall  enjoy  the  salva- 
tion of  God.  If  all  who  love  the  Lord  and  the  salvation  of 
men  would  unite  their  energies  and  bury  the  tomahawk  of 
party  conflicts,  no  seer  could  predict  how  rapid  would  be  the 
march  and  how  extensive  the  triumphs  of  the  Gospel. 

But  the  mighty  agent,  or  rather  the  successful  means,  of 
this  most  desirable  revolution,  will  be  the  Ancient  Gospel. 
There  are  many  gospels  now  preached.  The  gospels  of  every 
sect  are  something  different  from  each  other,  and  something 
different  from  the  apostolic.    There  can  be,  in  truth,  but  one 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  219 


gospel;  but  tliere  may  be  many  new -modified  and  perverted 
gospels.  Some  make  their  own  God  and  worship  him;  and 
all  who  create  a  new  God  invent  a  gospel  to  suit  his  char- 
acter. Surely  no  man  of  good  common  sense  can  imagine  that 
the  god  of  the  Calvinists  and  the  god  of  the  Arminians  are 
the  same  god.  He  that  fancies  that  the  god  of  the  Trinitarians 
and  the  god  of  the  Unitarians  are  one  and  the  same  divinity, 
can  easily  believe  in  transubstantiation. 

The  wisdom  and  the  power  of  God,  when  combined,  will  be 
surely  adequate  to  accomplish  the  most  extraordinary  promises 
on  record.  Now  the  placing  of  all  nations  under  the  dominion 
of  his  Son,  under  the  reign  of  favour,  under  the  influence  of 
all  that  is  pure,  amiable,  and  heavenly,  is  promised;  and  by 
what  means  so  likely  to  be  accomplished  as  by  that  instru- 
ment which  is  emphatically  called  the  wisdom  and  power  of 
the  Almighty?  That  instrument  is  the  old  gospel  preached  by 
the  Apostles.  This  is  almighty,  through  God,  to  the  pulling 
down  all  the  strongholds  of  infidelity  and  profanity,  to  the 
subversion  of  Atheism,  Deism,  and  Sectarianism.  It  proved 
its  power  upon  the  nations  once,  and  it  begins  to  prove  its 
power  again.  The  sword  of  the  spirit  has  been  muffled  with 
the  filthy  rags  of  philosophy  and  mysticism  until  it  cannot 
cut  through  the  ranks  of  the  aliens.  But  so  soon  as  this 
gospel  is  promulged  in  its  old  simplicity  and  in  its  native 
majesty,  it  will  prove  itself  to  be  of  God,  and  as  adequate  as 
in  days  of  yore.  It  will  pierce  the  hearts  of  the  King's 
enemies ;  and,  while  it  slays  their  enmity,  it  will  reconcile  them 
to  the  authority  and  government  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

In  prosecuting  one  of  the  great  objects  of  this  paper,  and, 
indeed,  the  leading  object,  this  point  will  not  be  lost  sight  of. 
Our  modern  gospels,  like  the  metaphysics  of  the  schools,  have 
been  inoperative,  except  to  alienate  men  from  one  another, 
and  to  fill  some  with  spiritual  pride,  and  to  abase  others  under 
a  morose  humility.  Here  we  see  them  exulting  in  enthusiasm, 
and  there  melancholy  under  a  system  of  doubts.  Between  these 
two  classes  there  is  the  opinionative,  the  speculative,  the  cold 
and  stiff  formalist — exact  in  the  ceremonies,  and  precise  in  all 
the  forms  of  religion,  without  the  power.  Some  from  a  bolder 
and  independent  mind,  and  from  a  happy  constitutional  tem- 
perament, dared  to  be  pious  and  to  aspire  after  a  higher  en- 
joyment of  the  spirit  of  religion.  But  these  do  not  give  char- 
acter to  the  age. 

One  of  the  two  great  reformers  attacked  the  practices,  and 
the  other  the  opinions  of  the  earlier  part  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. The  former  was  by  far  the  more  useful  and  puissant 
reformer.  He  gave  the  deadliest  blow  to  the  beast.  The 
other,  intent  on  making  men  think  right,  only  made  converts 
from  among  the  converted.  This  has  always  been  the  case. 
As  Luther  excelled  Calvin,  so  did  Wesley  excel  the  Erskines. 
They  both  began  upon  communities  called  Protestants,  but 
degenerating  Protestants.    Wesley  directed  his  energies  to  the 


220   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


works  of  men,  and  the  Erskines  to  their  heterodox  opinions. 
Wesley  excelled  his  own  more  metaphysical  brother,  Fletcher. 
Fletcher  was  as  far  superior  to  Wesley  as  a  reasoner  and 
metaphysician,  as  Luther  was  to  Calvin.  The  reason  is  ob- 
vious :  the  gospel  called  for  a  change  of  conduct — for  obedience 
on  new  principles.  It  presented  great  operative  principles, 
but  called  for  immediate  submission  to  new  institutions. 
Luther's  plan  was  more  in  unison  with  this  than  Calvin's;  and 
Wesley's  more  than  Fletcher's.  Hence  more  visible  and  more 
useful  in  their  tendencies.  Practical  men  have  always  been 
the  most  useful ;  and,  therefore,  practical  principles  have  been 
more  beneficial  to  mankind  than  the  most  ingenious  and  re- 
fined speculations.  Symmes  might  have  amusingly  lectured  a 
thousand  years  upon  his  visions  and  fancies;  but  Christopher 
Columbus,  in  one  voyage,  added  a  new  world  to  the  old  one. 

The  ancient  gospel  spoke  by  facts,  and  said  little  about 
principles  of  action  of  any  sort.  The  facts,  when  realised  or 
believed,  carried  principles  into  the  heart  without  naming 
them;  and  there  was  an  object  presented  which  soon  called 
them  into  action.  It  was  the  true  philosophy  without  the 
name,  and  made  all  the  philosophy  of  the  world  sublimated 
folly.  It  was  ridiculous  to  hear  Epicureans  and  Stoics  reason- 
ing against  Paul.  While  they  were  talking  about  atoms  of 
matter  and  refined  principles,  about  virtue  and  vice,  Paul  took 
hold  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  buried  them  in  their 
own  dreams.  He  preached  Jesus  and  the  resurrection ;  he  pro- 
claimed reformation  and  forgiveness  of  sins;  and  before  they 
awoke  out  of  their  reveries,  he  had  Dionysius  the  Mayor  of 
the  City,  the  Lady  Damaris,  and  other  notable  characters  im- 
mersed into  Jesus. 

The  ancient  gospel  left  no  man  in  a  reasoning  mode  about 
any  principle  of  action.  It  left  him  in  no  doubt  about  the 
qualities  or  attributes  of  faith.  It  called  for  the  obedience 
of  faith ;  and  by  giving  every  man  an  opportunity  of  testing 
and  showing  his  own  faith  by  his  works,  it  made  no  provision 
for  cases  of  consciences,  nor  room  for  philosophic  doubting. 
But  I  do  not  here  eulogise  it,  but  only  intend  to  say  that  it 
is  the  only  and  the  all-sufiicient  means  to  destroy  anti-Christ, 
to  heal  divisions,  to  unite  Christians,  to  convert  the  world, 
and  to  bless  all  nations ;  and  viewing  it  in  this  light,  we  shall 
find  much  use  for  it  in  all  that  we  shall  attempt  in  this  work. 

In  detecting  the  false  gospels,  nothing  will  aid  us  so  much 
as  an  examination  of  their  tendencies,  and  a  comparison  of 
their  effects  with  what  the  Millennium  proposes.  The  gospel 
of  no  sect  can  convert  the  world.  This  is  with  us  a  very  plain 
proposition;  and  if  so,  the  sectarian  gospels  are  defective,  or 
redundant,  or  mixed.  To  one  of  these  general  classes  belong 
most  of  them. 

Many  topics  will  demand  our  attention  in  this  work,  as 
the  preceding  prospectus  indicates.  How  we  shall  attend  to 
these  and  manage  them,  we  can  now  make  no  promise — time 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  221 


alone  will  show.  We  only  claim  an  impartial  and  an  attentive 
hearing.  We  ask  for  nothing — not  a  single  concession  upon 
trust.  What  we  cannot  evince  and  demonstrate,  we  hope  all 
will  reject.  What  we  enforce  with  authority  and  evidence, 
we  hope  that  the  thoughtful  and  devout,  the  rational  and  the 
inquisitive,  the  candid  and  the  sincere,  will  espouse  and  carry 
into  practice.  What  will  not,  what  cannot,  console  the  un- 
happy, cheer  the  disconsolate,  confirm  the  weak,  reform  the 
transgressor,  purify  the  ungodly,  save  the  world,  and  ennoble 
the  human  character — we  shall  rejoice  to  see  repudiated. 

I  have  heard  that  it  is  decreed  to  attempt  to  destroy  this 
paper  as  soon  as  it  appears.  A  correspondent  informed  me 
this  day  that  in  one  city  a  large  subscription  had  been  got  up 
in  the  way  of  joint  stock  to  oppose  this  paper.  If  they  can 
logically,  scripturally,  and  religiously  strangle  it  in  life's 
porch,  or  despatch  it  as  his  Majesty  King  Herod  despatched 
the  innocents  of  Bethlehem — I  say,  let  them  do  it.  But  I  never 
can  believe,  upon  human  testimony,  that  he  can  be  an  im- 
partial judge  who  has  condemned,  or  erected  the  scaffold  be- 
fore the  victim  is  tried. 

When  opposed  by  the  interested,  by  those  whom  the  corrup- 
tions of  Christianity  feed  with  bread  and  gratify  with  honor, 
I  will  call  to  mind  the  history  of  all  the  benefactors  of  men, 
and  draw  both  comfort  and  strength  from  the  remembrance 
that  no  man  ever  achieved  any  great  good  to  mankind  who  did 
not  wrest  it  with  violence  through  ranks  of  opponents — who 
did  not  fight  for  it  with  courage  and  perseverance,  and  who  did 
not,  in  the  conflict,  sacrifice  either  his  good  name  or  his  life. 
John,  the  harbinger  of  the  Messiah,  lost  his  head.  The 
Apostles  were  slaughtered.  The  Saviour  was  crucified.  The 
ancient  confessors  were  slain.  The  reformers  all  have  been 
excommunicated.  I  know  that  we  shall  do  little  good  if  we 
are  not  persecuted.  If  I  am  not  traduced,  slandered,  and  mis- 
represented, I  shall  be  a  most  unworthy  advocate  of  that 
cause  which  has  always  provoked  the  resentment  of  those  who 
have  fattened  upon  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of  the  mass, 
and  have  been  honoured  by  the  stupidity  and  sottishness  of 
those  who  cannot  think  and  will  not  learn.  But  we  have  not 
a  few  friends  and  associates  in  this  cause.  There  are  many 
with  whom  it  shall  be  my  honour  to  live  and  labour,  and  my 
happiness  to  sufi'er  and  die. 

The  ancient  gospel  has  many  powerful  advocates;  and  the 
heralds  of  a  better,  of  a  more  blissful  order  of  things,  social 
and  religious,  are  neither  few  nor  feeble.  No  seven  years  of 
the  last  ten  centuries,  as  the  last  seven,  have  been  so  strongly 
marked  with  the  criteria  of  the  dawn  of  that  period  which 
has  been  the  theme  of  many  a  discourse  and  the  burden  of 
many  a  prayer. 

I  have  thought  proper  to  quote  the  entire  preface,  as 
it  harmonises  with  what  has  been  said  in  the  introduction 


2-22   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


to  this  volume  with  reference  to  the  rise  and  progress  of  the 
Reformation  of  which  it  treats.  While  Mr.  Campbell 
does  not  use  exactly  the  same  figure  of  speech  that  we 
have  used,  he  nevertheless  reaches  practically  the  same 
conclusion  that  we  have  done.  His  Starlight,  Moonlight, 
and  Sunlight  Ages  were  ever  afterwards  favourite  epochs 
of  his  in  treating  the  gradual  development  of  the  Chris- 
tion  religion  through  the  Patriarchal,  Jewish,  and  Chris- 
tian Dispensations. 

However,  the  preface  which  has  been  quoted  in  full 
is  valuable  mainly  for  the  light  which  it  throws  on  the  con- 
dition of  the  religious  world  at  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1830,  and  for  the  splendid  courage  which  Mr.  Campbell 
shows  in  his  attack  upon  the  things  that  hinder  the  prog- 
ress of  the  Christianity  of  Christ.  His  motto  from  this 
time  on  was  "  Let  there  be  light,"  and  he  began  at  once 
to  earnestly  contend  for  "  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered 
to  the  saints,"  no  matter  where  this  contention  might  lead 
him  and  those  associated  with  him.  At  this  time  he  seems 
to  have  had  no  concern  whatever  with  respect  to  the  out- 
come of  the  movement.  He  seems  to  have  been  over- 
whelmed with  the  conviction  that  the  darkness  of  chaos 
should  be  dissipated,  and  that  the  light  of  the  glorious 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  should  shine  unto  the  people.  This 
he  conceived  would  bring  a  new  age,  and  the  rising  of 
the  light  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  or  of  Mercy,  as 
he  calls  it,  was  the  dawn  of  the  new  age  which  would 
usher  in  the  complete  restoration  of  Christianity  as  por- 
trayed in  the  New  Testament  in  all  of  its  essential  features. 

It  may  be  that  Mr.  Campbell  was  dreaming  when  he 
anticipated  the  new  age  in  the  name  of  his  periodical. 
But  dreams  must  often  antedate  the  realisation  of  these 
dreams.  Idealisation  goes  before  realisation.  The  poets 
are  often  the  forerunners  of  the  historians.  To  see  visions 
was  one  of  the  signs  which  were  to  accompany  the  intro- 
duction of  Christianity  into  the  world.  It  was  one  of 
the  signs  of  the  New  Age,  as  Mr.  Campbell  anticipated 
it,  in  his  milennial  Harbinger. 

The  separation  of  the  Disciples  from  the  Baptists,  or 
rather  the  separation  of  the  Baptists  from  the  Disciples 
(for  the  latter  expresses  more  truthfully  the  real  fact 
of  the  case),  did  not  retard  the  movement  which  had  been 
inaugurated  by  the  Campbells.     Indeed,  it  is  probable 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  223 


the  movement,  as  a  well-defined  and  distinct  thing,  was 
accelerated  by  the  action  of  many  Baptist  Churches  with- 
drawing fellowship  from  the  Disciples.  These  Baptist 
Churches,  by  their  action,  placed  themselves  in  the  at- 
titude of  persecutors,  though  they  doubtless  acted  from 
a  conscientious  sense  of  duty.  They  could  not  keep  up 
with  the  progress  which  the  Disciples  were  leading.  The 
latter  had  started  out  with  the  prominent  idea  of  reforma- 
tion, and  the  Baptist  Churches  were  also  included  among 
those  who  needed  reformation.  At  this  time  the  Baptist 
Churches  were  practically  divided  into  two  classes,  namely, 
those  who  were  called  Reformers,  and  those  who  still 
retained  the  Baptist  faith  as  expressed  in  the  Philadelphia 
Confession. 

From  1824,  up  to  the  time  the  Millennial  Harbinger 
was  started,  the  "  Reforniiation  "  became  more  and  more 
aggressive,  the  result  of  which  told  very  decidedly  upon 
many  Baptist  Churches,  as  well  as  some  Associations. 
During  this  whole  period  the  leaven  of  the  Campbellian 
movement  was  working,  and  the  views  of  the  "  Reform- 
ers "  were  spreading  in  various  directions  through  Ohio, 
Western  Pennsylvania,  Kentucky,  and  Virginia,  though 
gaining  adherents  mainly  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  Even 
in  1820,  Mr.  Campbell  had  no  idea  of  leaving  the  Bap- 
tists. During  that  year  he  wrote :  "  I  and  the  Church 
with  which  I  am  connected  are  in  full  communion  with 
the  Mahoning  Baptist  Association  of  Ohio;  and  through 
them  with  the  whole  Baptist  Association  in  the  United 
States;  and  I  intend  to  continue  in  connection  with  these 
people  so  long  as  they  will  permit  me  to  say  what  I  be- 
lieve, to  teach  what  I  am  assured  of,  and  to  censure  what 
is  amiss  in  their  views  and  practices.  I  have  no  idea 
of  adding  to  the  catalogue  of  new  sects.  This  game  has 
been  played  long  enough."  It  will  be  remembered  also 
that  Mr.  Campbell  stipulated  for  these  very  privileges 
when  he  joined  the  Baptist  denomination,  and  conse- 
quently he  cannot  be  charged  with  having  deceived  any 
one  with  respect  to  the  position  which  he  occupied.  But 
it  has  already  been  seen  that,  in  the  controversy  between 
the  Baptists  and  the  "  Reformers,"  the  Mahoning  Asso- 
ciation sided  with  the  latter.  This  Association  was  finally 
dissolved  in  1830,  nothwithstanding  Mr.  Campbell  was 
present  and  opposed  this  radical  action.    But  it  was  im- 


224   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


possible  for  even  him  to  stay  the  tide  which  was  flowing 
in  the  direction  of  the  Reformers,"  and  he  finally,  re- 
luctantly, consented  to  the  transformation  of  the  Associa- 
tion into  a  "  Yearly  Meeting,"  which  would  have  no  au- 
thority, and  would  meet  only  for  acquaintance  and  mutual 
edification.  Other  Baptist  Associations  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  the  Mahoning  Association,  and  many  Baptist 
Churches  became  identified  with  the  Reformers,"  though 
in  not  a  few  cases  these  churches  were  divided. 

Just  here  it  is  well  to  remember  that  Mr,  Campbell  and 
those  immediately  associated  with  him  were  not  wholly 
responsible  for  the  new  leaven  that  was  influencing  the 
Baptist  Churches. 

So  far  we  have  traced  the  movement  through  certain 
individuals  who  were  prominent  leaders,  but  it  is  im- 
portant to  notice  the  fact  that  some  of  the  earlier  pleadings 
for  reformation  came  through  churches,  rather  than 
through  individuals.  A  few  of  these  churches  may  be 
mentioned. 

In  1S20,  a  Baptist  Church  in  New  York  City,  chiefly 
made  up  of  Scotch  people,  who  had  come  over  from  the 
old  country,  issued  a  very  important  document,  which 
doubtless  had  considerable  influence  upon  many  other  Bap- 
tist Churches,  as  well  as  upon  individuals,  into  whose 
hands  the  document  came. 

After  quoting  many  passages  of  Scripture  referring  to 
baptism,  the  document  continues  as  follows: 

From  these  several  passages  we  may  learn  how  baptism  was 
viewed  in  the  beginning  by  those  who  were  qualified  to  under- 
stand its  meaning  best.  No  one  who  has  been  in  the  habit  of 
considering  it  merely  as  an  ordinance  can  read  these  passages 
with  attention,  without  being  surprised  at  the  wonderful 
powers,  and  qualities,  and  effects,  and  uses,  which  are  there 
apparently  ascribed  to  it.  If  the  language  employed  respecting 
it,  in  many  of  the  passages,  were  to  be  taken  literally,  it 
would  import  that  remission  of  sins  is  to  be  obtained  by  bap- 
tism, that  an  escape  from  the  wrath  to  come  is  effected  in  bap- 
tism; that  men  are  born  children  of  God  by  baptism;  that 
salvation  is  connected  with  baptism ;  that  men  wash  away  their 
sins  by  baptism ;  that  men  become  dead  to  sin  and  alive  to 
God  by  baptism;  that  the  Church  of  God  is  sanctified  and 
cleansed  by  baptism;  that  men  are  regenerated  by  baptism; 
and  that  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  is  obtained  by  bap- 
tism. All  these  things,  if  all  the  passages  before  us  were  con- 
strued literally,  would  be  ascribed  to  baptism.    And  it  was  a 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  225 


literal  construction  of  these  passages  which  led  professed 
Christians,  in  the  early  ages,  to  believe  that  baptism  was  neces- 
sary to  salvation.  Hence  arose  infant  baptism,  and  other 
customs  equally  unauthorised.  And,  from  a  literal  construc- 
tion of  the  words  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  at  the  last  Supper,  arose 
the  awful  notion  of  trans-substantiation. 

But,  however  much  men  have  erred  in  fixing  a  literal  im- 
port upon  these  passages,  still  the  very  circumstances  of  their 
doing  so,  and  the  fact  that  the  meaning  they  imputed  is  the 
literal  meaning,  all  go  to  show  that  baptism  was  appointed 
for  ends  and  purposes  far  more  important  than  those,  who 
think  it  only  an  ordinance,  yet  have  seen. 

It  is  for  the  churches  of  God,  therefore,  to  consider  well, 
whether  it  does  not  clearly  and  forcibly  appear,  from  what  is 
said  of  baptism  in  the  passages  before  us,  each  taken  in  its 
proper  connection,  and  this  baptism  was  appointed  as  an  insti- 
tution strikingly  significant  of  several  of  the  most  important 
things  relating  to  the  kingdom  of  God ;  w^hether  it  was  not  in 
baptism  that  men  professed,  by  deed,  as  they  had  already  done 
by  word,  to  have  remission  of  sins  through  the  death  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  to  have  a  firm  persuasion  of  being  raised  from  the 
dead  through  him,  and  after  his  example ;  whether  it  was  not 
in  baptism  that  they  put  off  the  ungodly  character  and  its 
lusts,  and  put  on  the  new  life  of  righteousness  in  Christ  Jesus : 
whether  it  was  not  in  baptism  that  they  professed  to  be  born 
from  above,  and  thereby  fitted  for  an  entrance  into  the  king- 
dom of  God,  that  is,  the  Church  of  God  here  on  earth ;  whether 
it  was  not  in  baptism  that  they  professed  to  be  purified  and 
cleansed  from  their  defilement,  and  sanctified  and  separated 
to  the  service  of  God ;  whether  it  was  not  in  baptism  that  they 
passed,  as  it  were,  out  of  one  state  into  another,  out  of  the 
kingdom  of  darkness  into  the  Kingdom  of  God's  Son;  whether 
if  any  were  ever  known  or  recognised  as  having  put  on  Christ, 
who  had  not  thus  been  buried  with  him  in  baptism;  whether, 
in  fact,  baptism  was  not  a  prominent  part  of  the  Christian 
profession,  or  in  other  words,  that  by  which,  in  part,  the 
Christian  profession  was  made ;  and  whether  this  one  baptism 
was  not  essential  to  the  keeping  of  the  unity  of  the  Spirit. 

And  if,  on  reflection,  it  should  appear  that  these  uses  and 
purposes  appertain  to  the  one  baptism,  then  it  should  be  con- 
sidered how  far  any  one  can  be  known,  or  recognised,  or  ac- 
knowledged as  disciples,  as  having  made  the  Christian  pro- 
fession, as  having  put  on  Christ,  as  having  passed  from  death 
to  life,  who  have  not  been  baptised  as  the  disciples  of  Christ.* 

It  is  said  that  this  document  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  the  mind  of  Walter  Scott,  and  had  much  to  do  in 
gaining  him  to  the  great  reformatory  movement.  It  will 
be  seen  that  the  document  shows  the  same  reverence  for 

•  Baxter's  "  Life  of  Walter  Scott,"  pp.  51-53. 


226   HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  Scriptures  that  Thomas  Campbell  does  in  his  "  Decla- 
ration and  Address."  Whether  this  latter  document  had 
reached  the  New  York  Church  and  wrought  its  influence 
upon  that  church  is  not  certain,  though  it  is  certain  that 
the  church,  even  before  the  Christian  Baptist  was  started, 
was  practically  in  line  with  the  Campbellian  movement. 
Other  churches  soon  became  prominent  agitators  and  prop- 
agandists of  practically  the  same  principles  as  those 
advocated  by  the  Campbells,  so  that  the  movement  was 
really,  almost  from  the  beginning,  a  movement  among 
and  from  the  Baptist  Churches  themselves,  rather  than 
a  movement  upon  these  churches  from  the  Campbells  and 
those  immediately  associated  with  them. 

A  small  church  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  had  been 
gathered  by  George  Forrester,  a  Haldanean  preacher,  who 
supported  himself  by  conducting  an  academy.  It  was 
this  church  which  first  influenced  Walter  Scott,  when  he 
arrived  in  the  United  States,  in  1818.  It  was  here  also 
that  Thomas  Campbell  conducted  an  academy  for  a  short 
time.  This  church  had  for  its  pastor  Sidney  Rigdon, 
who  afterwards  became  prominent  as  a  preacher  among 
the  Disciples,  as  well  as  subsequently  a  leader  among 
the  Mormons.  Walter  Scott  was  serving  the  Haldanean 
Church  while  Rigdon  was  the  pastor  of  the  regular  Bap- 
tist Church.  A  union  was  soon  formed  between  these 
two  churches,  and  this  united  church  became  the  third 
church  of  the  Reformation. 

The  formation  of  the  second  church  at  Wellsburg,  now 
West  Virginia,  has  already  been  referred  to,  as  having 
been  constituted  by  twenty  members,  dismissed  from  the 
Brush  Run  Church,  and  afterwards  becoming  identified 
with  the  Mahoning  Association  of  Ohio.  With  respect  to 
the  church  at  Bethany,  W.  Va.,  Professor  W.  B.  Taylor 
writes  as  follows : 

"  Few  people  realise  how  truly  the  Bethany  Church  is 
the  mother  church  of  the  Restoration.  It  is  the  Brush 
Run  Church  transplanted,  which  was  organised  as  a  con- 
gregation of  immersionists  in  June,  1811.  It  was  later 
received  into  the  Redstone  (Pa.)  Baptist  Association 
with  a  distinct  and  written  statement  that  they  were 
to  be  guided  only  by  the  Scriptures. 

"  The  members  were  badly  scattered,  Mr.  A.  Campbell 
living  more  than  ten  miles  distant  from  the  little  log 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  227 


meeting- liouso.  Because  of  the  removal  of  Thomas  Camp- 
bell and  his  family;  the  widening  duties  of  Alexander 
Campbell  and  his  consequent  absence  from  their  meetings; 
the  intense  opposition  of  the  Presbyterians,  who  dominated 
the  community  religiously;  and  the  jealousy  and  intrigues 
of  the  Baptist  preachers  and  leaders  within  the  Redstone 
Association,  the  Brush  Run  congregation  declined.  Mr. 
Campbell  and  his  father  and  their  families  were  impelled 
to  take  membership  with  the  Wellsburg,  Va.,  Church  in 
1816  or  1817,  after  he  had  raised  money  for  erecting 
their  present  building.  They  now  escaped  from  the  Red- 
stone Association  and  entered  the  Mahoning  Association. 
The  little  Brush  Run  Church  was  greatly  persecuted,  but 
continued  their  meetings,  for  nearly  fifteen  years  aided  by 
an  occasional  visit  from  Mr.  Campbell,  who  rode  from 
home  over  the  most  wretched  roads  for  this  eleven  miles, 
preached  to  them  for  hours,  and  then  returned  the  same 
day.  This  is  the  service  of  a  man  with  deep  conviction, 
little  realising  the  greatness  of  his  service  and  example. 

The  Campbells  retained  their  membership  with  the 
Wellsburg  Church  until  '  the  spring  of  1829,'  when  the 
church  was  organised  at  Buffalo,  now  Bethany.  The 
records  of  the  Brush  Run  and  the  early  records  of  the 
Bethany  Church  have  been  lost,  but  the  early  clerk's 
book  of  the  Wellsburg  Church  contains  this  historic  state- 
ment :  '  In  the  spring  of  1829  Mr.  A.  Campbell  and  his 
father,  T.  Campbell,  and  their  families  and  several  others 
withdrew  to  organise  a  new  society  at  Buffalo,  thus  very 
much  weakening  our  congregation.'  The  exact  date  of 
the  organisation  is  not  given.  It  was  during  the  winter 
of  1829  that  Mr.  Campbell  sat  in  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  Virginia,  and  according  to  a  statement  of  Mrs. 
Decima  Campbell  Barclay,  his  daughter,  he  did  not  re- 
turn home  until  the  last  of  April  or  first  of  May,  in  that 
year.  So  the  Bethany  Church  was  organised  in  May, 
1829. 

"  An  old  and  yellow  newspaper  clipping,  without  name 
of  paper  or  date,  came  into  my  hands  in  1906,  stating  that 
the  church  at  Bethany  was  organised  in  1829  and  held 
its  meetings  in  a  warehouse  on  Mr.  Campbell's  farm,  near 
the  mill,  and  that  the  remaining  members  of  the  Brush 
Run  Church,  who  were  In  sympathy  with  '  the  reformers,' 
united  with  the  new  congregation  and  the  Brush  Run 


228   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Church  was  disbanded.  If  this  record  be  reliable,  and 
I  believe  it  is,  because  the  time  of  organisation  and  place 
of  meeting  are  confirmed  by  Mrs.  Barclay,  then  the  Bethany 
Church  is  a  continuation  of  the  Brush  Run  Church.  Its 
first  membership  was  made  up  of  the  Campbells,  their 
families,  and  the  brethren  of  the  Brush  Run  Church  in 
sympathy  with  the  '  reformers.'  This  makes  out  the 
case  and  establishes  its  real  origin  in  June,  1811,  less 
than  two  years  from  the  issuing  of  the  '  Declaration  and 
Address.' 

"  The  original  building  at  Brush  Run  was  removed  from 
its  foundation,  now  overgrown  with  weeds  and  briars,  to 
West  Middletown.  It  was  first  used  as  a  blacksmith  shop, 
and  now  for  a  stable.  The  first  building  in  Bethany 
was  a  small  stone  building  on  the  site  of  the  present  build- 
ing. It  was  erected  in  1830  and  1831,  and  did  service 
for  twenty  years.  In  that  building  Thomas  Campbell 
preached  his  farewell  sermon  June  1,  1851.  Immediately 
after  this  it  was  torn  down  and  the  present  brick  building- 
was  erected  in  its  place.  An  effort  is  now  being  made 
to  preserve  this  historic  edifice  and  in  connection  with 
it  to  erect  a  memorial  church  in  honour  of  the  heroes 
of  The  Faith,  who  worshipped  and  laboured  here.  From 
this  pulpit  Mr.  Campbell  preached  for  years.  From  this 
sacred  desk  President  Pendleton,  Walter  Scott,  President 
Woolery,  and  Professors  Milligan,  Graham,  Loos,  and 
many  of  our  noblest  preachers  have  sounded  forth  the 
*  Word  of  Life.' 

"  In  coming  years,  when  Christian  Union  shall  be  an 
accomplished  fact,  this  will  be  one  of  the  most  valued  build- 
ings in  Christendom,  taking  its  place  with  Asbury,  Ep- 
worth,  and  Old  South  Church." 

Other  churches  became  prominent  centres  of  influence 
in  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  Reformation.  It  is  not 
necessary  now  to  name  all  these,  though  some  of  these 
have  a  very  special  place  in  the  history  of  the  movement. 
Among  the  most  important  may  be  mentioned  the  churches 
at  Warren,  Ohio,  at  New  Lisbon,  at  East  Fairfield,  at 
Lordstown,  at  Youngstown,  Sharon,  Newton  Falls, 
Paynesville,  Mentor,  Ravenna,  Aurora,  Akron,  Salem,  and 
many  others  which  need  not  here  be  named.  The  one 
church,  however,  of  the  Ohio  group  which  exerted  as  much 
influence  as  any  other  was  the  Sycamore  Street  Church, 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  229 


in  Cincinnati,  which  is  now  represented  by  the  Central 
Church  of  that  city.  This  church  sprang  from  the  Enon 
Baptist  Church  of  Cincinnati,  about  120  of  whose  mem- 
bers were  granted  letters  from  that  church,  in  1828,  to 
form  a  new  church,  which  at  first  settled  for  a  while  on 
Sycamore  Street,  and  then  removed  to  Walnut  Street, 
and  finally  to  Ninth  and  Central  Avenue,  the  present 
location  of  the  Central  Christian  Church. 

After  the  formation  of  this  new  Baptist  Church,  Elder 
James  Challen  was  elected  pastor,  at  a  salary  of  |300  per 
annum.  At  first  the  church  adopted  a  modified  creed, 
containing  ten  articles,  the  preamble  of  which  affirms  al- 
legiance to  Jesus  Christ  as  the  foundation  of  the  Church, 
and  furthermore,  that  in  "  all  matters  of  religion  we  will 
take  the  Word  of  God  in  its  legitimate  connections  and 
relations  as  of  the  highest  authority,  and  of  permanent 
obligation,  and  agree  to  receive  it  as  our  infallible  guide 
and  unerring  rule,  both  of  faith  and  practice," 

It  was  not  long,  however,  until  the  Enon  Baptist  Church 
became  dissatisfied  with  the  course  pursued  by  the  new 
church,  and  this  mother  church  sent  a  communication  to 
the  new  church  severely  condemning  the  course  of  the 
latter  with  respect  to  several  things.  After  a  somewhat 
protracted  and  lengthy  correspondence,  the  brethren  who 
had  been  dismissed  from  the  Enon  Baptist  Church  be- 
came practically  a  separate  church,  and  finally  located 
on  Sycamore  Street,  with  James  Challen  as  their  pastor, 
as  already  stated.  D.  S.  Burnett  was  one  of  the  prominent 
leaders  of  the  new  movement,  and  was  ever  afterwards 
closely  connected  with  this  new  church,  and  served  it 
as  pastor  at  two  different  times,  for  several  years.  From 
this  time,  he  and  James  Challen  occupied  a  distinguished 
position  in  advocating  the  new  movement,  especially  in 
Southwestern  Ohio.  The  former  was  a  man  of  remark- 
able power  in  the  pulpit ;  he  was,  indeed,  one  of  the  most 
eloquent  men  connected  with  the  Disciple  movement  at 
this  time,  while  the  latter  was  a  wise  counsellor,  a  most 
exemplary  Christian,  and  a  man  of  considerable  literary 
attainments.  This  new  church  moved  from  Sycamore 
Street  to  the  corner  of  Eighth  and  Walnut,  where  it  re- 
mained until  what  is  known  as  the  Central  Christian 
Church  wag  built  at  the  beginning  of  the  seventies.  Per- 
haps no  church  in  the  Reformatory  Movement  has  been 


230   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


more  influential  in  shaping  the  course  of  the  movement 
than  the  one  now  under  consideration.  From  the  very 
beginning-  it  has  been  a  seed  church,  sending  its  members 
throughout  the  South  and  Southwest,  where  they  have  been 
instrumental  in  planting  churches.  For  a  long  time  it 
practically  carried  nearly  the  whole  weight  of  responsibil- 
ity in  directing  the  missionary  operations  of  the  Disciples. 
In  the  later  years  it  has  become  a  down-town  church,  and 
it  has  been  somewhat  difficult  to  keep  up  its  membership 
to  the  high  standard  of  influencewhich  the  church  formerly 
represented.  Nevertheless,  it  is  even  to-day  one  of  the 
strong  churches  of  the  brotherhood. 

The  church  at  Warren,  Ohio,  is  another  church  which 
deserves  special  mention.  This  church  early  became 
prominently  identified  with  the  Disciple  movement,  and 
has  always  been  a  strong  church,  and  has  perhaps  exerted 
as  much,  if  not  more,  influence  in  favour  of  that  move- 
ment than  any  other  church  in  the  Western  Reserve.  It 
was  organised  September  3,  1803,  as  a  Baptist  Church, 
by  Elder  Charles  B.  Smith.  At  the  same  time  Adamson 
Bentley  took  pastoral  charge.  Soon  after  this  steps  were 
taken  to  build  a  new  meeting  house ;  and  meantime  services 
were  held  in  the  Courthouse,  where  the  Lord's  Supper 
was  administered  for  five  years.  Bentley  soon  became 
an  enthusiastic  convert  to  the  principles  and  aims  of  the 
Campbellian  movement,  and  under  the  infiuence  of  Walter 
Scott,  he  became  actively  engaged  in  advocating  the  plea 
of  the  Disciples.  The  whole  church  practically  followed 
his  leadership. 

Bentley  was,  in  many  respects,  a  remarkable  man.  He 
was  born  July  4,  1785,  in  Allegheny  County,  Pa.,  though 
his  parents,  while  he  was  yet  young,  removed  to  Brook- 
field,  Ohio.  Here  young  Bentley  was  compelled  to  strug- 
gle under  many  diflSculties  in  obtaining  a  fairly  respect- 
able education.  He  began  to  preach  at  nineteen,  and 
was  at  that  time  a  pronounced  hyper-Calvinist.  But  when 
he  became  identified  with  the  Disciple  movement  his  Cal- 
vinism did  not  trouble  him  any  longer.  In  the  course 
of  his  ministry  he  travelled  extensively  in  Ohio,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  Kentucky.  He  was  a  man  of  much  dig- 
nity, and  carried  with  him  a  very  strong  personal  in-, 
fluence.  He  was  remarkable  for  what  is  called  level- 
headedness."   He  was  a  wise  man,  and  therefore  a  great 


SEPARATION  OF  BAPTISTS  AND  DISCIPLES  231 


leader.  He  came  to  the  side  of  Campbell  and  Scott  when 
his  influence  was  very  much  needed,  and  it  is  doubtful 
w  hether  any  other  man  than  Scott  himself  exerted  a  more 
powerful  influence  in  favor  of  the  Disciple  movement  in 
the  Western  Reserve  than  did  Adamson  Bentley. 

Other  churches  and  men  in  the  Western  Reserve  deserve 
special  mention,  but  space  will  not  permit  the  notice  of 
these  in  detail,  and  there  is  no  particular  need  for  this 
in  a  general  history,  as  these  churches  and  men  receive 
considerable  attention  in  books  devoted  to  the  Disciple 
movement  in  particular  localities. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 

SO  far  little  has  been  said  about  the  Disciple  move- 
ment in  Kentucky,  for  the  reason  that  another  move- 
ment, similar  to  that  advocated  by  the  Campbells, 
had  antedated  the  issuance  of  the  "  Declaration  and  Ad- 
dress "  by  several  years.  In  this  movement.  Barton  W. 
Stone  was  the  principal  actor.  He  was  born  December 
24,  1772,  near  Port  Tobacco,  Marj'land.  In  1779  his 
mother  removed  to  Pittsylvania  County,  Virginia.  Very 
early  in  life  he  determined  to  qualify  himself  for  a  bar- 
rister, and  in  order  to  acquire  a  liberal  education  for  this 
purpose,  he  stripped  himself  of  every  hindrance,  denied 
himself  strong  food,  and  lived  chiefly  on  milk  and  vege- 
tables, allowing  himself  only  six  or  seven  hours  sleep  out 
of  the  twenty-four.  When  he  entered  Guilford  Academy, 
North  Carolina,  where  he  received  his  early  education, 
a  great  religious  revival  was  being  conducted  in  the  town, 
and  the  influence  of  this  made  a  strong  impression  upon 
young  Stone's  mind,  and  finally  changed  the  purpose  of 
his  life.    Of  this  change  he  himself  speaks  as  follows: 

I  now  began  seriously  to  think  it  would  be  better  for  me  to 
remove  from  this  academy,  and  go  to  Hampton  Sidney  College, 
in  Virginia,  for  no  other  reason  than  that  I  might  get  away 
from  the  constant  sight  of  religion.  I  had  formed  the  resolu- 
tion and  had  determined  to  start  the  next  morning,  but  was 
prevented  by  a  very  stormy  day.  I  remained  in  my  room 
during  that  day,  and  came  to  the  firm  resolution  to  pursue  my 
studies  there,  attend  to  my  own  business,  and  let  everyone 
pursue  his  own  way.  From  this  I  have  learned  that  the  most 
effectual  way  to  conquer  the  depraved  heart  is  the  constant 
exhibition  of  piety  and  a  godly  life  in  the  professors  of 
religion. 

Prior  to  this  time  he  was  much  perplexed  with  respect 
to  religion.  During  a  great  revival  among  the  Baptists 
he  says: 

232 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


233 


I  was  a  constant  attendant,  and  was  particularly  Interested 
to  hear  the  converts  giving  in  their  experience.  Of  their  con- 
viction and  great  distress  for  sin,  they  were  very  particular 
in  giving  an  account,  and  how  and  when  they  obtained  de- 
liverance from  their  burdens.  Some  were  delivered  by  a 
dream,  a  vision,  or  some  uncommon  appearance  of  light — some 
by  a  voice  spoken  to  them,  "  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee  " — and 
others  by  seeing  the  Saviour  with  their  natural  eyes.  Such 
experiences  were  considered  good  by  the  church,  and  the  sub- 
jects of  them  were  received  for  baptism,  and  into  full  fellow- 
ship. Great  and  good  was  the  reformation  in  society.  Know- 
ing nothing  better,  I  considered  this  to  be  the  work  of  God, 
and  the  way  of  salvation.  The  preachers  had  the  art  of  affect- 
ing their  hearers  by  a  tuneful  or  singing  voice  in  preaching. 

About  this  time  came  in  a  few  Methodist  preachers. 
Their  appearance  was  prepossessing — grave,  holy,  meek,  plain, 
and  humble.  Their  very  presence  checked  levity  in  all  around 
them — their  zeal  was  fervent  and  unaffected,  and  their  preach- 
ing was  often  electric  on  the  congregation,  and  fixed  their  at- 
tention. The  Episcopalians  and  Baptists  began  to  oppose 
them  with  great  warmth.  The  Baptists  represented  them  as 
denying  the  doctrines  of  grace  and  of  preaching  salvation  by 
works.  They  publicly  declared  them  to  be  the  locusts  of  the 
Apocalypse,  and  warned  the  people  against  receiving  them. 
Poor  Methodists!  They  were  then  but  few,  reproached,  mis- 
represented, and  persecuted  as  unfit  to  live  on  the  earth.  My 
mind  was  much  agitated,  and  was  vacillating  between  these 
two  parties.  For  some  time  I  had  been  in  the  habit  of  retiring 
in  secret,  morning  and  evening,  for  prayer,  with  an  earnest 
desire  for  religion ;  but  being  ignorant  of  what  I  ought  to  do, 
I  became  discouraged,  and  quit  praying,  and  engaged  in  the 
youthful  sports  of  the  day.  * 

These  extracts  are  given,  not  only  to  show  the  formative 
influences  which  wrought  upon  the  character  of  B.  W. 
Stone,  but  also  to  show  the  character  of  the  religion  which 
prevailed  at  that  time.  It  has  already  been  stated  that 
a  reformation  was  sadly  needed,  and  that  undoubtedly, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  the  time  had  come  when  this 
reformation  must  begin.  This  state  of  things  is  further 
illustrated  in  Mr.  Stone's  own  experience.    He  says: 

According  to  the  preaching  and  experience  of  the  pious  in 
those  days,  I  anticipated  a  long  and  painful  struggle  before  I 
should  be  prepared  to  come  to  Christ,  or,  in  the  language  then 
used,  before  I  should  get  religion.  This  anticipation  was  com- 
pletely realised  by  me.  For  one*  year  I  was  tossed  on  the 
waves  of  uncertainty — labouring,  praying,  and  striving,  to  ob- 

Biography  of  B.  W.  Stone,"  pp.  5-9. 


234    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tain  saving  faith — sometimes  desponding  and  almost  despair- 
ing of  ever  getting  it.  The  doctrines  then  publicly  taught  were 
that  mankind  were  so  totally  depraved  that  they  could  not  be- 
lieve, repent,  nor  obey  the  Gospel — that  regeneration  was  an 
immediate  work  of  the  Spirit,  whereby  faith  and  repentance 
were  wrought  in  the  heart.  These  things  were  portrayed  in 
vivid  colours,  with  all  earnestness  and  solemnity,  isiow  was 
not  then  the  accepted  time — noio  was  not  then  the  day  of 
salvation;  but  it  was  God's  own  sovereign  time,  and  for  that 
time  the  sinner  must  wait. 

After  passing  through  a  period  of  severe  struggle  with 
respect  to  his  religious  life,  Mr.  Stone  at  last  united  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  soon  thereafter,  having  fin- 
ished his  course  at  the  Academy,  he  became  a  candidate 
for  the  ministry  in  the  Orange  Presbytery,  and  placed 
himself  under  the  direction  of  William  Hodge,  whose  ser- 
mon on  the  text  "  God  is  Love  "  was  the  final  determining 
factor  in  Mr.  Stone's  conversion.  He  now  set  himself 
earnestly  to  the  study  of  the  Confession  of  Faith,  and 
the  more  he  studied  it,  the  more  his  perplexities  increased. 
The  doctrines  of  Calvinism,  taught  in  the  Confession,  were 
the  chief  difficulties  in  Mr.  Stone's  way.  He  could  not 
reconcile  these  with  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  teaching 
of  the  Bible,  and  at  his  final  examination,  when  asked 
if  he  was  willing  to  accept  the  Confession,  his  answer  was 

As  far  as  consistent  with  the  Word  of  God."  This 
answer  clearly  indicated  the  character  of  the  man.  Even 
at  that  early  period  we  see  clearly  the  indications  of 
the  coming  events  with  which  his  future  history  was  to 
be  intimately  identified.  When  God  raises  up  a  man  for 
a  special  purpose,  we  can  generally  trace  that  purpose 
in  the  formative  influences  which  enter  into  the  making 
of  the  man.  The  experiences  through  which  Mr.  Stone  had 
passed  were  all  educational,  and  were  doubtless  necessary 
in  the  providence  of  God  to  fitly  prepare  him  for  the  great 
work  to  which  he  had  been  called.  But  his  humility  was 
such  that,  if  this  work  had  been  revealed  to  him  at  this 
early  period,  he  would  doubtless  have  shrunk  from  it, 
as  Moses  did  when  God  called  him  to  lead  the  children 
of  Israel  out  of  the  land  of  bondage. 

After  preaching  a  short  time  in  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina,  in  the  year  179G,  he  visited  Kentucky  and  com- 
menced preaching  at  Caneridge  in  Bourbon  County,  where 
he  finally  settled,  preaching  part  of  the  time  at  Caneridge 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


235 


and  part  of  the  time  at  (,'oncord.  It  was  during  this 
time  that  those  remarkable  religious  exercises,  known  as 
the  "  jerks,"  were  manifested  in  many  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. Mr.  Stone's  own  account  of  these  curious  revival 
scenes  is  not  only  interesting,  but  will  serve  to  acquaint 
the  reader  with  the  conditions  of  religious  society  at  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century: 

The  bodily  agitations  or  exercises  attending  the  excitement 
in  the  beginning  of  this  century,  were  various,  and  called  by 
various  names ; — as,  the  falling  exercise — the  jerks — the  danc- 
ing exercise — the  barking  exercise — the  laughing  and  singing 
exercise,  etc.  The  falling  exercise  was  very  common  among 
all  classes,  the  saints  and  sinners  of  every  age  and  of  every 
grade,  from  the  philosopher  to  the  clown.  The  subject  of  this 
exercise  would,  generally,  with  a  piercing  scream,  fall  like  a 
log  on  the  floor,  earth,  or  mud,  and  appear  as  dead.  Of 
thousands  of  similar  cases  I  will  mention  one.  At  a  meeting, 
two  gay  young  ladies,  sisters,  were  standing  together  attending 
the  exercises  and  preaching  at  the  time.  Instantly  they  both 
fell,  with  a  shriek  of  distress,  and  lay  for  more  than  an  hour 
apparently  in  a  lifeless  state.  Their  mother,  a  pious  Baptist, 
was  in  great  distress,  fearing  they  would  not  revive.  At  length 
they  began  to  exhibit  symptoms  of  life,  by  crying  fervently 
for  mercy,  imd  then  relapsed  into  the  same  death-like  state, 
with  an  aAvful  gloom  on  their  countenances.  After  awhile,  the 
gloom  on  the  face  of  one  was  succeeded  by  a  heavenly  smile, 
and  she  cried  out  "  Precious  Jesus  "  and  rose  up  and  spoke  of 
the  love  of  God,  the  preciousness  of  Jesus,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Gospel,  to  the  surrounding  crowd,  in  language  almost  super- 
human and  pathetically  exhorted  all  to  repentance.  In  a  little 
while  after,  the  other  sister  was  similarly  exercised.  From 
that  time  they  became  remarkably  pious  members  of  the 
church. 

I  have  seen  very  many  pious  persons  fall  in  the  same  way, 
from  a  sense  of  the  danger  of  their  unconverted  children, 
brothers,  or  sisters — ^from  a  sense  of  the  danger  of  their  neigh- 
bours and  of  the  sinful  world.  I  have  heard  them  agonising 
in  tears  and  strong  crying  for  mercy  to  be  shown  to  sinners 
and  speaking  like  angels  to  all  around. 

The  jerks  cannot  be  so  easily  described.  Sometimes  the 
subject  would  be  afi'ected  in  some  one  member  of  the  body,  and 
sometimes  in  the  whole  system.  When  the  head  alone  was 
affected,  it  would  be  jerked  backward  and  forward,  or  from 
side  to  side,  so  quickly  that  the  features  of  the  face  could  not 
be  distinguished.  When  the  whole  system  was  affected,  I 
have  seen  the  person  stand  in  one  place,  and  jerk  backward 
and  forward  in  quick  succession,  their  head  nearly  touching 
the  floor  behind  and  before.  All  classes,  saints  and  sinners, 
the  strong  as  well  as  the  weak,  were  thus  affected.    I  have 


236    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


enquired  of  those  thus  affected.  They  could  not  account  for  it; 
but  some  have  told  me  that  those  were  among  the  happiest 
seasons  of  their  lives.  I  have  seen  some  wicked  persons  thus 
affected,  and  all  the  time  cursing  the  jerks,  while  they  were 
thrown  to  the  earth  with  violence.  Tlaough  so  awful  to  be- 
hold, I  do  not  remember  that  any  one  of  the  thousands  I  have 
seen  ever  sustained  an  injury  in  body.  This  was  as  strange 
as  the  exercise  itself. 

The  dancing  exercise.  This  generally  began  with  the  jerks, 
and  was  peculiar  to  professors  of  religion.  The  subject,  after 
jerking  awhile,  began  to  dance,  and  then  the  jerks  would  cease. 
Such  dancing  was  indeed  heavenly  to  the  spectators;  there 
was  nothing  in  it  like  levity,  nor  calculated  to  excite  levity  in 
the  beholders.  The  smile  of  heaven  shone  on  the  countenance 
of  the  subject,  and  assimilated  to  angels  appeared  the  whole 
person.  Sometimes  the  motion  was  quick  and  sometimes 
slow.  Thus  they  continued  to  move  forward  and  backward  in 
the  same  track  or  alley  till  nature  seemed  exhausted,  and  they 
would  fall  prostrate  on  the  floor  or  earth,  unless  caught  by 
those  standing  by.  While  thus  exercised,  I  have  heard  their 
solemn  praises  and  prayers  ascending  to  God. 

The  barking  exercise  (as  opposers  contemptuously  called  it) 
was  nothing  but  the  jerks.  A  person  affected  with  the  jerks, 
especially  in  his  head,  would  often  make  a  grunt  or  bark,  if 
you  please,  from  the  suddenne-ss  of  the  jerk.  This  name  of 
barking  seems  to  have  had  its  origin  from  an  old  Presbyterian 
preacher  of  East  Tennessee.  He  had  gone  into  the  woods  for 
private  devotion,  and  was  seized  with  the  jerks.  Standing 
near  a  sapling,  he  caught  hold  of  it,  to  prevent  his  falling,  and 
as  his  head  jerked  back,  he  uttered  a  grunt  or  kind  of  noise 
similar  to  a  bark,  his  face  being  turned  upwards.  Some  wag 
discovered  him  in  this  position,  and  reported  that  he  found 
him  barking  up  a  tree. 

The  laughing  exercise  was  frequent,  confined  solely  with 
the  religious.  It  was  a  loud,  hearty  laughter,  but  one  sui 
generis;  it  excited  laughter  in  no  one  else.  The  subject  ap- 
peared rapturously  solemn,  and  his  laughter  excited  solemnity 
in  saints  and  sinners.    It  is  trulv  indescribable. 

The  running  exercise  was  nothing  more  than  that  persons 
feeling  some  of  these  bodilj-  agitations,  through  fear,  attempted 
to  run  away,  and  thus  escape  from  them ;  but  it  commonly  hap- 
pened that  they  ran  not  far  before  they  fell,  or  became  so 
greatly  agitated  that  they  could  proceed  no  further.  I  knew 
a  young  physician  of  a  celebrated  family  who  came  some  dis- 
tance to  a  big  meeting  to  see  the  strange  things  he  had  heard 
of.  He  and  a  young  lady  had  sportively  agreed  to  watch  over 
and  take  care  of  each  other,  if  either  should  fall.  At  length 
the  physician  felt  something  very  uncommon,  and  started  from 
the  congregation  to  run  into  the  woods ;  he  was  discovered 
running  as  for  life,  but  did  not  proceed  far  till  he  fell  down, 
and  there  lay  till  he  submitted  to  the  Lord,  and  afterwards 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


237 


became  a  zealous  member  of  the  church.  Such  cases  were  com- 
mon. 

I  shall  close  this  chapter  with  the  singing  exercise.  This  is 
more  unaccountable  than  anything  else  I  ever  saw.  The  sub- 
ject in  a  very  happy  state  of  mind  would  sing  most  melodi- 
ously, not  from  the  mouth  or  nose,  but  entirely  in  the  breast, 
the  sounds  issuing  thence.  Such  music  silenced  everything, 
and  attracted  the  attention  of  all.  It  was  most  heavenly. 
None  could  ever  be  tired  of  hearing  it.  Doctor  J.  P.  Campbell 
and  myself  were  together  at  a  meeting,  and  were  attending  to 
a  pious  lady  thus  exercised,  and  concluded  it  to  be  something 
surpassing  anything  we  had  known  in  nature. 

Thus  I  have  given  a  brief  account  of  the  wonderful  things 
that  appeared  in  the  great  excitement  in  the  beginning  of  this 
century.  That  there  were  many  eccentricities,  and  much 
fanaticism  in  this  excitement  was  acknowledged  by  its  warm- 
est advocates;  indeed  it  would  have  been  a  wonder,  if  such 
things  had  not  appeared,  in  the  circumstances  of  that  time. 
Yet  the  good  effects  were  seen  and  acknowledged  in  every 
neighbourhood,  and  among  the  different  sects  it  silenced  con- 
tention and  promoted  unity  for  a  while;  and  these  blessed 
effects  would  have  continued,  had  not  men  put  forth  their  un- 
hallowed hands  to  hold  up  their  tottering  ark,  mistaking  it  for 
the  ark  of  God. 

Since  the  beginning  of  the  excitement  I  had  been  employed 
day  and  night  in  preaching,  singing,  visiting,  and  praying, 
with  the  distressed,  till  my  lungs  failed,  and  became  inflamed, 
attended  with  a  violent  cough  and  spitting  of  blood.  It  was 
believed  to  be  a  dangerous  case  and  might  terminate  in  con- 
sumption. My  strength  failed,  and  I  felt  myself  fast  descend- 
ing to  the  tomb.  Viewing  this  event  near,  and  that  I  should 
soon  cease  from  my  labours,  I  had  a  great  desire  to  attend  a 
camp-meeting  at  Paris,  a  few  miles  distant  from  Caneridge. 
My  physician  had  strictly  forbidden  me  to  preach  any  more 
till  my  disease  should  be  removed. 

At  this  camp-meeting  the  multitudes  assembled  in  a  shady 
grove  near  Paris,  with  their  wagons  and  provisions.  Here 
for  the  first  time  a  Presbyterian  preacher  arose  and  opposed 
the  work,  and  the  doctrine  by  which  the  work  amongst  us  had 
its  existence  and  life.  He  laboured  hard  to  Calvinise  the 
people,  and  to  regulate  them  according  to  his  standard  of 
propriety.  He  wished  them  to  decamp  at  night,  and  to  repair 
to  the  town,  nearly  a  mile  off,  for  worship  in  a  house  that 
could  not  contain  half  the  people.  This  could  not  be  done 
without  leaving  their  tents  and  all  exposed.  The  consequence 
was,  the  meeting  was  divided,  and  the  work  greatly  impeded. 
Infidels  and  formalists  triumphed  at  this  supposed  victory, 
and  extolled  the  preacher  to  the  skies;  but  the  hearts  of  the 
revivalists  were  filled  with  sorrow.  Being  in  a  feeble  state,  I 
went  to  the  meeting  in  town.  A  preacher  was  put  forward, 
who  had  always  been  hostile  to  the  work,  and  seldom  mingled 


238    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


with  us.  He,  lengthily  addressed  the  people  in  iceberg  style 
— its  influence  was  deathly.  I  felt  a  strong  desire  to  pray  as 
soon  as  he  should  close,  and  had  so  determined  in  ray  own 
mind.  He  at  length  closed,  and  I  arose  and  said,  let  us  pray. 
At  that  very  moment,  another  preacher  of  the  same  cast  with 
the  former,  rose  in  the  pulpit  to  preach  another  sermon.  I 
proceeded  to  pray,  feeling  a  tender  concern  for  the  salvation 
of  my  fellow  creatures,  and  expecting  shortly  to  appear  before 
my  Judge.  The  people  became  very  much  affected,  and  the 
house  was  filled  with  the  cries  of  distress.  Some  of  the 
preachers  jumped  out  of  a  window  back  of  the  pulpit,  and  left 
us.  Forgetting  my  weakness,  I  pushed  through  the  crowd 
from  one  to  another  in  distress,  pointed  them  the  way  of  sal- 
vation, and  administered  to  them  the  comforts  of  the  gospel. 
My  good  physician  was  there,  came  to  me  in  the  crowd,  and 
found  me  literally  wet  with  sweat.  He  hurried  me  to  his 
house,  and  lectured  me  severely  on  the  impropriety  of  my 
conduct.  I  immediately  put  on  dry  clothes,  went  to  bed, 
slept  comfortably,  and  rose  next  morning  relieved  from  the 
disease  which  had  baffled  medicine,  and  threatened  my  life. 
That  night's  sweat  was  my  cure,  hy  the  grace  of  God.  I  was 
soon  able  to  renew  my  ministerial  labours,  and  was  joyful  to 
see  religion  progressing.  This  happy  state  of  things  continued 
for  some  time,  and  seemed  to  gather  strength  with  days.  My 
mind  became  unearthl}',  and  was  solely  engaged  in  the  work 
of  the  Lord.  I  had  emancipated  my  slaves  from  a  sense  of 
right,  choosing  ])overty  with  a  good  conscience,  in  prefei*ence 
to  all  the  treasures  of  the  world.  This  revival  cut  the  bonds 
of  manj'  poor  slaves ;  and  this  argument  speaks  volumes  in 
favour  of  the  work.  For  of  what  avail  is  a  religion  of  decency 
and  order,  without  righteou.sness  ? 

There  were  at  this  time  five  preachers  in  the  Presbyterian 
connection,  who  were  in  the  same  strain  of  preaching,  and 
whose  doctrine  was  different  from  that  taught  in  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith  of  that  body.  Their  names  were,  Kichard 
McNemar,  John  Thompson,  John  Dunlavy,  Robert  Marshall, 
and  myself;  the  three  former  lived  in  Ohio,  the  two  latter  in 
Kentucky.  David  Purviance  was  then  a  candidate  for  the 
ministry,  and  was  of  the  same  faith.  The  distinguishing  doc- 
trine, which  we  boldly  and  everywhere  preached,  is  contained 
in  our  Apology,  printed  shortly  after  that  time,  which  I  desire 
to  be  reprinted  with  these  memoirs  of  my  life,  affixed  to  the 
same  volume.  From  some  of  the  sentiments  of  this  Apology 
we  afterwards  dissented,  especially  on  the  Atonement,  as 
stated  in  that  book. 

The  distinguishing  doctrine  preached  by  us  was,  that  God 
loved  the  world — the  whole  world,  and  sent  his  Son  to  save 
them,  on  condition  that  they  believed  in  him — that  the  gospel 
was  the  means  of  salvation — but  that  this  means  would  never 
be  effectual  to  this  end,  until  believed  and  obeyed  by  us — that 
God  required  us  to  believe  in  his  Son,  and  had  given  us 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


239 


suflScient  evidence  in  his  Word  to  produce  faith  in  lis,  if  at- 
tended to  by  us — that  sinners  wei-e  capable  of  understanding 
and  believing  this  testimony,  and  of  acting  upon  it  by  coming 
to  the  Saviour  and  obeying  him,  and  from  him  obtaining  sal- 
vation and  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  urged  upon  the  sinner  to 
believe  tioir,  and  receive  salvation — that  in  vain  they  looked 
for  the  Spirit  to  be  given  them,  while  they  remained  in  un- 
belief— they  must  believe  before  the  Spirit  or  salvation  would 
be  given  them — that  God  was  as  willing  to  save  them  noiv,  as 
he  ever  was,  or  ever  would  be — that  no  previous  qualification 
was  required,  or  necessary  in  order  to  believe  in  Jesus,  and 
come  to  him — that  if  they  were  sinners,  this  was  their  divine 
warrant  to  believe  in  him,  and  to  come  to  him  for  salvation — 
that  Jesus  died  for  all,  and  that  all  things  were  now  ready. 
When  we  first  began  to  preach  these  things,  the  people  ap- 
peared as  just  awakened  from  the  sleep  of  ages — they  seemed 
to  see  for  the  first  time  that  they  were  responsible  beings,  and 
that  a  refusal  to  use  the  means  appointed  was  a  damning 
sin. 

The  sticklers  for  orthodoxy  amongst  us  writhed  under  these 
doctrines,  but  seeing  their  mighty  effects  on  the  people,  they 
winked  at  the  supposed  errors,  and  through  fear,  or  other 
motives,  they  did  not  at  first  publicly  oppose  us.  They  pain- 
fully saw  their  Confession  of  Faith  neglected  in  the  daily 
ministration  by  the  preachers  of  the  revival,  and  murmured  at 
the  neglect.  In  truth,  that  book  had  been  gathering  dust  from 
the  commencement  of  the  excitement,  and  would  have  been 
completely  covered  from  view,  had  not  its  friends  interposed 
to  prevent  it.  At  first,  they  were  pleased  to  see  the  Metho- 
dists and  Baptists  so  cordially  uniting  with  us  in  worship,  no 
doubt,  hoping  they  would  become  Presln  terians.  But  as  soon 
as  they  saw  these  sects  drawing  away  disciples  after  them, 
they  raised  the  tocsin  of  alarm — the  confession  is  in  danger ! — 
the  church  is  in  danger !    O  Israel  to  your  tents ! 

These  sticklers  began  to  preach  boldly  the  doctrines  of  their 
confessioti,  and  used  their  most  potent  arguments  in  their  de- 
fence. The  gauntlet  was  now  thrown,  and  a  fire  was  now 
kindled  that  threatened  ruin  to  the  great  excitement;  it  re- 
vived the  dying  spirit  of  partyism,  and  gave  life  and  strength 
to  trembling  infidels  and  lifeless  professors.  The  sects  were 
roused.  The  Methodists  and  Baptists,  who  had  so  long  lived 
in  peace  and  harmony  with  the  Presbyterians,  and  with  one 
another,  now  girded  on  their  armour,  and  marched  into  the 
deathly  field  of  controversy  and  war.  These  were  times  of 
distress.  The  spirit  of  partyism  soon  expelled  the  spirit  of 
love  and  union — peace  fled  before  discord  and  strife,  and  re- 
ligion was  stifled  and  banished  in  the  unhallowed  struggle 
for  pre-eminence.  Who  shall  be  the  greatest?  seemed  to  be 
the  spirit  of  the  contest — the  salvation  of  a  ruined  world  was 
no  longer  the  burden,  and  the  spirit  of  prayer  in  mourning  took 
its  flight  from  the  breasts  of  many  preachers  and  people.  Yet 


240    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


there  were  some  of  all  the  sects  who  deplored  this  unhappy 
state  of  things;  but  their  entreating  voice  for  peace  was 
drowned  by  the  din  of  war. 

Though  the  revival  was  checked,  it  was  not  destroyed;  still 
the  spirit  of  truth  lingered  in  our  assemblies,  and  evidenced 
his  presence  with  us.  One  thing  is  certain,  that  from  that 
revival  a  fountain  of  light  has  sprung,  by  which  the  eyes  of 
thousands  are  opened  to  just  and  proper  views  of  the  gospel, 
and  it  promises  fair  to  enlighten  the  world,  and  bring  them 
back  to  God  and  his  institutions.  * 

In  the  concluding  chapter  of  the  Biography  of  Stone, 
Mr.  John  Rogers,  the  author  of  that  Biography,  gives  a 
careful  and  apparently  unbiased  account  of  these  revival 
manifestations,  quoting  various  opinions,  and  finally 
reaching  the  conclusion  that  the  manifestations  were  en- 
tirely abnormal  and  cannot  be  approved  in  the  light  of 
any  intelligent  understanding  of  Scriptural  teaching.  Mr. 
Rogers  was  himself  a  personal  witness  of  these  manifesta- 
tions, and  what  he  says  ought  to  have  considerable  in- 
fluence in  forming  a  judgment  as  to  the  character  and 
influence  of  what  was  at  the  time,  no  doubt,  regarded 
as  manifestations  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

After  reviewing  the  history  of  these  and  similar  mani- 
festations, Mr.  Rogers  concludes  as  follows: 

In  view  then  of  the  fanatical,  bitter,  and  censorious  spirit 
which  often  associates  itself  with  these  bodily  agitations,  and 
is  highly  promotive  of  them,  the  writer  is  decidedly  opposed 
to  them. 

Having  now  given  a  brief  history  of  these  strange  bodily 
agitations,  as  they  have  appeared  in  association  with  Chris- 
tianity, both  in  the  Old  World  and  the  New;  having  given  the 
views  in  regard  to  them,  of  such  men  as  Wesley,  Whitefield, 
Erskine,  Edwards,  Richard  Watson,  and  Professor  Hodge;  and 
having  presented  several  reasons  why  we  are  opposed  to  them, 
we  come  now  to  a  most  important  practical  enquiry,  viz :  the 
true  source  of  these  exercises,  as  associated  with  religion.  We 
have  seen  that  Wesley,  Whitefield,  Erskine.  Edwards,  Watson, 
and  others,  have  countenanced  them  as  tokens  of  the  divine 
favour.  That  Professor  Hodge  takes  a  decided  stand  against 
Them,  as  the  offspring  of  natural  causes,  and  as  wholly  resolv- 
able into  an  infectious  nervous  disease  " ;  as  injurious  to  the 
best  interests  of  religion,  and  discountenanced  Ly  the  plainest 
teachings  of  the  Scriptures.  We  have  seen  that  enthusiasm 
and  fanaticism,  in  their  wildest  shapes,  have  attended  them — 
that  jealousy,  envy,  hatred,  evil  surmisings,  bitter  revilLngs, 

•  "  Biography  of  B.  W.  Stone,"  pp.  39-46. 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


241 


heart-burnings,  unholy  schisms,  and  strifes,  have  followed  close 
in  their  train — that  spiritual  pride,  censoriousness,  a  Pharisaic 
disposition,  and  a  spirit  that  trusts  too  much  in  suggestions, 
impulses,  and  consequently,  that  underrates  the  word  of  God, 
is  often  associated  with  them.  We  have  seen  that  to  regard 
them  as  tokens  of  the  divine  favour  is  of  the  essence  of  fanati- 
cism— that  to  suppose  they' are  divine  attestations  of  the  truth 
of  any  dogma,  is  the  most  consummate  nonsense,  not  to  say 
presumption.  We  have  also  seen,  that  the  gospel  as  presented 
by  the  Apostles  never  produced  such  results;  and  that  conse- 
quently, the  gospel,  presented  as  it  should  be,  will  never  pro- 
duce them.  But  as  they  have  been  superinduced  by  the  preach- 
ing of  Calvinists  and  Arminians  of  almost  every  sect,  may  it 
not  be,  that  there  is  some  capital  error  that  is  common  to  them 
all,  which  is  suited,  in  favourable  circumstances,  to  produce 
them? 

This  is  our  decided  conviction.  And  we  now  with  all  plain- 
ness, assert,  that  in  our  judgment  this  error  relates  to  justifi- 
cation, or  the  doctrine  of  pardon.  We  would  not  be 
misunderstood  here.  We  do  not  mean  to  say,  that  what 
is  called  orthodoxy  on  this  subject  is  at  fault,  as  to  the 
grounds  of  pardon.  So  far  as  it  teaches  that,  without 
the  shedding  of  blood,  there  is  no  remission — that  we  are  justi- 
fied freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus — that  we  have  redemption  in  his  blood,  even  the 
forgiveness  of  sins — that  the  blood  of  Jesus  purges  the  con- 
science— cleanses  from  all  sin — it  occupies  the  true  ground. 
But  we  do  mean  to  assert,  most  distinctly,  that  it  is  seriously 
at  fault,  as  to  the  means  of  enjoying  an  assurance — scriptural 
assurance,  of  that  great  blessing.  Everything  in  orthodoxy, 
whether  Calvinistic  or  Arminian,  is  out  of  joint  here.  All  is 
at  loose  ends — nothing  definite.  Penitents  are  taught  to 
strive,  and  seek  after  some  undefined  and  undefinable  influence 
or  operation  of  the  Spirit,  by  which  they  may  know  they  are 
pardoned,  and  accepted  of  God.  Their  imagination  is  ad- 
dressed and  set  at  work  to  conjure  up,  what  that  something 
they  are  in  search  of  may  be ;  and  what  they  may,  or  may  not 
regard  as  proper  evidence  of  pardon.  Suppose  from  a  clear 
view  of  his  goodness,  they  feel  that  they  love  God  because  he 
first  loved  them, — and  that  they  love  the  Saviour  who  has  died 
to  redeem  them ; — this  alone  can  be  no  satisfactory  evidence 
of  pardon — for  pardon  is  not  love,  nor  is  love  an  evidence  that 
they  who  possess  it,  are  pardoned.  What  is  called  regenera- 
tion, or  a  change  of  heart,  is  no  evidence  of  pardon,  for  it  is 
wholly  distinct  from  it,  and  always  goes  before  it.  Indeed,  so 
far  from  its  being  an  evidence  of  pardon,  it  is  only  a  prepara- 
tion for  it.  True  penitents  then,  under  orthodox  teaching, 
have  no  definite  criteria  by  which  to  assure  themselves  of  their 
pardon.  They  have  no  better  evidence,  than  strong  im- 
pressions, impulses,  suggestions,  feelings,  or  the  agreement  of 
their  exercises  of  mind,  with  those  of  others,  and  thus  trusting 


242    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


to  such  uncertain  evidences,  "  measuring  themselves  by  them- 
selves and  comparing  themselves  among  themselves,"  they  have 
no  rational  or  scriptural  assurance  of  pardon,  and  by  apostolic 
authority  are  pronounced  unwise.  Here  then,  in  this  vague, 
undefined,  and  undefinable  notion  of  orthodoxy,  where  every- 
thing is  left  to  conjecture,  to  impulse,  to  mere  feeling,  to  im- 
agination, we  have  found  an  adeqilale  cause  of  all  these  ex- 
travagances of  which  we  are  speaking:  and  that  therefore  we 
may  not  wonder  that  persons  of  fervid  imaginations,  and  nerv- 
ous temperaments,  under  the  influence  of  this  notion  become 
the  victims  of  every  vagary,  ever}'  strong  impi'ession,  or  im- 
pulse of  the  mind — and  are  led  by  an  ignis  fatiius  through  all 
the  marshes,  and  swamps,  and  quagmires  of  religious  en- 
thusiasm and  fanaticism  in  their  strangest  and  wildest 
forms.  Here  we  have  found  a  fountain  opened,  in  the  land  of 
orthodoxy,  from  which  flow  out,  in  various  districts,  these  evil 
streams.  * 

Mr.  Stone's  work  in  the  two  churches  of  Caneridge 
and  Concord  was  a  great  success,  though  he  could  not 
deliver  himself  from  the  doubts  which  were  in  his  mind 
with  respect  to  the  doctrines  of  Calvinism  set  forth  in 
the  Confession  of  Faith.  Nor  was  he  alone  with  respect 
to  these  theological  troubles.  Other  members  of  the  Pres- 
bytery shared  with  him  in  his  convictions,  and  the  final 
outcome  of  the  matter  was  that  six  of  these  withdrew 
from  the  Lexington  Kentucky  Synod,  and  constituted 
themselves  into  a  Presbytery  which  they  called  the 
"  Springfield  Presbytery."  At  this  point,  Mr.  Stone's  own 
account  is  very  interesting.   He  says: 

Soon  after  our  separation,  I  called  together  my  congrega- 
tions, and  informed  them  that  I  could  no  longer  conscien- 
tiously preach  to  support  the  Presbyterian  church — that  my 
labours  should  henceforth  be  directed  to  the  advance  of  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom,  irrespective  of  party — that  I  absolved 
them  from  all  obligations  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  and 
then  in  their  presence  tore  up  their  salary  obligation  to  me, 
in  order  to  free  their  minds  from  all  fear  of  being  called  upon 
hereafter  for  aid.  Never  had  a  pastor  and  churches  lived  to- 
gether more  harmoniously  than  we  had  for  about  six  years. 
Never  have  I  found  a  more  loving,  kind,  and  orderly  people  in 
any  country,  and  never  have  1  felt  a  more  cordial  attachment 
to  any  others.  I  told  them  that  I  should  continue  to  preach 
among  them,  but  not  in  the  relation  that  had  previously 
existed  between  us.  This  was  truly  a  day  of  sorrow,  and  the 
impressions  of  it  are  indelible. 

Thus  to  the  cause  of  truth  I  sacrificed  the  friendship  of  two 

*  "  Biography  of  B.  W.  Stone,"  pp.  383-386. 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


243 


large  congregations,  and  an  abundant  salary  for  the  support 
of  myself  and  family.  I  preferred  the  truth  to  the  friendship 
and  kindness  of  my  associates  in  the  Presbyterian  ministry, 
who  were  dear  to  me,  and  tenderly  united  in  the  bonds  of  love. 
I  preferred  honesty  and  a  good  conscience  to  all  of  these. 
Having  now  no  support  from  the  congregations,  and  having 
emancipated  my  slaves,  I  turned  my  attention  cheerfully, 
though  awkwardly,  to  labour  on  my  little  farm.  Though 
fatigued  in  body,  my  mind  was  happy,  and  "  calm  as  summer 
evenings  be."  I  relaxed  not  in  my  ministerial  labours,  preach- 
ing almost  every  night,  and  often  in  the  daytime,  to  the 
people  around.  I  had  no  money  to  hire  labourers,  and  often 
on  my  return  home,  I  found  the  weeds  were  getting  ahead  of 
my  corn.  I  had  often  to  labour  at  night  while  others  were 
asleep,  to  redeem  my  lost  time. 

Under  the  name  of  Springfield  Presbytery  we  went  forward, 
preaching,  and  constituting  churches;  but  we  had  not  worn 
our  name  more  than  one  year,  before  we  saw  it  savoured  of  a 
party  spirit.  With  the  man-made  creeds  we  threw  it  over- 
board, and  took  the  name  Christian — the  name  given  to  the  dis- 
ciples by  divine  appointment  first  at  Antioch.  We  published 
a  pamphlet  on  this  name,  written  by  Elder  Rice  Haggard,  who 
had  lately  united  with  us.  Having  divested  ourselves  of  all 
party  creeds,  and  party  names,  and  trusting  alone  in  God, 
and  the  word  of  his  grace,  we  became  a  by-word  and  laughing 
stock  to  the  sects  around ;  all  prophesying  our  speedy  annihila- 
tion. Yet  from  this  period  I  date  the  commencement  of  that 
reformation,  which  has  progressed  to  this  day.  Through  much 
tribulation  and  opposition  we  advanced,  and  churches  and 
preachers  were  multiplied. 

Finally  what  was  called  the  "  Last  Will  and  Testament 
of  the  Springfield  Presbytery  "  was  published.  As  this 
document  is  fundamental  in  what  is  called  the  Stone  Move- 
ment in  Kentucky,  it  is  here  given  in  its  entirety,  and, 
though  intended  to  be  somewhat  humorous,  it  cannot 
fail  to  impress  the  reader  that  the  men  w^ho  signed  it 
were  far  in  advance  of  most  religious  teachers  of  that 
particular  period : 

THE  LAST  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT  OF  THE 
SPRINGFIELD  PRESBYTERY 

For  where  a  testament  is,  there  must  of  necessity  be  the 
death  of  the  testator;  for  a  testament  is  of  force  after  men  are 
dead,  otherwise  it  is  of  no  strength  at  all,  while  the  testator 
liveth.  Thou  fool,  that  which  thou  sowest  is  not  quickened 
except  it  die.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a  corn  of 
wheat  fall  into  the  ground,  and  die,  it  abideth  alone;  but  if 
it  die,  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit.    Whose  voice  then  shook 


244    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

the  earth ;  but  now  he  hath  promised,  saying,  yet  once  more  I 
shake  not  the  earth  only,  but  also  heaven.  And  this  word,  yet 
once  more,  signifies  the  removing  of  those  things  that  are 
shaken  as  of  things  that  are  made,  that  those  things  which 
cannot  be  shaken  may  remain. — Scripture. 

THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  SPRINGFIELD,  sitting  at  Cane- 
ridge,  in  the  County  of  Bourbon,  being  through  a  gracious 
Providence  in  more  than  ordinary  bodily  health,  growing  in 
strength  and  size  daily;  and  in  perfect  soundness  and  com- 
posure of  mind;  but  knowing  that  it  is  appointed  for  all 
delegated  bodies  once  to  die ;  and  considering  that  the  life  of 
every  such  hodj  is  very  uncertain,  do  make,  and  ordain  this  our 
last  Will  and  Testament,  in  manner  and  form  following,  viz : 

Imprimis.  We  will,  that  this  body  die,  be  dissolved,  and 
sink  into  union  with  the  Body  of  Christ  at  large;  for  there  is 
but  one  Body  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  we  are  called  in  one 
hope  of  our  calling. 

Item.  We  icill,  that  our  name  of  distinction,  with  its 
Reverend  title,  be  forgotten,  that  there  be  but  one  Lord  over 
God's  heritage,  and  his  name  One. 

Item.  We  tciU,  that  our  power  of  making  laws  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  church,  and  executing  them  by  delegated  au- 
thority forever  cease;  that  the  people  may  have  free  course 
to  the  Bible,  and  adopt  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesus. 

Item.  We  u-iU,  that  candidates  for  the  Gospel  ministry 
henceforth  study  the  Holy  Scriptures  with  fervent  prayer,  and 
obtain  license  from  God  to  preach  the  simple  Gospel,  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  sent  dotcn  from  Heaven,  without  any  mixture  of 
philosophy,  vain  deceit,  traditions  of  men,  or  the  rudiments  of 
the  world.  And  let  none  henceforth  take  this  honour  upon 
himself,  but  he  that  is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron. 

Item.  We  ivill,  that  the  church  of  Christ  resume  her  native 
right  of  internal  government — try  her  candidates  for  the  min- 
istry, as  to  their  soundness  in  the  faith,  acquaintance  with 
experimental  religion,  gravity  and  aptness  to  teach ;  and  ad- 
mit no  other  proof  of  their  authority  but  Christ  speaking  in 
them.  We  icill,  that  the  church  of  Christ  look  up  to  the  Lord 
of  the  harvest  to  send  forth  labourers  into  his  harvest;  and 
that  she  resume  her  primitive  right  of  trying  those  xcho  say 
they  are  apostles,  and  are  not. 

Item.  We  will,  that  each  particular  church,  as  a  body, 
actuated  by  the  same  spirit,  choose  her  own  preacher,  and  sup- 
port him  by  a  free  will  offering,  without  a  written  call  or 
subscription — admit  members — remove  offences;  and  never 
henceforth  delegate  her  right  of  government  to  any  man  or  set 
of  men  whatever. 

Item.  We  will,  that  the  people  henceforth  take  the  Bible  as 
the  only  sure  guide  to  heaven ;  and  as  many  as  are  offended 
with  other  books,  which  stand  in  competition  with  it,  may  cast 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


245 


them  into  the  fire  if  they  choose;  for  it  is  better  to  enter  into 
life  having  one  book,  than  having  many  to  be  cast  into  hell. 

Item.  We  will,  that  preachers  and  people,  cultivate  a  spirit 
of  mutual  forbearance;  pray  more,  and  dispute  less;  and 
while  they  behold  the  signs  of  the  times,  look  up,  and  confi- 
dently expect  that  redemption  draweth  nigh. 

Item.  We  will,  that  our  weak  brethren,  who  may  have  been 
wishing  to  make  the  Presbytery  of  Springfield  their  king,  and 
wot  not  what  is  now  become  of  it,  betake  themselves  to  the 
Rock  of  Ages  and  follow  Jesus  for  the  future. 

Item.  We  will,  that  the  Synod  of  Kentucky  examine  every 
member,  who  may  be  suspected  of  having  departed  from  the 
Confession  of  Faith,  and  suspend  every  such  suspected  heretic 
immediately;  in  order  that  the  oppressed  may  go  free,  and 
taste  the  sweets  of  gospel  liberty. 

Item.    We  icill,  that  Ja  ,  the  author  of  two  letters  lately 

published  in  Lexington,  be  encouraged  in  his  zeal  to  destroy 
partyism.  We  will,  moreover,  that  our  past  conduct  may  be 
examined  into  by  all  who  may  have  correct  information;  but 
let  foreigners  beware  of  speaking  evil  of  things  which  they 
know  not. 

Item.  Finally  we  ivill,  that  all  our  sister  bodies  read  their 
Bibles  carefully,  that  they  may  see  their  fate  there  determined, 
and  prepare  for  death  before  it  is  too  late, 

Springfield  Presbytery  j  ^  g, 
June  28th,  1804.  \ 

John  Dunlavy, 
Richard  M'Nemar, 

Stone,         y  Witnesses. 
John  Thompson, 
David  Purviance. 
Robert  Marshall, 


THE  WITNESSES'  ADDRESS 

We,  the  above  named  witnessess  of  the  Last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment of  the  Springtield  Presbytery,  knowing  that  there  will 
be  many  conjectures  respecting  the  causes  which  have  occa- 
sioned the  dissolution  of  that  body,  think  proper  to  testify, 
that  from  its  first  existence  it  was  knit  together  in  love,  lived 
in  peace  and  concord,  and  died  a  voluntary  and  happy  death. 

Their  reasons  for  dissolving  that  body  were  the  following: 
With  deep  concern  they  viewed  the  divisions,  and  party  spirit 
among  professing  Christians,  principally  owing  to  the  adop- 
tion of  human  creeds  and  forms  of  government.  While  they 
were  united  under  the  name  of  a  Presbytery,  they  endeavoured 
to  cultivate  a  spirit  of  love  and  unity  with  all  Christians ;  but 
found  it  extremely  difficult  to  suppress  the  idea  that  they  them- 
selves were  a  party  separate  from  others.  This  difficulty  in- 
creased in  proportion  to  their  success  in  the  ministry. 
Jealousies  were  excited  in  the  minds  of  other  denominations; 


246    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


and  a  temptation  was  laid  before  those  who  were  connected 
with  the  various  parties,  to  view  them  in  the  same  light.  At 
their  last  meeting  they  undertook  to  prepare  for  the  press  a 
piece  entitled  Observations  on  Church  Government,  in  which 
the  world  will  see  the  beautiful  simplicity  of  Christian  church 
government,  stripped  of  human  inventions  and  lordly  traditions. 
As  they  proceeded  in  the  investigation  of  that  subject,  they 
soon  found  that  there  was  neither  precept  nor  example  in  the 
New  Testament  for  such  confederacies  as  modern  Church  Ses- 
sions, Presbyteries,  Synods,  General  Assemblies,  etc.  Hence 
they  concluded,  that  while  they  continued  in  the  connection 
in  which  they  then  stood,  they  were  off  the  foundation  of  the 
Apostles  and  Prophets,  of  which  Christ  himself  is  the  chief 
corner  stone.  However  just,  therefore,  their  ^iews  of  church 
government  might  have  been,  they  would  have  gone  out  under 
the  name  and  sanction  of  a  self-constituted  body. 

Therefore,  from  a  principle  of  love  to  Christians  of  every 
name,  the  precious  cause  of  Jesus,  and  dying  sinners  who  are 
kept  from  the  Lord  by  the  existence  of  sects  and  parties  in 
the  church,  they  have  cheerfully  consented  to  retire  from  the 
din  and  fury  of  conflicting  parties — sink  out  of  the  view  of 
fleshly  minds,  and  die  the  death.  They  believe  their  death  will 
be  the  great  gain  to  the  world.  But  though  dead,  as  above,  and 
stripped  of  their  mortal  frame,  which  only  served  to  keep  them 
too  near  the  confines  of  Egyptian  bondage,  they  yet  live  and 
speak  in  the  land  of  Gosi)el  liberty;  they  blow  the  trumpet  of 
jubilee,  and  willingly  devote  themselves  to  the  help  of  the 
Lord  against  the  mighty.  They  will  aid  the  brethren,  by  their 
council,  when  required ;  assist  in  ordaining  elders,  or  pastors 
— seek  the  divine  blessing — unite  with  all  Christians — com- 
mune together,  and  strengthen  each  others'  hands  in  the  work 
of  the  Lord. 

We  design  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  continue  in  the  exercise 
of  those  functions,  which  belong  to  us  as  ministers  of  the 
gospel,  confidently  trusting  in  the  Lord,  that  he  will  be  with  us. 
We  candidly  acknowledge,  that  in  some  things  we  may  err, 
through  human  infirmity ;  but  he  will  correct  our  wanderings, 
and  preserve  his  church.  Let  all  Christians  join  with  us.  in 
crying  to  God  day  and  night,  to  remove  the  obstacles  which 
stand  in  the  way  of  his  work,  and  give  him  no  rest  till  he  make 
Jerusalem  a  praise  in  the  earth.  We  heartily  unite  with  our 
Christian  brethren  of  every  name,  in  thanksgiving  to  God  for 
the  display  of  his  goodness  in  the  glorious  work  he  is  carrying 
on  in  our  Western  country,  which  we  hope  will  terminate  in 
the  universal  spread  of  the  gospel,  and  the  unity  of  the  church. 

The  effect  of  this  document  was  at  once  electricaL  At 
first  it  was  not  the  purpose  of  Mr.  Stone  and  those  asso- 
ciated with  him  to  withdraw  from  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  but  their  conference  with  representatives  of  the 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


247 


Synod  convinced  them  that  they  could  not  remain  in  that 
Church  and  at  the  same  time  advocate  the  principles 
which  they  then  believed.  They  were  committed  to  the 
advocacy  of  Christian  union,  and  this  fact  alone  made 
it  necessary  for  them  to  hesitate  in  taking  a  step  which 
looked  like  separation  instead  of  union.  But  when  it 
became  necessary  to  choose  between  what  they  believed  to 
be  the  teaching  of  the  Word  of  God  and  the  doctrines  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  they  could  not  hesitate  any 
longer,  and  consequently  they  were  compelled  to  take  the 
step  which  finally  separated  them  from  their  former  re- 
ligious associations.  Mr.  Stone's  own  account  of  some 
of  the  struggles  through  which  they  passed  is  as  follows: 

The  brethren,  elders,  and  deacons,  came  together  on  this  sub- 
ject; for  we  had  agreed  previously  with  one  another  to  act 
in  concert  and  not  to  adventure  on  anything  new  without  ad- 
vice from  one  another.  At  this  meeting  we  took  up  the  matter 
in  a  brotherly  spirit,  and  concluded  that  every  brother  and 
sister  should  act  freely,  and  according  to  their  convictions  of 
right  and  that  we  should  cultivate  the  long-neglected  grace  of 
forbearance  toward  each  other — they  who  should  be  immersed 
should  not  despise  those  who  were  not,  and  vice  versa.  Now 
.the  question  arose  who  will  baptise  us?  The  Baptists  would 
not,  except  we  united  with  them;  and  there  were  no  elders 
among  us  who  had  been  immersed.  It  was  finally  concluded 
among  us,  that  if  we  were  authorised  to  preach,  we  wei-e  also 
authorised  to  baptise.  The  work  then  commenced;  the 
preachers  baptised  one  another  and  crowds  came  and  were 
also  baptised.  My  congregation  very  generally  submitted  to 
it,  and  it  soon  obtained  generally,  and  yet  the  pulpit  was  silent 
on  the  subject.  In  Brother  Marshall's  congregation  there  were 
many  who  wished  baptism.  As  Brother  Marshall  had  not 
faith  in  the  ordinance,  I  was  called  upon  to  administer.  This 
displeased  him  and  a  few  others. 

The  subject  of  baptism  now  engaged  the  attention  of  the 
people  very  generally,  and  some,  with  myself,  began  to  con- 
clude that  it  was  ordained  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ought 
to  be  administered  in  the  name  of  Jesus  to  all  believing  peni- 
tents. I  remember  once  about  this  time  we  had  a  great  meet- 
ing at  Concord.  Mourners  were  invited  every  day  to  collect 
before  the  stand  in  order  for  prayers  (this  being  the  custom  of 
the  times).  The  brethren  were  praying  daily  for  the  same 
people,  and  none  seemed  to  be  comforted.  I  was  considering 
in  my  mind  what  could  be  the  cause.  The  words  of  Peter  of 
Pentecost,  rolled  through  my  mind.  "  Repent  and  be  baptised 
for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  you  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."  I  thought  were  Peter  here  he  would  thus  ad- 
dress these  mourners.    I  quickly  arose  and  addressed  them  in 


248    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  same  language,  and  urged  them  to  comply.  Into  the  spirit 
of  the  doctrine  I  was  never  fully  led,  until  it  was  revived  by 
Brother  Alexander  Campbell,  some  years  after. 

With  the  issuance  of  the  Last  Will  and  Testament  of 
the  Springfield  Presbytery,  and  the  acceptance  of  immer- 
sion as  the  only  Scriptural  baptism,  the  new  movement 
was  fairly  launched  in  Kentucky,  and  soon  became  a 
potent  factor  throughout  the  whole  community  where  Mr. 
Stone  resided,  and  finally  spread  to  other  parts  of  the 
country,  where  the  same  principles  had  been  making  im- 
pression, but  which  had  not  found  organisation  until  the 
new  movement  was  fairly  launched. 

However,  it  was  not  long  until  discouragements  began 
to  show  themselves.  There  seems  to  be  a  law  in  morals, 
as  well  as  in  physics,  that  everything  has  its  dark  period. 
The  Apostle  Paul  says,  that  which  thou  sowest  is  not 
quickened  except  it  die."  Death,  or  something  like  death, 
is  the  pathway  through  which  everything  has  to  go,  in 
order  to  permanent  life.  The  dark  period  of  Christ's 
life — the  temptation — immediately  followed  his  baptism, 
and  this  fact  simply  represents  w^hat  seems  to  be  a  uni- 
versal law^  with  respect  to  all  development. 

At  any  rate,  religious  movements  are  not  exceptional 
as  regards  this  law'.  Associated  with  Mr.  Stone  in  the 
issuance  of  the  "  Last  Will  and  Testament "  were  five 
other  distinguished  preachers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
viz.,  Robert  Marshall,  John  Dunlavy,  Richard  M'Nemar, 
John  Thompson  and  David  Purviance.  Four  of  these 
soon  left  Mr.  Stone,  two  of  them,  Richard  M'Nemar  and 
John  Dunlavy,  joined  the  Shakers,  while  John  Thompson 
and  Robert  Marshall  returned  to  the  fellowship  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Thus  Stone  was  practically  left 
alone  to  advocate  the  principles  set  forth  in  the  "  Last 
Will  and  Testament."  But  in  no  respect  did  these  dis- 
couragements dampen  his  ardour  or  cause  him  to  hesitate 
for  a  single  moment  with  respect  to  the  great  work  to 
which  he  had  committed  himself.  He  continued  to  preach 
in  various  parts  of  the  country,  especially  in  Kentucky 
and  Ohio.  In  the  latter  state  he  succeeded  in  bringing 
over  to  his  banner  about  twelve  Baptist  preachers,  whose 
adherence  to  his  cause  greatly  encouraged  him  and  in- 
spired him  with  new  hope  concerning  the  final  outcome 
of  the  movement  which  had  been  inaugurated.    He  trav- 


THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


249 


elled  extensively'  in  that  state,  preaching  and  baptising 
the  people,  his  meetings  being  very  largely  attended  and 
sometimes  accompanied  with  the  manifestations  which 
had  been  prevalent  at  Caneridge  and  Concord  in  the  early 
days  of  his  ministry. 

The  movement  soon  began  to  take  on  considerable  di- 
mensions, and  the  whole  of  central  Kentucky  became  much 
influenced  hy  it.  After  Mr.  Stone  and  his  co-labourers  had 
adopted  believers'  immersion  as  the  only  baptism,  the 
movement  was  calculated  to  influence  very  considerably 
the  Baptist  Churches  of  both  Kentucky  and  Ohio,  and 
as  a  matter  of  fact  this  result  followed,  at  least  in  its 
leavening  progress,  though  not  many  Baptist  Churches 
became  distinctly  identified  with  the  movement  at  this  par- 
ticular period. 

After  the  Campbells  issued  their  "  Declaration  and  Ad- 
dress," Mr.  Stone  watched  with  great  interest  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Campbellian  movement,  and  during  his  travels 
he  came  in  touch  with  some  of  the  preachers,  especially 
in  Northeastern  Ohio,  who  were  sympathising  with  the 
principles  and  aims  of  the  "  Declaration  and  Address." 
In  this  way  the  two  movements  began  to  touch  each  other. 
At  the  same  time  Mr.  Campbell  was  making  excursions 
into  Kentucky.  In  1823  his  debate  with  Mr.  McCalla 
gave  him  a  very  favourable  introduction  to  the  Baptists 
of  that  state,  and  subsequently  his  visits  there,  as  well  as 
the  circulation  of  the  CJiristian  Baptist  in  many  parts  of 
the  state,  were  very  influential  in  leavening  many  Baptist 
Churches  with  the  principles  he  was  iadvocating.  The 
result  was  that  by  the  time  the  Disciples  became  a  separate 
people  many  Baptist  Churches  and  preachers  of  the  state 
had  come  over  to  the  reformation  standard.  This  was 
the  state  of  things  when  the  Millennial  Harhinger  was 
started  in  1830. 

Perhaps  the  Stone  movement  has  never  received  ample 
justice  in  treating  the  Disciple  movement.  Undoubt- 
edly, it  was  a  very  important  factor  in  that  movement. 
It  is  true  that  Mr.  Stone  and  those  associated  with  him, 
while  accepting  believers'  immersion  as  the  only  Scrip- 
tural baptism,  did  not  contend  for  a  strictly  baptised  mem- 
bership, allowing  considerable  liberty  to  the  individual 
conscience  with  respect  to  the  matter.  This,  indeed,  was 
the  view  held  by  the  Campbells  in  the  beginning  of  their 


250    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


movemeut.  The  Declaration  and  Address  "  does  not 
specially  raise  the  question  at  all,  though  the  principles 
of  that  Address  compelled  the  abandonment  of  infant 
sprinkling. 

In  1824  Mr.  Campbell  and  Mr.  Stone  met  for  the  first 
time  at  Georgetown,  Kentucky,  and  they  soon  became  very 
warm  and  steadfast  friends.  It  was  easy  to  see  by  com- 
parison of  views  that  they  were  aiming  at  practically  the 
same  thing,  though  they  were  pursuing  a  little  different 
route  by  which  to  arrive  at  the  end  in  view.  Mr.  Stone 
started  his  Christian  Messenger  in  1826,  and  this  became 
a  strong  advocate  of  the  principles  for  which  he  was  con- 
tending. The  circulation  of  this  magazine,  as  well  as  the 
circulation  of  the  Christian  Baptist,  at  this  time  became 
a  potent  factor  in  disseminating  the  principles  of  the 
Reformation,  though  the  two  bodies,  that  is,  the  Reformers 
and  the  Christians,  still  occupied  a  somewhat  separate 
position. 

Meantime,  some  great  churches  were  planted,  and  after- 
wards became  very  influential  in  carrying  on  the  work. 
Most  of  the  churches  which  were  under  the  influence  of 
Mr.  Stone  followed  his  leadership  after  he  left  the  Pres- 
byterian Church.  Caneridge,  Concord,  Old  Union,  and 
many  other  churches  in  central  Kentucky,  and  in  Ohio, 
became  seed  churches  for  disseminating  the  principles  of 
the  "  Reformers."  There  were  differences  between  the 
two  bodies  in  several  respects,  but  these  differences  were 
infinitesimal  compared  with  the  points  of  agreement. 

We  shall  see  in  the  next  chapter  how  these  differences 
became  subordinated  to  the  great  question  of  Christian 
union. 


CHAPTER  IX 


UNION  OF  "  REFORMERS  "  AND  "  CHRISTIANS  " 

THERE  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  the  Stone 
movement  in  Kentucky,  and  in  other  states,  was  a 
valuable  forerunner  of  the  Campbellian  movement; 
and  had  not  the  "Reformers"  (as  those  associated  with 
Mr.  Campbell  were  then  called)  been  driven  into  a  sep- 
arate organisation,  it  is  probable  that  the  brethren  asso- 
ciated with  Barton  W.  Stone  would  have  felt  no  difl&culty 
in  co-operating  with  those  associated  with  the  Campbells 
from  the  very  beginning  of  their  knowledge  of  each  other. 
But  by  the  time  we  reach  the  year  1830,  the  two  movements 
had  developed  somewhat  differently.  While  no  particu- 
lar name  had  been  agreed  upon  officially,  by  either  party, 
by  a  sort  of  general  consent,  the  brethren  associated  with 
Stone  called  themselves  "  Christians,"  while  those  asso- 
ciated with  the  Campbells  called  themselves  "  Disciples 
of  Christ,"  though  by  outsiders  they  were  denominated 
"  Reformers,"  or  "  Campbellites,"  as  the  "  Christians  " 
were,  by  outsiders,  denominated  "  New  Lights,"  or  "  Stone- 
ites." 

However,  the  main  differences  between  the  two  bodies, 
at  this  particular  time,  from  a  practical  point  of  view, 
was  with  respect  to  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  the  "  Re- 
formers "  requiring  baptism  in  the  case  of  all  who  sought 
membership  with  them,  while  the  "  Christians,"  though 
aflBrming  the  Scriptural  authority  for  immersion,  did  not 
make  it  an  essential  condition  of  membership  in  their 
churches. 

That  the  two  movements  should  differ  at  this  point  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at.  Most  of  the  preachers  and  mem- 
bers of  the  "  Christian  "  Churches  came  from  Pedo-Baptist 
families,  while  most  of  the  members  of  the  "  Reformation  " 
Churches  came  from  Baptist  families;  and  in  many  cases 
whole  Baptist  communities  came  over  to  the  standard  ad- 
vocated by  the  Campbells.    It  is  not  possible  to  obtain  any 

251 


252    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


trustworthy  statistics  as  to  the  respective  strength  of  these 
movements  at  this  particular  time.  It  is  probable  that 
an  estimate  of  seven  or  eight  thousand  "  Christians,"  and 
a  somewhat  less  number  of  "  Reformers  "  existed  at  that 
time  in  Kentucky.  Some  of  the  ablest  men  among  the 
Baptists  had  become  identified  with  the  "  Reformers,"  in 
various  parts  of  Kentucky,  and  throughout  the  Southwest. 
Notably,  such  men  as  P.  S.  Fall  of  Louisville,  who  shortly 
became  pastor  of  the  church  in  Frankfort,  which  pastorate 
he  held  for  twenty-five  years.  He  was  also  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Nashville  for  a  time.  He  was  an  Englishman 
by  birth,  well  educated,  and  a  man  of  unexceptionable 
character. 

John  Smith,  known  as  "Raccoon"  John  Smith,  was 
another  able  minister  who  came  from  the  Baptists  to  the 
standard  of  the  Reformers."  John  T.  Johnson,  the 
brother  of  Richard  M.  Johnson,  united  with  the  Baptist 
Church  in  1821,  but  between  the  years  1829  and  1830  he 
examined  carefully  the  position  advocated  by  the  Camp- 
bells, and  to  use  his  own  language,  he  says :  "  My  eyes 
were  opened,  and  I  was  made  free  by  the  truth,  and  the 
debt  of  gratitude  I  ow^e  to  that  man  of  God,  Alexander 
Campbell,  no  language  can  tell."  His  addition  to  the 
ministry  of  the  "  Reformers "  greatly  accentuated  their 
influence  in  Kentucky,  for  Johnson  became,  perhaps,  the 
most  effective  evangelist  of  the  movement  at  that  time 
in  the  state.  What  Walter  Scott  was  to  the  movement  in 
Ohio,  John  T.  Johnson  w^as  to  it  in  Kentucky. 

As  regards  the  "  Christians,"  they  also  had  some  able 
men  associated  with  them.  Of  course  Stone  himself  was 
everywhere  recognised  as  the  leader  of  their  forces;  but 
associated  with  him  were  such  men  as  John  Rogers,  T.  M. 
Allen,  John  Allen  Gano,  B.  F.  Hall,  and  others  of  almost 
equal  ability  and  earnestness;  but  perhaps  those  men- 
tioned were  chifly  instrumental  in  leading  the  forces  in 
Kentucky.  Gano  was  a  great  evangelist,  second  only  to 
John  T.  Johnson,  to  whom  reference  has  already  been 
made,  and  Hall  was  a  rising  young  man  with  great 
promise,  while  T.  M.  Allen  was  already  a  preacher  of 
much  influence.  As  these  respective  brethren  operated 
largely  in  the  same  districts  of  country,  they  constantly 
came  in  contact  with  one  another,  and  in  this  way  they 
came  to  understand  that  they  were  all  aiming  at  prac- 


"  REFORMERS  "  AND  "  CHRISTIANS  "  253 


tically  the  same  thing,  namely,  the  overthrow  of  sectarian- 
ism and  the  union  of  God's  people  on  a  Scriptural  plat- 
form. 

This  feeling  of  substantial  unity  was  accelerated  by  the 
publication  of  the  Christian  Messenger,  at  Georgetown, 
Kentucky,  edited  by  B.  W.  Stone.  This  periodical  was 
started  in  1826,  and  a  careful  examination  of  its  pages 
will  show  that  it  advocated  very  generally  the  same  things 
for  which  Mr.  Campbell  was  contending  in  the  Millennial 
Harbinger,  and  much  for  what  he  contended  in  the  Chris- 
tian Baptist,  which  was  circulating  in  Kentucky  at  the 
time  Mr.  Stone  began  the  publication  of  the  Christian 
Messenger. 

Meantime,  in  1824,  as  has  already  been  stated,  Mr. 
Stone  and  Mr.  Campbell  had  met,  while  the  latter  was 
making  a  tour  in  Kentucky,  and  had  become  deeply  in- 
terested in  each  other  personally,  as  well  as  theologically. 
It  is  one  of  the  beautiful  things  connected  with  this  par- 
ticular period  in  the  Reformatory  movement  that  these 
two  great  leaders  showed  no  jealousy  with  respect  to  each 
other.  Stone  was  the  impersonification  of  modesty  and 
humility,  while  Campbell  was  equally  the  impersonifica- 
tion of  courtesy  and  fairness.  They  soon  learned  to  love 
each  other,  and  this  was  the  forerunner  of  the  final  union 
which  took  place  between  the  two  bodies.  The  same  feel- 
ing characterised  all  the  other  leaders  on  both  sides, 
and  it  is  not  remarkable,  therefore,  that  in  January, 
1832,  definite  steps  had  been  taken  to  bring  the  "  Re- 
formers "  and  "  Christians  "  into  one  religious  organisa- 
tion. 

The  chief  differences  betw^een  the  two  bodies  were  with 
respect  to  baptism  and  the  doctrine  of  the  God-head,  or 
"  Trinity,"  to  use  the  popular  term  of  theology.  While 
the  "  Christians,"  as  has  already  been  remarked,  for  the 
most  part,  practised  believers'  immersion,  at  the  same  time 
they  allowed  considerable  liberty  on  this  question,  and 
consequently  among  them  were  some  who  practised  infant 
baptism,  and  not  a  few  who  had  simply  been  sprinkled. 
The  other  point  of  difference  was  purely  theoretical,  and 
consequently  the  very  principles  of  both  movements  re- 
jected this  as  a  test  of  Christian  fellowship.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell and  Mr.  Stone  held  to  somewhat  different  views  with 
respect  to  this  matter,  but  neither  was  willing  to  make  his 


254   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


views  a  barrier  in  the  way  of  Christian  union,  while  each 
view  was  held  simply  as  a  private  opinion. 

This  was  the  situation  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  1832, 
when  a  meeting  was  convened  at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  of 
both  parties,  with  a  view  to  a  permanent  union. 

At  this  point  it  is  well  to  give  the  testimony  of  Dr. 
Richardson  with  respect  to  the  Stone  movement,  in  con- 
trast to  the  work  of  the  Reformation,  as  this  is  found  in 
his  "  Memoirs  of  Alexander  Campbell,"  Volume  II,  pages 
198-199. 

While  the  features  of  this  organisation  were  thus,  in  a  good 
measure,  similar  to  those  of  the  reformation,  in  which  Mr. 
Campbell  was  engaged,  there  were  some  characteristic  differ- 
ences. With  the  former,  the  idea  of  uniting  all  men  under 
Christ  was  predominant;  with  the  latter,  the  desire  of  an 
exact  conformity  to  the  primitive  faith  and  practice.  The 
one  occupied  itself  chiefly  in  casting  abroad  the  sweep-net  of 
the  Gospel,  which  gathers  fishes  of  every  kind ;  the  other  was 
more  intent  upon  collecting  the  good  into  vessels  "  and  cast- 
ing "  the  bad  away."  Hence  the  former  engaged  mainly  in 
preaching,  the  latter  in  teaching.  The  revivalist  machinery  of 
protracted  meetings,  warm  exhortation,  personal  entreaty, 
earnest  prayers  for  conversion  and  union,  accompanied  by  a 
belief  in  special,  spiritual  operations  and  the  use  of  the 
mourner's  seat,  existed  with  the  one,  while  with  the  other  the 
matters  of  chief  interest  were  the  disentanglement  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith  from  modern  corruptions  of  it  and  the  recovery  of 
the  Gospel  ordinances  and  ancient  order  of  things.  There  had, 
indeed,  been  an  almost  entire  neglect  of  evangelisation  on  the 
part  of  its  few  churches  which  were  originally  connected  with 
Mr.  Campbell  in  his  reformatory  efforts.  They  had  not  a  single 
itinerant  preacher,  and,  althf)ugh  they  made  great  jjrogress  in 
biblical  knowledge  they  gained  comparatively  few  converts. 
The  churches  of  the  "  Christian  Connection,"  on  the  other 
hand,  le.'^s  inimical  to  speculative  theories,  granting  member- 
ship to  the  unimmersed  and  free  communion  to  all,  and  im- 
perfectly acquainted  with  the  order,  discipline  and  institu- 
tions of  the  churches,  made,  through  an  efficient  itineracy, 
large  accessions  everywhere,  and  increased  with  surprising 
rapidity.  They  were  characterised  by  a  simplicity  of  belief 
and  manners  and  a  liberality  of  spirit  highly  captivating,  and 
possessed,  in  general,  a  striking  and  praiseworthy  readiness 
to  receive  additional  light  from  the  Bible.  They  gained  over, 
consequently,  from  the  religious  community  many  of  the  pious 
and  peace-loving,  who  groaned  under  the  evils  of  sectarianism, 
while  the  earnest  exhortations  of  zealous  preachers  and  their 
direct  personal  appeals  to  sinners  obtained  large  accessions 
from  the  world. 


"REFORMERS"  AND  "CHRISTIANS"  255 


This  extract  will  show  at  once  the  value  of  the  union 
of  these  two  bodies.  The  "  Christians  "  brought  into  the 
movement  a  new  evangelistic  element,  while  the  "  Re- 
formers "  brought  into  it  an  earnest  study  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  an  equally  earnest  plea  for  conformity  to  all 
the  Scriptures  enjoined.  The  union  was  effected  upon 
the  platform  of  a  common  faith  and  practice,  without 
saying  anything  about  some  differences  that  existed  be- 
tween the  two  bodies.  It  is  well,  just  here,  to  have  an 
account,  inspired  by  John  Smith  himself,  as  it  gives  a 
most  interesting  history  of  the  meeting  which  took  place 
for  the  consideration  of  a  union  between  the  two  bdies: 

At  Lexington,  especially,  on  New  Year's  day,  pursuant  to 
the  notice  very  generally  given,  many  Disciples  and  Chris- 
tians came  together  to  talk  over,  once  more,  and  finally,  the 
points  of  difference  between  them,  to  ascertain  whether  the 
proposed  union  were  practicable,  and,  if  so,  to  agree  upon  the 
terms  on  which  it  should  be  affected.  It  was  not  a  meeting 
of  Elders  or  Preachers  only,  but  a  popular  assembly — a  mass 
meeting  of  the  brethren. 

While  many  had  laid  aside  their  prejudices,  and  were  ready 
to  consummate  the  union,  some  of  each  party  still  cherished 
honest  doubts  respecting  the  doctrine  of  the  others.  Some 
Reformers  still  looked  upon  the  Christians  as  Arians;  and 
some  Christians  were  adverse  to  the  union,  in  the  belief  that 
the  Reformers  denied  the  influence  of  the  Spirit,  and  attached 
undue  importance  to  baptism.  On  the  other  hand,  while  the 
Christians  still  refused  to  give  up  their  name,  the  others 
were  willing  to  concede  that  it  was  no  less  Scriptural  and 
proper  than  Disciple.  While  all  did  not  hold  in  the  same 
sense  that  baptism  was  for  the  remission  of  sins,  they  all 
agreed  that  it  was  a  divine  ordinance,  which  could  not  safely 
be  set  aside  or  neglected.  Finally,  though  they  still  differed 
on  the  question  of  free  or  restricted  communion,  each  felt  that 
it  was  his  privilege  to  comnmne  with  the  other,  since  they  were 
all  of  one  faith  and  one  immersion. 

On  Saturday,  the  appointed  day,  a  multitude  of  anxious 
brethren  began,  at  an  early  hour,  to  crowd  the  old  meeting- 
house of  the  Christians,  on  Hill  Street,  in  Lexington.  There 
were  Stone,  and  Johnson,  and  Smith,  and  Rogers,  and  Elley, 
and  Creath,  and  many  others,  all  guarded  in  thought  and  pur- 
pose against  any  compromise  of  the  truth,  but  all  filled  with 
the  spirit  of  that  grandest  of  prayers,  "  May  they  all  be  one, 
as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me  and  I  in  Thee;  that  the  world 
may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me." 

Smith  was  informed  that  it  had  been  arranged  that  one 
from  each  party  should  deliver  an  address,  and  plainly  set 
forth,  according  to  his  own  conception,  the  scriptural  ground 


256    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


of  union  among  the  people  of  Christ.  He  was  also  told  that  he 
had  been  selected  by  the  Disciples,  and  Stone  by  the  Christians ; 
and  that  it  was  the  wish  of  the  brethren  that  they  should  avoid 
the  spirit  and  manner  of  controversy,  and  give  their  views  of 
the  plan  of  union  freely,  but  without  reference  to  party  dis- 
tinctions. When  this  had  been  announced,  the  two  brethren 
went  aside  and  conferred  in  private.  Neither  knew  certainly 
what  the  other  would  say  in  the  critical  hour  which  had  now 
come  upon  the  churches;  nor  did  either,  in  that  moment  of 
solemn  conference,  ask  the  other  to  disclose  his  mind  or  heart, 
touching  their  differences,  more  fully  than  he  had  already  done. 

"What  is  your  choice,  my  brother?"  said  Stone,  at  length. 
"Will  you  speak  first,  or  last?" 

"  Brother  Stone,  I  have  no  choice,"  said  Smith.  "  I  have 
already  made  up  my  mind  about  the  matter;  and  what  I  have 
to  say  can  be  said  as  well  at  one  time  as  at  another." 

"  I  wish  you  to  talk  first,  then,"  said  Stone,  "  and  I  will 
follow."  And  they  returned  to  the  house,  as  the  hour  for 
speaking  had  already  come. 

The  occasion  was  to  John  Smith  the  most  important  and 
solemn  that  had  occurred  in  the  history  of  the  Reformation. 
It  was  now  to  be  seen  whether  all  that  had  been  said,  and 
written,  and  done  in  behalf  of  the  simple  Gospel  of  Christ, 
and  the  union  of  Christians,  was  really  the  work  of  the  Lord, 
or  whether  the  prayers  of  Stone,  and  of  Johnson,  were  but 
idle  longings  of  pious,  yet  deluded  hearts; — whether  the  toils 
and  sacrifices  of  Smith  were  but  the  schismatic  efforts  of  a 
bold  enthusiast ; — and  whether  the  teachings  of  Campbell  were 
only  the  speculations  of  a  graceless  and  sensuous  philosophy. 
The  denominations  around  mocked,  and  declared  that  such  a 
church  without  a  constitution  could  not  stand,  and  that  a 
union  without  a  creed  was  but  the  chimera  of  a  dreamy  and 
infatuated  heresy. 

Smith  arose  with  simple  dignity,  and  stood,  prayerful  and 
self-possessed,  before  the  mingling  brotherhoods.  He  felt,  as 
no  one  else  could  feel  it,  the  weight  of  the  responsibility  that 
rested  on  him.  A  single  unscriptural  position  taken — the 
least  sectarian  feeling  betrayed — an  intemperate  word — a 
proud,  unfraternal  glance  of  the  eye — might  arouse  suspicion 
and  prejudice,  and  blast  the  hope  of  union  in  the  very  moment 
when  it  was  budding  with  so  many  promises.  Every  eye 
turned  upon  him,  and  every  ear  leaned  to  catch  the  slightest 
tones  of  his  voice.    He  said : 

God  has  but  one  people  on  the  earth.  He  has  given 
to  them  but  one  Book,  and  therein  exhorts  and  commands 
them  to  be  one  family.  A  union  such  as  we  plead  for — a 
union  of  God's  people  on  that  one  Book — must,  then,  be 
practicable. 

Every  Christian  desires  to  stand  complete  in  the  whole  will 
of  God.  The  prayer  of  the  Saviour,  and  the  whole  tenor  of 
his  teaching,  clearly  show  that  it  is  God's  will  that  his  chil- 


"REFORMERS"  AND  "CHRISTIANS"  257 


dren  should  be  united.  To  the  Christian,  then,  such  a  union 
must  be  desirable. 

But  an  amalgamation  of  sects  is  not  such  a  union  as  Christ 
prayed  for,  and  God  enjoins.  To  agree  to  be  one  upon  any 
system  of  human  invention  would  be  contrary  to  his  will,  and 
could  never  be  a  blessing  to  the  Church  or  the  world;  there- 
fore the  only  union  practicable  or  desii'able  must  be  based  on 
the  word  of  God  as  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 

There  are  certain  abstruse  or  speculative  matters — such  as 
the  mode  of  the  Divine  Existence,  and  the  Ground  and  Nature 
of  Atonement — that  have,  for  centuries,  been  themes  of  dis- 
cussion among  Christians.  These  questions  are  as  far  from 
being  settled  now  as  they  were  in  the  beginning  of  the  con- 
troversy'. By  a  needless  and  intemperate  discussion  of  them 
much  feeling  has  been  provoked,  and  divisions  have  been  pro- 
duced. 

For  several  years  past  I  have  tried  to  speak  on  such  subjects 
only  in  the  language  of  inspiration;  for  it  can  offend  no  one 
to  say  about  those  things  just  what  the  Lord  himself  has  said. 
In  this  scriptural  style  of  speech  all  Christians  should  be 
agreed.  It  cannot  be  wrong — it  cannot  do  harm.  If  I  come 
to  the  passage,  "  My  father  is  greater  than  I,"  I  will  quote  it, 
but  will  not  stop  to  speculate  upon  the  inferiority  of  the  Son. 
If  I  read  "  Being  in  the  form  of  God,  he  thought  it  was  not 
robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,"  I  will  not  stop  to  speculate 
upon  the  consubstantial  nature  of  the  Father  and  Son.  I  will 
not  linger  to  build  a  theory  on  such  texts,  and  thus  encourage 
a  speculative  and  wrangling  spirit  among  my  brethren.  I  will 
present  these  subjects  only  in  the  words  which  the  Lord  has 
given  to  me.  I  know  he  will  not  be  displeased  if  we  say  just 
what  he  has  said.  Whatever  opinions  about  these  and  similar 
subjects  I  may  have  reached,  in  the  course  of  my  investiga- 
tions, if  I  never  distract  the  Church  of  God  with  them  or  seek 
to  impose  them  on  my  brethren,  they  will  never  do  the  world 
any  harm. 

I  have  the  more  cheerfully  resolved  on  this  course,  because 
the  Gospel  is  a  system  of  facts,  commands,  and  promises,  and 
no  deduction  or  inference  from  them,  however  logical  or  true, 
forms  any  part  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  No  heaven  is 
promised  to  those  who  hold  them,  and  no  hell  is  threatened 
to  those  who  deny  them.  They  do  not  constitute,  singly  or 
together,  any  item  of  the  ancient  and  apostolic  Gospel. 

While  there  is  but  one  faith,  there  may  be  ten  thousand 
opinions ;  and  hence,  if  Christians  are  ever  to  be  one,  they  must 
be  one  in  faith,  and  not  in  opinion.  When  certain  subjects 
arise,  even  in  conversion  or  social  discussion,  about  which 
there  is  a  contrariety  of  opinion  and  sensitiveness  of  feeling, 
speak  of  them  in  words  of  the  Scriptures,  and  no  otfence  will 
be  given,  and  no  pride  of  doctrine  will  be  encouraged.  We 
may  even  come,  in  the  end,  by  thus  speaking  the  same  things, 
to  think  the  same  things. 


258   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


For  several  years  past  I  have  stood  pledged  to  meet  the 
religious  world,  or  any  part  of  it,  on  the  ancient  Gospel  and 
order  of  things,  as  presented  in  the  words  of  the  Book.  This 
is  the  foundation  on  which  Christians  once  stood,  and  on  it 
they  can,  and  ought  to,  stand  again.  From  this  I  cannot 
depart  to  meet  any  man,  or  set  of  men,  in  the  wide  world. 
While,  for  the  sake  of  peace  and  Christian  union,  I  have  long 
since  waived  the  public  maintenance  of  any  speculation  I  may 
hold,  yet  not  one  gospel  fact,  commandment,  or  promise,  will  I 
surrender  for  the  world  I 

Let  us,  then,  mj  brethren,  be  no  longer  Campbellites,  or 
Stoneites,  New  Lights,  or  Old  Lights  or  any  kind  of  lights,  but 
let  us  all  come  to  the  Bible  and  to  the  Bible  alone,  as  the 
only  Book  in  the  world  that  can  give  us  all  the  Light  we 
need. 

He  sat  down,  and  Stone  arose,  his  heart  glowing  with  love, 
and  every  pulse  bounding  with  hope.  I  will  not  attempt," 
said  he,  '*  to  introduce  any  new  topic,  but  will  say  a  few  things 
on  the  same  subjects  already  presented  by  my  beloved  brother." 

After  speaking  for  some  time  in  a  strain  of  irresistible  ten- 
derness, he  said  "  that  controversies  of  the  Church  sufHciently 
prove  that  Christians  never  can  be  one  in  their  speculations 
upon  those  mysterious  and  sublime  subjects,  which,  while  they 
interest  the  Christian  philosopher,  can  not  edify  the  Church. 
After  we  had  given  up  all  creeds  and  taken  the  Bible,  and  the 
Bible  alone,  as  our  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  we  met  with 
so  much  opposition,  that,  by  force  of  circumstances,  I  was  led 
to  deliver  some  speculative  discourses  upon  these  subjects. 
But  I  never  preached  a  sermon  of  that  kind  that  really  feasted 
my  heart;  I  alwajs  felt  a  barrenness  of  soul  afterwards.  I 
perfectly  accord  with  Brother  Smith  that  those  speculations 
should  never  be  taken  into  the  pulpit;  but  that  when  com- 
pelled to  speak  of  them  at  all,  we  should  do  so  in  the  words 
of  inspiration. 

"  I  have  not  one  objection  to  the  ground  laid  down  by  him  as 
the  true  scriptural  basis  of  union  among  the  people  of  God ; 
and  I  am  willing  to  give  him,  now  and  here,  my  hand." 

He  turned  as  he  spoke,  and  offered  to  Smith  a  hand  trembling 
with  rapture  and  brotherly  love,  and  it  was  grasped  by  a  hand 
full  of  the  honest  pledges  of  fellowship,  and  the  union  was 
virtually  accomplished ! 

It  was  now  proposed  that  all  who  felt  willing  to  unite 
on  these  principles,  should  express  their  willingness  by  giving 
one  another  the  hand  of  fellowship ;  and  elders  and  teachers 
hastened  forward,  and  joined  their  hands  and  hearts  in  joyful 
accord.  A  song  arose,  and  brethren  and  sisters,  with  many 
tearful  greetings,  ratified  and  confirmed  the  union.  On  Lord's 
day,  they  broke  the  loaf  together,  and  in  that  sweet  and  solemn 
communion,  again  pledged  to  each  other  their  brotherly  love. 

This  union  of  the  Christians  and  the  Disciples  was  not  a 
surrender  of  the  one  party  to  the  other;  it  was  an  agreement 


"  REFORMERS  "  AND  "  CHRISTIANS  "  259 


of  such  as  already  recognised  and  loved  each  other  as  brethren, 
to  work  and  to  worship  together.  It  was  a  union  of  those  who 
held  alike  the  necessity  of  implicit  faith  and  of  unreserved 
obedience;  who  accepted  the  facts,  commands,  and  promises, 
as  set  forth  in  the  Bible;  who  conceded  the  right  of  private 
judgment  to  all;  who  taught  that  opinions  were  no  part  of 
the  faith  delivered  to  the  saints;  and  who  were  now  pledged 
that  no  speculative  matters  should  ever  be  debated  to  the  dis- 
turbance of  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  Church,  but  that 
when  compelled  to  speak  on  controverted  subjects,  they  would 
adopt  the  style  and  language  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

It  was  an  equal  and  mutual  pledge  and  resolution  to  meet 
on  the  Bible  as  on  common  ground,  and  to  preach  the  Gospel 
rather  than  to  propagate  opinions.  The  brethren  of  Stone 
did  not  join  Alexander  Campbell  as  their  leader,  nor  did  the 
brethren  of  Campbell  join  Barton  W.  Stone  as  their  leader; 
but  each,  having  already  taken  Jesus  the  Christ  as  their  only 
leader,  in  love  and  liberty  became  one  body ;  not  Stoneites,  or 
Campbellites ;  not  Christians,  or  Disciples,  distinctively  as 
such;  but  Christians,  Disciples,  saints,  brethren,  and  children 
of  the  same  Father  who  is  God  over  all  and  in  all. 

His  co-operation  with  Stone  and  Johnson  in  the  work  of 
bringing  the  two  parties  together  John  Smith  always  regarded 
as  the  best  act  of  his  life.  "  But  do  you  not  fear,"  said  a  timid 
and  dissatisfied  brother  to  him  that  day,  "  that  what  you  have 
now  done  will  drive  your  old  Baptist  brethren  still  further 
from  you?  You  cannot  overcome  their  prejudices  against  the 
Arians;  and  it  was  certainly  bad  policy  to  raise  this  new 
barrier  between  them  and  the  Reformation." 

"  I  know  not,"  said  Smith  in  reply,  "  how  that  may  be ;  but 
certain  I  am  that  the  union  of  Christians,  upon  a  scriptural 
basis,  is  right,  and  that  it  can  never  be  bad  policy  to  do  what 
is  right." 

"  Are  there  no  differences  of  opinion  between  you  and  the 
Reformers?"  inquired  others  about  that  time. 

"  We  answer,  we  do  not  know,"  said  the  Christians,  "  nor 
are  we  concerned  to  know;  we  have  never  asked  them  what 
their  opinions  were,  nor  have  they  asked  us.  If  they  have 
opinions  different  from  ours  they  are  welcome  to  have  them, 
provided  they  do  not  endeavour  to  impose  them  on  us  as 
articles  of  faith ;  and  they  say  the  same  of  us." 

"  But  have  you  no  creed  or  confession  as  a  common  bond 
of  union?  " 

"  We  answer,  yes ;  we  have  a  perfect  one,  delivered  to  us 
from  heaven,  and  confirmed  by  Jesus  and  his  apostles — the 
New  Testament." 

"  How  will  you  now  dispose  of  such  as  profess  faith  in 
Jesus  and  are  baptised?  To  which  party  will  they  be  attached 
as  members?  " 

"  We  answer,  we  have  no  party.  It  is  understood  among  us 
that  we  feel  an  equal  interest  in  every  Church  of  Christ,  and 


260   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


we  are  determined  to  build  up  all  such  churches  without  any 
regard  to  their  former  names." 

"  But  will  the  Christians  and  Reformers  thus  unite  in  other 
sections  of  the  country  and  in  other  States?  " 

"  We  answer,  if  they  are  sincere  in  their  profession,  and 
destitute  of  a  party  spirit,  they  will  undoubtedly  unite.  But, 
should  all  elsewhere  act  inconsistently  with  their  profession, 
we  are  determined  to  do  what  we  are  convinced  is  right  in  the 
sight  of  God." 

It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  at  the  very  time  when  these 
events  were  transpiring  in  Kentucky,  the  spirit  of  union  was 
previiiling  over  sectarian  prejudice  in  other  States  also.  John 
Longley,  a  Christian,  writing  to  Elder  Stone,  from  Bush 
County,  Indiana — the  home  of  John  P.  Thompson — under  date 
of  the  twenty-fourth  of  December,  1831,  says : 

"  The  Reforming  Baptists  and  we  are  all  one  here.  We 
hope  that  the  dispute  between  you  and  Brother  Campbell, 
about  names  and  priority,  will  forever  cease,  and  that  you  will 
go  on,  united,  to  reform  the  world." 

Griffeth  Cathey,  of  Tennessee,  on  the  fourth  of  January, 
1832,  writes,  in  substance : 

"  The  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  the  members 
known  by  the  name  of  Disciples,  or  Reformed  Baptists,  re- 
gardless of  all  charges  about  Trinitarianism,  Arianism,  and 
Socinianism,  and  of  the  questions,  whether  it  is  possible  for 
any  person  to  get  to  heaven  without  immersion,  or  whether 
immersion  is  for  the  remission  of  sins,  have  come  forward, 
given  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  and  united  upon  the  plain 
and  simple  Gospel."  * 

As  in  the  days  of  old,  when  the  sons  of  God  came  to- 
gether, Satan  came  into  their  midst,  so  it  was  with  the 
union  meeting  which  took  place  in  1832.  It  was  not  long 
until  the  union  was  practically  severed,  on  account  of 
certain  dissensions  which  began  to  arise  with  those  who 
held  to  shibboleths,  rather  than  to  "  where  the  Bible 
speaks,  we  speak,  and  where  it  is  silent,  we  are  silent." 

However,  it  was  arranged  that  Elders  John  Smith  and 
John  Rogers  should  take  the  field,  and  do  whatever  was 
possible  to  be  done  to  bring  about  a  permanent  union 
between  the  two  bodies.  In  the  Messenger  of  January 
1832,  this  fact  is  stated  in  the  following  words: 

To  increase  and  consolidate  this  union,  and  to  convince  all 
of  our  sincerity,  we,  the  Elders  and  brethren,  have  separated 
two  Elders,  John  Smith  and  John  Rogers;  the  first  known 
formerly  by  the  name  of  Reformer,  the  latter  by  the  name  of 
Christian.    These  brethren  are  to  ride  together  through  all 

•  "  Life  of  John  Smith,"  pp.  450-458. 


"REFORMERS"  AND  "CHRISTIANS"  261 

the  churches,  and  to  be  equally  supported  by  the  united  con- 
tributions of  the  churches  of  both  descriptions;  which  contri- 
butions are  to  be  deposited  together,  with  Brother  John  T. 
Johnson  as  treasurer  and  distributor. 

Perhaps  no  two  men  could  have  been  selected  who  were 
better  qualified  for  this  important  task  than  Elders  Rogers 
and  Smith.  They  were  both  men  of  the  highest  integrity 
and  of  the  noblest  consecration  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 
Rogers  became  the  biographer  of  both  B.  W.  Stone  and 
John  T.  Johnson,  and  in  dealing  with  this  union  move- 
ment and  the  chief  men  concerned  in  it  he  shows  a  fairness 
with  respect  to  the  issues  at  stake,  and  a  grasp  of  all  the 
conditions  that  eminently  qualified  him  for  the  task  of 
co-operating  with  Smith  in  making  the  union  permanent. 

Smith  was  a  man  of  unusual  native  talent.  He  was 
uneducated,  as  education  is  understood  generally,  but  he 
was  well  educated  for  the  great  work  committed  to  his 
hands.  It  is  said  that  Alexander  Campbell  once  re- 
marked that  "  John  Smith  was  the  only  man  he  ever  knew 
who  would  have  been  spoiled  by  a  collegiate  education." 
He  was  certainly  one  of  God's  noblemen.  He  thoroughly 
understood  the  Scriptures,  and  as  a  speaker  before  the 
people,  he  was  perhaps  without  a  peer  in  the  whole  state 
of  Kentucky.  Besides  he  had  the  confidence  of  his 
brethren  everywhere,  and  no  one  could  have  been  sent 
among  the  "  Reformers  "  whose  influence  would  have  been 
greater.  These  "Reformers  "  were  among  those  who  were 
questioning  the  union,  and  the  address  which  Smith  made 
shows  conclusively  that  they  were  raising  questions  which 
had  been  entirely  ignored  at  the  meeting  where  the  union, 
had  been  effected.  The  Address  is  so  comprehensive,  and 
at  the  same  time  occupies  such  an  important  historical 
position,  that  it  is  here  presented  without  any  abbrevia- 
tion: 

Beloved  Brethren :  It  becomes  my  duty  to  lay  before  our 
brethren  and  the  public  the  principle  from  which  I  acted, 
when,  with  many  Reformers,  so  called,  and  many  of  those 
called  Christians,  we  met  together,  broke  the  loaf,  and  united 
in  all  the  acts  of  social  worship.  It  will  be  recollected  that 
all  our  remarks  relative  to  the  Christian  brethren  are  con- 
fined to  those  with  whom  we  have  associated  about  Lexington, 
Georgetown,  Paris,  Millersburg,  and  Carlisle.  When  the 
Christians  and  the  Reforming  brethren  united,  as  above  named, 
we  calculated  at  the  time  that  the  captious,  the  cold-hearted, 


262    HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


sectarian  professor,  and  the  friends  of  religious  systems  formed 
by  human  device,  would  misrepresent  and  slander  us.  But 
we  do  not  mind  all  this.  It  is  no  more  than  we  expect  from 
such  characters;  and  we  hope  we  shall  always  be  able  to  bear 
reviling  like  Christians,  and  not  revile  again.  We  do  not 
publish  this  address  with  the  hope  of  satisfying  or  silencing 
our  opposers ;  but  hearing  that  some  of  our  warm-hearted, 
pious,  Reforming  brethren,  having  heard  many  reports,  and 
not  being  correctly  informed  on  this  subject,  have  become  un- 
easy, fearing  that  the  good  cause  of  the  Reformation  may  be 
injured  by  the  course  which  we  have  taken  in  relation  to  the 
Christian  brethren,  we  therefore  feel  it  to  be  a  duty  which 
we  owe  to  our  brethren  and  to  the  cause  which  we  profess,  to 
lay  before  them  and  the  public,  candidly  and  plainly,  the  prin- 
ciple from  which  we  have  acted,  relative  to  this  matter — which 
is  as  follows : 

When  we  fell  in  company  with  the  Christian  teachers,  we 
conversed  freely  and  friendly  together.  With  some  one  or 
other  of  them  we  have  conversed  on  all  the  supposed  points  of 
difference  between  them  and  the  Reformers,  and  all  the  er- 
roneous sentiments  which  I  had  heard  laid  to  their  charge, 
such  as  the  following: 

1.  That  they  deny  the  Atonement.  On  this  point  I  found 
the  truth  to  be  in  substance,  about  this:  That  they  do  not 
deny  the  Atonement,  but  they  do  deny  the  explanation  which 
some  give  of  it.  At  the  same  time  they  declare  that  pardon 
and  salvation  here  are  obtained  through  faith  in  the  sacrifice 
and  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  They  expect,  and  pray  for,  all 
spiritual  blessings  through  the  same  medium,  and  hope  to  over- 
come at  the  last,  and  obtain  eternal  salvation,  by  the  bl6od  of 
the  Lamb,  and  by  the  Word  of  his  testimony.  This,  substan- 
tially, if  not  verbatim,  one  of  their  principal  teachers  said  to 
me ;  and  this,  I  believe,  they  are  all  willing  to  say,  so  far  as  I 
have  been  conversant  with  them. 

When  I  have  conversed  with  them  about  the  various  sr>ecu- 
lations  upon  the  character  of  Christ,  or  the  modus  exisfendi  of 
the  Divine  Being,  they  have  said  that,  by  the  misrepresenta- 
tions and  violent  opposition  of  their  enemies,  they  had  been 
sometimes  driven  into  speculations  on  that  subject.  They  also 
say  they  are  not  only  willing,  but  desirous,  that  all  specula- 
tions on  that  subject  may  cease  forever;  and  that  all  should 
speak  of  the  Saviour  of  sinners  in  the  language  of  the  inspired 
writers,  and  render  under  him  such  honour  as  did  the  Primi- 
tive Christians.  So  say  I;  and  let  Unitarianism,  Trinitai'ian- 
ism  and  all  other  human  isms,  return  from  whence  they  came, 
and  no  more  divide  the  affections,  prevent  nor  destroy  the 
union,  of  Christians  forever.    Amen  and  Amen. 

2.  I  have  also  conversed  freely  with  the  Christian  teachers  up- 
on the  subject  of  receiving  the  unimmersed  into  the  Church,  and 
of  communing  with  them  at  the  Lord's  table.  They  have  said 
that  they  have  had,  and  still  have,  in  some  degree,  their  dilfi- 


"  REFORMERS  "  AND  "  CHRISTIANS  "  263 


ciilties  on  this  subject.  In  their  first  outset  they  were  all 
Pedobaptists.  Having  determined  to  take  the  Word  of  God 
alone  for  their  guide,  some  of  them  soon  became  convinced 
that  immersion  was  the  only  Gospel  baptism;  and  they  sub- 
mitted to  it  accordingly.  They  went  on  teaching  others  to  do 
likewise ;  the  result  has  been  that  all,  with  very  few  exceptions, 
belonging  to  their  congregations  in  this  section  of  country, 
have  submitted  to  immersion.  They  have  not,  for  several  years 
past,  received  any  as  members  of  their  body  without  immersion. 
And  with  regard  to  the  propriety  of  communing  at  the  Lord's 
table  with  the  unimmersed,  they  are  determined  to  say  no 
more  about  it,  there  being  no  apostolic  precept  nor  exami)le 
to  enforce  it.  But  whatever  degree  of  forbearance  they  may 
think  proper  to  exercise  toward  the  unimmersed  as  best  suited 
to  the  present  state  of  things,  they  are  determined,  by  a  proper 
course  of  teaching,  and  practicing  the  Apostolic  Gospel,  to 
bring  all,  as  fast  as  they  can,  to  unite  around  the  cross  of 
Christ — submitting  to  the  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  immersion 
— and  thus  form  one  body  upon  the  one  foundation,  according 
to  the  apostolic  order  of  things. 

Here  I  must  say,  that  when  the  Christian  brethren  have 
spread  the  Lord's  table  in  my  presence,  they  did  not  invite  the 
unimmersed  to  participate.  When  the  Apostle  said,  "  Let  a 
man  examine  himself,  and  so  let  him  eat,"  he  did  not  say 
this  to  the  unimmersed.  or  those  who  were  not  in  the  kingdom, 
but  to  the  Church  of  God  at  Corinth,  the  members  of  which 
had  heard,  believed,  and  had  been  immei'sed.  (Acts  xviii:8.) 
In  a  word,  I  believe  that  the  Christian  teachers  with  whom  I 
have  had  intercourse,  teach  as  plainly,  and  as  purely,  what  the 
primitive  teachers  taught,  and  require  as  precisely  what  they 
required,  in  order  to  the  admission  of  members  into  the  con- 
gregation of  Christ,  as  any  people  with  whom  I  am  acquainted. 

I  have  not  written  this  for  the  sake  of  the  Christian  breth- 
ren, but  for  the  sake  of  some  of  our  Reforming  brethren,  who 
seem  to  be  alarmed,  fearing  that  I  and  some  other  Reforming 
teachers,  have  injured  the  good  cause  in  which  we  have  been 
engaged,  by  sanctioning  all  the  speculations  and  errors  which 
have  been  laid  to  the  charge  of  the  people  called  Christians, 
whether  justly  or  unjustly.  That  our  Reforming  brethren  may 
be  enabled  to  judge  and  determine  upon  the  propriety  or 
impropriety  of  our  conduct,  when  we  and  the  Christian  breth- 
ren united  in  all  the  acts  of  social  worship,  we  have  thought 
it  proper  to  lay  before  them  what  we  understand  to  be  the 
views  and  the  practice  of  the  Christian  teachers,  in  the  several 
important  particulars  named  above. 

If,  in  doing  this,  we  have  in  any  particular  been  mistaken, 
or  have  misrepresented  them,  we  can  assure  them  that  we  have 
not  done  it  designedly;  they  will,  therefore,  have  the  goodness 
to  correct  the  error,  and  pardon  me.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the 
above  named  views  of  the  Christian  brethren  be  correct,  I 
would  then  ask  any  brother,  what  law  of  Christ  is  violated 


264    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


when  we  break  the  loaf  together?  Or  when  we  meet  with 
those  on  the  King's  highway,  who  have  been  immersed  upon  a 
profession  of  their  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  are 
walking  in  his  commandments,  by  what  rule  found  in  the  New 
Testament  could  we  reject  them,  or  refuse  to  break  bread  with 
them? 

3.  It  may  be  asked,  if  the  people  called  Christians,  who  have 
ceased  to  speculate  upon  the  character  of  Christ,  have  given 
up  their  Unitarian  opinions?  And  may  it  not  as  well  be 
asked,  have  the^^  who  speculate  upon  the  character  of  Christ 
before  they  became  Reformers,  given  up  their  Trinitarian 
opinions  ? 

To  both  these  questions  I  would  answer,  I  do  not  know, 
neither  do  I  care.  We  should  always  allow  to  others  that 
which  we  claim  for  ourselves — the  right  of  private  judg- 
ment. 

If  either  Christians  or  Reformers  have  erroneous  opinions, 
they  never  can  injure  any  person,  provided  we  all  have  pru- 
dence enough  to  keep  them  to  ourselves.  Neither  will  they 
injure  us,  if  we  continue  to  believe  the  Gospel  facts,  and  obey 
the  law  of  the  King.  If  all  who  profess  to  be  teachers  of  the 
Christian  religion  would  keep  their  opinions  to  themselves, 
teach  the  gospel  facts,  and  urge  the  people  to  obey  them,  the 
w'orld  would  soon  be  delivered  from  the  wretched,  distracting, 
and  destructive  influences  of  mystical  preaching. 

4.  Again,  it  is  asked,  when  you  break  bread  with  those 
called  Christians  about  Georgetown,  etc.,  do  you  not  sanction 
all  the  sectai'ian  speculations  of  all  those  who  are  called  by  the 
same  name  throughout  the  United  States?  No.  The  Chris- 
tian Churches  are  not  bound  together  by  written,  human  laws, 
like  many  others;  and  even  if  they  were,  I  should  not  believe 
that  I  had  sanctioned  any  sectarian  peculiarity  which  might  be 
among  them,  because  I  find  nothing  either  in  Scripture  or  rea- 
son to  make  me  believe  so.  If  such  an  idea  had  been  taught 
in  the  New  Testament,  surely  the  Reformers  never  would  have 
acted  as  they  have  done,  and  are  still  doing.  For  example: 
after  many  of  us  became  Reformers,  w^e  continued  to  break 
bread  with  many  of  those  who  continued  to  plead  for  all  their 
old  sectarian  peculiarities  and  human  traditions — even  in  our 
own  congregation — without  even  so  much  as  dreaming  that  we 
were  sanctioning  all  or  any  of  their  unscriptural  peculiai'ities, 
or  those  of  the  Associations  with  which  we  were  in  correspond- 
ence. You  will  say  that  all  these  had  come  into  the  kingdom 
by  faith  and  immersion.  Granted :  and  so  had  those  Chris- 
tians with  whom  we  broke  bread,  so  far  as  we  know. 

Once  more.  It  is  well  known  that  Brother  G.  Gates,  as  yet, 
stands  formally  connected  with  the  Elkhorn  Association;  and 
that  all  the  Reformers  cheerfully  commune  with  him,  as  they 
ought  to  do,  at  the  Lord's  table,  not  thinking,  for  one  moment, 
that  in  so  doing  they  sanction  all  the  peculiarities  which  be- 
long to  that  body,  and  all  the  other  associations  with  which 


"REFORMERS"  AND  "CHRISTIANS"  265 


they  stand  formally  connected.  Similar  cases  might  be  multi- 
plied, but  we  deem  it  unnecessary. 

When  our  brethren  shall  have  seen  this,  we  hope  that  they 
will  be  satisfied  that  we  have  not  laid  aside  our  former  specu- 
lations, and  taken  up  those  of  any  other  people.  They  cannot 
think  that  we  wish  to  amalgamate  the  immersed  and  the  un- 
immersed  in  the  congregation  of  Christ.  We  do  not  find  such 
amalgamation  in  the  ancient  congregations  of  Christ.  There- 
fore, whilst  contending  for  the  ancient  order  of  things,  we  can- 
not contend  for  this. 

5.  We  are  pleased  with  the  name  Christian,  and  do  desire  to 
see  it  divested  of  every  sectarian  idea,  and  everything  else  but 
that  wiiich  distinguished  the  primitive  Christians  from  all 
other  people,  in  faith  and  practice,  as  the  humble  followers  of 
the  meek  and  lowly  Redeemer.  And  we  do  believe  that  the 
Christian  brethren  about  Georgetown,  etc.,  would  be  as  much 
gratified  to  see  this  as  we  would  be  ourselves. 

The  friends  of  the  Reformation  may  easily  injure  their  own 
cause  by  giving  to  it  a  sectarian  character;  against  which  we 
should  always  be  specially  guarded.  And  in  order  to  avoid 
this,  and  all  other  departures  from  the  Apostolic  order  of 
things,  we  cannot,  we  will  not,  knowingly  sanction  any  tradi- 
tion, speculation,  or  amalgamation  unknown  to  the  primitive 
Christian  congregations.  On  the  other  hand,  we  are  deter- 
mined by  the  favour  of  God,  to  the  utmost  of  our  ability,  to 
teach  what  the  primitive  disciples  taught;  and  in  admitting 
persons  into  the  congregation  of  Christ,  we  will  require  what 
they  required,  and  nothing  more.  We  will  urge  the  practice 
of  all  the  Apostolic  commands  and  examples  given  to  the 
primitive  Christians,  and  thus  labour  for  the  unity  of  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ  upon  this  one  foundation.  And  wherever  we 
find  others — whatever  they  may  have  been  called  by  their 
enemies — labouring  for  the  same  object,  aiming  at  the  same 
thing,  we  are  bound  joyfully  to  receive  them,  treat  them  as 
Christians,  and  co-operate  with  them.  And  such  we  believe 
are  the  Christian  brethren  about  Lexington,  Georgetown,  Paris, 
Millersburg,  and  Carlisle. 

We  have  now  laid  before  our  brethren,  candidly  and  plainly, 
the  principle  upon  which  we  have  acted,  relative  to  the  union 
spoken  of  between  the  Christians  and  Reformers  about  George- 
town, etc.,  which,  we  think,  is  perfectly  consistent  with  that 
from  which  we  have  acted  for  several  years  past.  But  if  we 
have  done  anything  which  the  Gospel  or  the  law  of  Christ  will 
not  justify,  we  would  be  glad  to  know  it,  as  we  do  desire,  above 
all  things,  to  know  the  whole  truth,  and  to  practise  it ;  and  as 
we  think  that  the  best  of  us,  either  as  individuals,  or  as  con- 
gregations, are  not  fully  reformed,  but  reforming. 

We  hope  that  the  editors  of  reforming  periodicals  (Brethren 
Campbell,  Scott,  etc.),  if  they  see  this  in  the  Messenger, 
will  notice  it  in  their  journals,  with  such  remarks  of  com- 
mendation or  correction  as  they  may  think  proper.    We  make 


266   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHKIST 


this  request  because  we  think  circumstances  actually  require 
if 

John  Roger,  Smith's  associate,  in  this  great  work  of 
unifying  the  churches  which  had  come  into  the  union, 
gives  his  impression  also  of  the  situation,  and  as  the 
representative  of  the  Christians,"  it  will  be  seen  that 
he  practically  endorses  all  that  Smith  said  to  his  brethren : 

Having  just  come  out  of  Babylon,  it  is  scarcely  possible  we 
are  entirely  clear  of  all  her  corruptions.  Already  in  the  light 
of  Heaven  we  have  detected  some  important  errors  in  our 
former  views ;  we  are  determined,  therefore,  to  test  every  senti- 
ment we  hold,  by  the  infallible  Word,  renouncing  error  when- 
ever convinced  of  it,  and  following  the  truth  wherever  it  leads, 
disregarding  the  frowns  and  persecutions  of  the  sects.  'Tis 
through  truth  which  is  able  to  make  us  wise  to  salvation;  we 
will,  therefore,  count  all  things  loss  (that  come  into  competi- 
tion with  it)  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  Now  in  proof  and  illustration  of  our  third 
fact,  let  us  glance  at  our  history. 

When  we  left  the  Presbyterian  Church,  we  were  in  the  dark 
upon  the  subject  of  baptism,  and  continued  so  for  a  number 
of  years;  and  the  reason  is  obvious.  The  human  mind  can- 
not investigate  every  subject  at  once;  and  as  your  minds  were 
engrossed  with  the  consideration  of  the  subjects  of  faith, 
special  operations  of  the  spirit  in  order  to  faith,  creeds,  party 
names,  and  the  five  points  of  Calvinism,  you  never  once  thought 
of  baptism.  But  as  soon  as  you  had  leisure  to  look  about  you, 
and  call  up  your  views  of  baptism  and  test  them  by  the  book, 
you  saw  at  once,  and  acknowledged  your  mistake,  and  were 
forthwith  baptised  by  scores;  and  now  there  is  scarcely  a 
I'edo-baptist  among  us,  so  mightily  has  the  truth  triumphed. 
Since  that  time  the  subject  of  apostolic  succession,  or  of  a 
special  call  to  the  ministry,  has  been  weighed  in  the  scales  of 
the  sanctuary,  and  in  the  estimation  of  many  of  us  found 
wanting.  And  even  those  among  us  who  contend  for  the  doc- 
trine theoretically,  reject  it  practically.  This  last  remark, 
however,  by  the  way.  So  also  the  doctrine  of  baptism  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  has,  within  a  few  years,  been  brought  be- 
fore us,  and  much  investigated.  Some  among  us  have  em- 
braced it  cordially ;  others  reject  it.  What  then?  Shall  those 
who  embrace  it,  condemn  those,  who  though  they  believe  in 
immersion,  cannot  go  the  whole  length  with  us  in  the  matter? 
God  forbid.  Or  shall  those  who  do  not  receive  it,  con- 
demn us  who  do  receive  it?  I  trust  not.  Charity  forbids 
it.  Our  principles  forbid  it.  Here  then,  dear  brethren,  firmly 
united  upon  the  book,  upon  the  highest  ground  that  can  be 
taken,  let  us  move  forward,  investigating  every  religious  sub- 
ject, testing  every  sentiment  by  our  creed ;  cultivating  the  love 

*  "Life  of  John  Smith,"  pp.  464-470. 


'«  REFORMERS  "  AND  "  CHRISTIANS  "  267 


of  truth  and  holiness,  never  making  any  opinion  a  test  of 
Christian  fellowship ;  never  resting  till  we  are  filled  with  the 
knowledge  of  God's  will ;  in  all  wisdom  and  spiritual  under- 
standing ;  that  we  may  walk  worthy  of  the  Lord  unto  all  pleas- 
ing, being  fruitful  in  every  good  work.  Brethren,  mistake  us 
not;  we  sincerely  wish  to  see  promoted  among  us,  a  religion 
which  will  purify  our  hearts  from  all  sin,  and  fill  our  lives  with 
our  good  fruits.* 

It  may  be  well  to  quote  just  here  what  Mr.  Stone 
himself  said  with  respect  to  the  union.  He  was  evi- 
dently deeply  impressed  by  what  had  been  accomplished, 
and  he  gives  expression  to  his  feelings  in  the  following 
quotation  from  an  article  in  his  magazine: 

We  are  happy  to  announce  to  our  brethren  and  to  the  world 
the  union  of  Christians  in  fact  in  our  country.  A  few  months 
ago  the  Reforming  Baptists,  (known  invidiously  by  the  name 
of  Campbellites,)  and  the  Christians  in  Georgetown  and  the 
neighbourhood,  agreed  to  meet  and  worship  together.  We 
soon  found  that  we  were  indeed  in  the  same  spirit,  on  the  same 
foundation,  the  New  Testament,  and  wore  the  same  name, 
Christian.  We  saw  no  reason  why  we  should  not  be  the  same 
family.  The  Lord  confirmed  this  union  by  his  presence,  for  a 
good  number  was  soon  added  to  the  Church.  We  agreed  to 
have  a  four  days'  meeting  on  Christmas  in  Georgetown,  and 
on  New  Year's  Day  in  Lexington,  for  the  same  length  of  time. 
A  great  many  elders,  teachers,  and  brethren,  of  both  de- 
scriptions, assembled  together,  and  worshipped  together  in 
one  spirit  and  with  one  accord.  Never  did  we  witness  more 
love,  union,  and  harmony,  than  was  manifested  at  these  meet- 
ings. Since  the  last  meeting  we  have  heard  of  the  good  effects. 
The  spirit  of  union  is  spreading  like  fire  in  dry  stubble. 

It  may  be  asked,  is  there  no  difference  of  opinion  among 
you?  We  answer,  we  do  not  know,  nor  are  we  concerned  to 
know.  We  have  never  asked  them  what  was  their  opinion,  nor 
have  they  asked  us.  If  they  have  opinions  different  from  ours, 
they  are  welcome  to  have  them,  provided  they  do  not  en- 
deavour to  impose  them  on  us  as  articles  of  faith.  They  say 
the  same  of  us.  We  hear  each  other  preach,  and  are  mutually 
pleased  and  edified. 

It  may  be  asked  again — Have  you  no  creed  or  confession  as 
a  common  bond  of  union?  We  answer,  yes.  We  have  a  per- 
fect one,  delivered  to  us  from  Heaven,  and  confirmed  by  Jesus 
and  his  Apostles — we  mean  the  New  Testament.  We  have 
learned  from  the  earliest  history  of  the  Church  to  the  present 
time,  that  the  adoption  of  man-made  creeds  has  been  the  in- 
variable cause  of  division  and  disunion.  We  have,  therefore, 
rejected  all  such  creeds  as  bonds  of  union,  and  have  deter- 
mined to  rest  on  that  alone  given  by  divine  authority,  being 
*  Christian  Messenger,  Vol.  VI.,  p.  103. 


268   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


well  assured  that  it  will  bind  together  all  who  live  in  the 
spirit  of  it. 

It  may  again  be  asked — How  will  you  dispose  of  such  as 
profess  faith  in  Jesus  and  are  baptised?  To  which  party  shall 
they  be  attached  as  members?  We  answer:  We  have  no  party. 
It  is  understood  among  us,  that  we  feel  an  equal  interest  in 
the  prosperity  of  every  Church  of  Christ,  (and  of  such  we  all 
profess  to  be  members,)  and  are  determined  to  build  up  and 
edify  all  such  churches,  without  any  regard  to  former  names 
by  which  they  may  have  been  called. 

To  increase  and  consolidate  this  union,  and  to  convince  all 
of  our  sincerity,  we,  the  elders  and  brethren,  have  separated 
two  Elders,  John  Smith  and  John  Rogers,  the  first  known, 
formerly  by  the  name  of  Reformer,  the  latter  by  the  name 
Christian.  These  brethren  are  to  ride  together  through  all  the 
churches,  and  to  be  equally  supported  by  the  united  contri- 
butions of  the  churches  of  both  descriptions;  which  contri- 
butions are  to  be  deposited  together  with  Brother  John  T. 
Johnson,  as  treasurer  and  distributor.  We  are  glad  to  say, 
that  all  the  churches,  as  far  as  we  hear,  are  highly  pleased, 
and  are  determined  to  co-operate  in  the  work. 

Some  may  ask — Will  the  Christians  and  Reformers  thus 
unite  in  other  states  and  sections  of  our  country?  We  answer 
— If  they  are  sincere  in  their  profession  and  destitute  of  a 
party  spirit,  they  will  undoubtedly  unite.  They  all  profess 
the  same  faith,  they  all  reject  human  creeds  and  confessions — 
they  all  declare  that  opinions  of  truth  are  fallible,  and,  there- 
fore, should  not  be  substituted  for  truth,  nor  embodied  in  an 
authoritative  creed,  written  or  verbal ;  nor  imposed  as  terms  of 
fellowship  among  obedient  believers.  They  all  profess  the 
same  one  immersion,  into  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Spirit — They  profess  that  all  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and 
his  Apostles  and  Prophets  taught,  and  nothing  more  as  of 
divine  authority.  In  fact,  we  have  just  received  intelligence 
from  Elder  John  Longley  of  Indiana,  that  these  people  are  also 
united  in  his  bonds,  and  great  are  the  blessings  of  the  union. 
Many  are  added  to  the  Church.  But  should  all  in  other  states 
and  sections  act  inconsistently  with  their  profession,  we  are 
determined  to  do  what  we  are  convinced  is  right  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Nothing  can  move  us  from  this  purpose,  unless  we 
should  make  shipwreck  of  faith  and  a  good  conscience.  From 
which  may  our  merciful  God  preserve  us.  * 

It  is  probable  that  the  question  of  baptism  had  not 
been  discussed  during  the  meeting  at  Lexington.  It  is 
also  certain  that  among  the  churches  of  the  Christians  a 
few  were  still  found  who  had  not  been  immersed  upon  a 
profession  of  their  faith,  for  Smith  practically  admits  this 
in  his  Address,  where  he  says,  "  the  result  has  been  that 

*  Christian  Messenger,  Vol.  VI.,  pp.  6-7-8. 


"REFORMERS"  AND  "CHRISTIANS"  269 


all,  with  very  few  exceptions,  belonging  to  their  congrega- 
tions in  this  section  of  the  country  have  submitted  to 
immersion."  This  shows  that  a  "  few,"  at  least,  held  out 
against  the  general  practice.  It  has  been  asserted  that 
these  "  few  "  belonged  to  congregations  of  the  Christians 
that  had  not  come  into  the  union,  but  the  language  of 
both  Smith  and  Rogers  clearly  indicates  that  this  view 
of  the  matter  is  incorrect.  Smith  says,  at  the  beginning 
of  his  Address :  "  It  will  be  recollected  that  all  our  re- 
marks relative  to  the  Christian  brethren  are  confined  to 
those  with  whom  we  have  associated  about  Lexington, 
Georgetown,  Paris,  Williamsburg,  and  Carlisle."  Evi- 
dently Smith  refers  to  those  who  had  come  into  the  union 
and  not  those  who  were  outside  of  the  district  com- 
prehended by  it.  Rogers,  in  speaking  for  the  Christians 
uses  the  following  language :  "  But  as  soon  as  you  had 
leisure  to  look  about  you,  and  call  up  your  views  of  bap- 
tism and  test  them  by  the  book,  you  saw  at  once,  and 
acknowledged  your  mistake,  and  were  forthwith  baptised 
by  scores,  and  now  there  is  scarcely  a  Pedo-Baptist  among 
us,  so  mightily  has  the  truth  triumphed."  John  Smith's 
"  few  exceptions "  is  translated  by  John  Rogers  into 
"  scarcely  a  Pedo-Baptist  among  us,"  But  this  question 
of  immersion  was  not  raised  during  the  Conference  for 
union,  simply  because  it  was  believed  that  all  divisive 
elements  would  settle  themselves  if  left  entirely  alone 
and  without  agitation.  This  conclusion  was  finally  justi- 
fied in  the  subsequent  history  of  the  churches,  for  only 
the  immersion  of  believers  was  practised  after  this  time. 

Although  there  was  a  temporary  halt  in  this  union  move- 
ment, it  was  finally  consummated  in  1835,  and  in  the  years 
that  have  followed  no  shadow  of  a  shade  of  antagonism  has 
appeared  with  respect  to  this  consummation  of  what  was 
perhaps  the  greatest  practical  fact  that  had  yet  transpired, 
illustrating  the  position  of  Christian  union  on  the  prin- 
ciples set  forth  in  the  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  of  the 
Campbells. 

From  the  Campbellian  point  of  view  this  union  had  its 
drawbacks.  At  the  time  it  was  consummated  the  "  Re- 
formers "  were  practically  sweeping  everything  before 
them  in  the  Baptist  Churches  of  Kentucky,  as  well  as 
Ohio  and  other  places  where  the  "  Christians "  had  ob- 
tained considerable  influence.    But  the  union  of  the  "  Re- 


270   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


formers "  with  the  "  Christians seriously  affected  the 
trend  of  the  Baptist  Churches  toward  the  Reformatory 
movement.  They  began  to  hesitate.  Many  of  those  who 
had  sj^mpathised  with  the  Reformation  utterly  refused  to 
become  associated  with  a  movement  which  had  coalesced 
with  Unitarians  and  Pedo-Baptists.  This  was  the  charge 
made,  and  as  it  was  used  by  many  Baptist  preachers,  it 
soon  became  a  staple  objection  to  the  "  Reformers."  Their 
movement  was  no  longer  regarded  as  an  effort  to  reform 
the  Baptist  Churches  of  certain  abuses  which  had  grown 
up  among  them,  but  the  Reformers  were  now  regarded  as 
willingly  affiliating  with  doctrines  and  practices  which 
were  wholly  contrary  to  well  and  long  established  usage 
of  the  Baptist  Churches. 

It  can  readily  be  seen  how  this  opposition  of  the  Bap- 
tists, from  this  new  point  of  view,  would  affect  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Campbellian  movement  among  the  Baptist 
Churches  while  these  things  were  said  of  the  Reformers. 

Of  course  this  was  an  entire  misrepresentation  of  the 
facts  of  the  case,  but  misrepresentation  has  always  been 
an  easy  method  of  propagating  error,  or  hindering  the 
progress  of  truth.  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  once  said 
that  "  a  lie  would  travel  from  Maine  to  Georgia  while 
truth  was  getting  her  boots  on."  This  had  an  illustration 
in  the  case  now  under  consideration.  It  is  true,  as  already 
remarked,  that  Mr.  Campbell  and  Mr.  Stone  disagreed 
somewhat  in  regard  to  their  respective  interpretations  of 
the  God-head.  But  no  one  who  reads  what  Mr.  Stone 
said  upon  that  subject  can  legitimately  charge  him  with 
Unitarianism.  He  perhaps  never  came  fully  over  to  Mr. 
Campbell's  position  on  this  subject,  although  they  held  a 
long  and  friendly  discussion  with  respect  to  it.  Stone 
seems  to  have  thought  it  necessary  to  get  rid  of  the  popular 
theory  of  the  Trinity,  by  showing  that  it  is  essentially 
unscriptural,  while  Mr.  Campbell,  though  holding  as  he 
did  very  strongly  to  much  of  the  popular  theology  on  the 
subject,  nevertheless  did  not  allow  it  to  enter  into  the 
question  of  his  plea  for  Christian  union.  It  is  well  here 
to  quote  from  Mr.  Campbell  with  respect  to  his  views : 

I  have  been  asked  a  thousand  times,  "What  do  you  think 
of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity — what  do  you  think  of  the 
Trinity?  Some — nay,  many  think  that  to  falter  here  is  ter- 
rible; that  to  doubt  here,  or  not  to  speak  in  the  language  of 


"  REFORMERS    AND  "  CHRISTIANS  "  271 


the  schools,  is  the  worst  of  all  errors  and  heresies.  I  have  not 
spent,  perhaps,  an  hour  in  ten  years  in  thinking  about  the 
Trinity.  It  is  no  term  of  mine.  It  is  a  word  which  belongs 
not  to  the  Bible  in  any  translation  of  it  I  ever  saw.  I  teach 
nothing,  I  say  nothing,  I  think  nothing  about  it,  save  that  it 
is  not  a  scriptural  term,  and  consequently  can  have  no  scrip- 
tural ideas  attached  to  it.  But  I  discover  that  the  Trini- 
tarians, Unitarians,  and  the  simple  Arians,  are  always  in  the 
field  upon  this  subject,  and  that  the  more  they  contend,  the 
less  they  know  about  it.  * 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  quotation  that  Mr.  Campbell  got 
rid  of  the  difficulty  in  another  way  from  that  proposed  by 
Mr.  Stone.  From  the  beginning  Mr.  Campbell  contended 
that  philosophical  speculations  with  regard  to  anything 
must  not  be  made  a  test  of  Christian  fellowship.  His 
whole  movement  centred  about  this  point,  that  only 
plainly  expressed  precept  or  example  in  the  Scriptures 
must  enter  into  the  union  and  communion  of  saints.  In- 
deed, he  was  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  there  is  as 
much  virtue  in  ignoring  unimportant  things  as  there  is  in 
contending  for  that  which  is  indispensable.  Just  here  it 
is  well  to  remark  that  in  all  the  controversies  of  those  days 
the  Disciples  never  excluded  any  one  from  their  churches 
or  hindered  any  one  from  being  received  into  their  churches 
on  account  of  difference  of  opinions  with  regard  to  purely 
philosophical  or  non-essential  matters.  As  regards  the 
relation  of  the  Disciples  to  the  Baptist  Churches,  it  was 
always  the  case  that  the  exclusions  came  from  the  Baptist 
side  rather  than  from  the  Disciple.  In  referring  to  a  num- 
ber of  churches  in  Virginia  which  had  come  out  of  Baptist 
Churches,  Mr.  Campbell  makes  the  following  statement: 

We  were  pleased  to  learn  that  most  of  these  churches  were 
actually  forced  to  withdraw  from  the  Baptist  Chiirches;  that 
in  no  instance  did  the  brethren  in  the  reformation,  when  they 
had  the  majority,  ever  cast  out  the  minority.f 

On  this  same  subject  Mr.  Campbell  is  especially  clear 
with  respect  to  his  position  in  a  reply  which  he  makes 
to  Elder  Kerr,  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  concerning  the  im- 
portance of  union : 

All  the  world  must  see  that  we  have  been  forced  into  a 
separate  communion.    We  were  driven  out  of  doors,  because 

*  Christian  Baptist,  Vol.  VII.,  p.  208. 
^Ibid.,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  565. 


272   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


we  preferred  the  approbation  of  the  Lord  to  the  approbation 
of  any  sect  in  Christendom.  If  this  be  our  weakness  we  ought 
not  to  be  despised — if  this  be  our  wisdom  we  ought  not  to 
be  condemned.  We  have  lost  no  peace  of  conscience,  none  of 
the  honour  which  comes  from  God,  none  of  the  enjoyments 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  nothing  of  the  sweets  of  Christian  com- 
munion by  the  unkindness  of  those  who  once  called  us 
brethren. 

"  More  true  joy  Marcellus  exiled  feels, 
Than  Csesar  with  a  senate  at  his  heels." 

We  have  always  sought  peace,  but  not  peace  at  war  with 
truth.  Union  in  truth,  and  union  with  truth  are  in  our 
esteem  true  union,  real  strength,  and  social  bliss.  We  are 
under  no  necessity  to  crouch,  to  beg  for  favour,  friendship,  or 
protection.  Our  progress  is  onward,  upward,  and  resistless. 
With  the  fear  of  God  before  our  eyes — the  examples  of  the 
all-wise,  good,  and  renowned  worthies  of  all  ages  before  us  to 
stimulate  our  exertions  and  to  smile  upon  our  path,  with  love 
to  God  and  man  working  in  our  bosoms,  and  immortality  in 
prospect — we  have  nothing  to  fear,  nothing  to  lose  that  is 
worth  possessing.  Standing  on  the  Rock  of  Ages,  panoplied 
with  the  armour  of  light,  with  a  helmet,  breast-plate,  and 
shield  from  the  armoury  of  heaven — in  our  right  hand  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit  of  heavenly  temper,  and  our  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  great  captain  of  Salvation :  bulls,  anathemas,  and 
decrees  are  as  stubble  to  leviathan,  and  the  opposition  of  the 
sectarian  world  as  the  spider's  threads  in  the  path  of  the 
elephant.  Yet  we  would  be  gentle  and  easy  to  be  entreated 
by  the  arguments  of  love  and  the  indications  of  the  spirit  of 
a  sound  mind.  And  if  these  elders  of  the  people  who  have 
occasioned  the  present  disorder  and  distress  are  now  really 
as  penitent  as  they  profess,  let  them  nullify  their  decrees  and 
open  the  door  of  reconciliation,  showing  themselves  honest 
and  sincere  in  their  overtures  for  peace. 

On  the  Bible  alone  we  will  meet  them  in  heart  and  hand. 
We  shall  open  to  them  our  doors,  whenever  they  open  theirs 
to  us.  If  we  cannot  approve  all  their  "  benevolent  schemes  of 
this  age  of  enterprise,"  we  will  permit  them  to  give  their 
money  and  their  aids  to  everything  they  call  good  works,  and 
we  only  claim  the  right  of  private  judgment,  and  of  pursuing 
all  the  schemes  of  benevolence  which  we  ascertain  to  be  pleas- 
ing to  God  and  beneficial  to  men.  Where  we  cannot  agree  in 
opinion,  we  will  agree  to  differ;  and  a  free  intercourse  will  do 
more  to  enlighten  us  and  them,  and  to  reform  all  abuses  than 
years  of  controversy  and  volumes  of  defamation.  I  doubt  not, 
but  I  express  the  feelings  of  many  myriads  of  intelligent  dis- 
ciples when  I  thus  reciprocate  the  first  indications  of  a  Chris- 
tian spirit,  and  the  first  approach  to  the  temple  of  reason  and 
truth. 

But,  and  if  the  elders  of  the  people  are  not  sincere  in  these 


"EEFORMEKS"  AND  "CHRISTIANS"  273 


protestations,  and  if  they  will  not  allow  us  the  right  of 
private  judgment,  and  to  every  congregation  the  right  to  ad- 
minister its  own  affairs  as  we  would  cheerfully  award  to 
them,  then  be  it  known  to  them  and  society  at  large,  that  we 
are  not  to  blame  for  the  state  of  things  of  which  they  complain ; 
and  that  although  we  stretch  our  hand  to  the  olive  branch 
which  they  seem  to  extend  to  us,  it  is  not  because  we  fear  their 
strength,  their  influence,  or  all  they  can  oppose  to  us;  for  if 
in  our  infancy  and  imbecility  we  have,  in  the  face  of  all  their 
opposition  and  united  efforts,  risen  in  a  few  years  from  noth- 
ing to  many  myriads,  it  is  not  to  be  imagined  that  they  can 
stay  our  progress,  or  succeed  in  a  course  in  which  only  disaster 
and  ruin  have  marked  their  every  step.  But  we  love  peace, 
and  truth,  and  co-operation,  and  united  effort  in  purifying 
the  Church  and  in  converting  the  world.  We,  therefore,  wait 
to  hear  from  them  more  fully  on  this  matter,  and  we  shall 
consider  the  rescinding  of  their  decrees  as  an  unequivocal 
expression  of  their  desire  for  a  better  order  of  things.  * 

The  case  of  Aylett  Raines  affords  a  fine  illustration 
of  Mr.  Campbell's  willingness  to  suppress  differences  of 
opinion,  where  no  real  principle  was  involved,  in  order 
to  secure  Christian  union.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore, 
that  he  willingly  assented  to  the  union  formed  between 
the  "  Christians  "  and  "  Reformers  " ;  and  it  is  surely  a 
matter  to  be  placed  to  the  credit  of  his  plea  for  Christian 
union  that  two  bodies  such  as  the  "  Christians  "  and  "  Re- 
formers "  could  be  united,  and  yet  hold  to  considerable 
divergence  of  opinion  with  respect  to  some  matters.  It 
should  be,  furthermore,  to  his  credit  that,  when  he  must 
have  known  that  the  union  between  these  two  bodies  would 
seriously  affect  his  influence  upon  the  Baptist  Churches, 
he  nevertheless  cordially  accepted  his  new  brethren,  and 
practically  gave  up  the  possibility  of  a  further  reformation 
of  the  Baptist  Churches.  Whether  Mr.  Campbell's  re- 
ligious position  is  true  or  not,  it  must  be  conceded,  that, 
throughout  all  the  days  of  bitter  controversy,  he  was 
always  ready  to  utterly  ignore  his  own  opinions,  or  his 
own  interests,  if  these  stood  in  the  way  of  the  union  of 
God's  people  upon  the  essential  things  clearly  revealed 
in  the  Word  of  God.  Mr.  Stone  deserves  equal  credit  for 
also  making  concessions.  Undoubtedly  the  union  of  the 
"  Reformers  "  and  "  Christians  "  in  Kentucky  did  much 
to  emphasise  the  practicability  of  the  plan  of  Christian 
union  which  both  of  these  bodies  advocated.    The  "  Chris- 

•  Millennial  Harbinger,  Vol.  V.,  pp.  105-106. 


274    HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tians  "  had  always  been  in  favor  of  Christian  union.  This 
had  been  a  distinctive  characteristic  of  their  movement 
from  the  beginning,  but  they  had  given  less  attention  to 
the  matter  of  restoration  than  the  "  Reformers  "  had  done. 
The  latter  were  in  favor  of  Christian  union,  but  as  already 
remarked,  they  had  given  up  the  idea  of  denominational 
union,  which  perhaps  more  or  less  dominated  the  advocates 
of  the  movement  in  its  earlier  period.  At  this  time  the 
"  Reformers  "  believed  that  Christian  union  was  only  pos- 
sible, or  desirable,  upon  a  Scriptural  foundation,  and  hence 
their  contribution  to  the  union  which  had  been  effected 
was  mainly  from  the  Scriptural  point  of  view — an  earnest 
insistence  upon  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  "  for  everything 
relating  to  faith  and  practice.  While  the  "  Christians  " 
were  equally  anxious  about  sustaining  their  religious  posi- 
tion by  Scriptural  authority,  they  were,  however,  less 
vigorous  in  their  demands  for  a  close  observance  of  the 
New  Testament  pattern.  They  w^ere  intensely  evangel- 
istic, and  they  contributed  to  the  union  a  valuable  asset 
in  this  respect,  especially  in  Kentucky,  where  the  "  Re- 
formers "  had  largely  confined  their  propaganda  to  the 
Baptist  Churches,  rather  than  to  the  conversion  of  the 
world. 

The  spirit  of  the  union  which  took  place  in  Kentucky 
soon  spread  into  other  states,  and  in  some  of  these  a 
union  was  effected  between  the  two  bodies  there  also,  so 
that  in  a  few  years  the  "  Christian  "  organisation  had  be- 
come practically  identified  with  the  "  Reformers."  This 
former  body,  however,  was  not  entirely  annihilated.  In 
some  places  they  retained  their  separate  churches,  and 
at  the  present  writing  they  have  a  considerable  member- 
ship in  several  states,  notably  North  Carolina,  Ohio,  and 
Michigan,  Recently  there  have  been  prominent  overtures 
with  respect  to  a  union  of  these  and  the  Free  Baptists 
with  the  Disciples  of  Christ. 

In  reviewing  the  steps  by  which  the  union  between  the 
"  Reformers  "  and  "  Christians  "  was  consummated,  it  is 
impossible  not  to  recognise  the  fact  that  it  was  a  union 
where  love  was  the  predominant  factor  rather  than  theo- 
logical definition.  Simplicity  in  Christ  was  the  basis  of 
the  union.  We  have  already  seen  that  there  were  sub- 
stantial doctrinal  differences  and  some  practical  differ- 
ences, but  all  these  gave  way  before  the  all-conquering 


"REFORMERS''  AND  "CHRISTIANS"  275 


power  of  Love.  These  brethren  became  acquainted  with 
each  other,  they  fraternised  with  each  other  in  their  re- 
spective meeting  places,  they  received  each  other  in  their 
respective  conferences,  and  step  by  step  they  came  to 
realise  that  there  were  no  insurmountable  differences  be- 
tween them,  and  gradually  those  that  seemed  insuperable 
at  first — real  mountains  in  the  way  of  union — became  as 
mole  hills  under  the  melting  and  cementing  power  of  love. 
It  was  a  union  of  hearts,  rather  than  of  heads.  Doubtless 
the  head  difficulty  finally  vanished,  but  if  their  efforts  at 
union  had  begun  with  the  head  differences  it  is  probable 
that  no  union  would  have  been  consummated. 

No  man  ever  gained  a  wife  by  simply  discussing  the 
differences  of  their  respective  theological  positions,  or 
social  standing,  or  commercial  prospects.  The  man  who 
would  make  a  proposal  to  his  sweetheart  that  all  these 
matters  must  be  settled  before  an  engagement  could  take 
place  would  almost  certainly  be  rejected  without  any 
further  ceremony.  These  are  matters  which  no  doubt  need 
consideration  at  the  proper  time,  but  while  winning  a 
sweetheart's  affections  these  things  had  better  be  left 
alone.  After  the  engagement  is  consummated  some  of 
these,  or  all  of  them,  may  be  judiciously  considered.  But 
the  man  must  not  begin  with  these  if  he  hopes  to  win  his 
girl. 

Human  nature  is  very  much  the  same,  no  matter  from 
what  angle  it  may  be  viewed.  Christian  union  can  never 
be  an  accomplished  fact  in  the  history  of  the  Christian 
religion  without  the  courting  process,  which  wins  the  affec- 
tions, and  when  these  affections  are  won  the  theological 
problems  will  probably  adjust  themselves  without  much 
difficulty.  The  way  to  Christian  union  is  by  putting  all 
our  theological  differences  into  the  hot  crucible  of  love, 
and  if  they  are  allowed  to  remain  there  long  enough  they 
will  be  melted  and  easily  made  to  conform  to  a  united 
Church. 

It  is  evident  that  the  "  Reformers  "  and  "  Christians  " 
proceeded  upon  the  right  principle,  as  well  as  the  right 
method.  When  the  time  came  for  union  nothing  was 
projected  into  the  platform  that  would  in  the  slightest 
degree  hinder  the  fellowship  of  any  one  who  believed 
heartily  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  was  willing  to 
follow  His  leadership  in  all  things  pertaining  to  the 


276    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Christian  life.  All  speculations,  opinions,  and  philoso- 
phies, whether  true  or  false,  were  regarded  as  of  little 
importance,  in  comparison  with  the  need  of  Christian 
union.  In  short,  both  "  Reformers  "  and  "  Christians  " 
accepted  the  simple  but  transcendent  fact  that  a  divided 
Christendom  is  infinitely  worse  than  even  heresy  w  ith  re- 
spect to  theological  opinions.  Surely  this  statement  of 
the  case  ought  to  put  Christian  people  to  thinking  with 
respect  to  the  present  divisions  which  exist  among  the 
professed  followers  of  Christ. 


SIX  LEADERS  IN  THE  UNION  MOVEMENT 


1,  John  Smith.  2,  John  T.  Johnson.  3,  Samuel  Rogers.  4,  John  Rogers. 
5,  Jacob  Creath,  Sr.    6,  Phillip  S.  Fall. 


CHAPTER  X 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION 

IT  is  interesting  and  instructive  to  study  somewhat  the 
characters  of  the  chief  men  who  were  instrumental 
in  bringing  about  the  union,  or  who  became  identified 
with  the  movement  about  this  time.  We  have  seen  that 
the  movement  had  made  considerable  progress  since  the 
year  1823,  when  the  Christian  Baptist  was  first  published, 
and  if  it  is  to  be  estimated  by  the  men  it  produced,  then 
surely  no  one  need  be  ashamed  of  it.  From  the  very  be- 
ginning the  movement  attracted  to  it  some  of  the  noblest 
men  of  that  period.  Not  many  of  these  were  highly  cul- 
tured. Broadly  speaking,  they  were  of  a  middle  class 
of  the  fairly  educated  community.  Many  of  them  had  a 
very  respectable  academic  education  according  to  the 
standard  of  that  day;  but  not  a  few  were  simply  common 
sense,  brainy,  uncultured,  men  and  women  who  loved  lib- 
erty, and  who  were  willing  to  sacrifice  everything  for  what 
they  believed  to  be  the  truth. 

The  earlier  days  of  the  movement  were  specially  char- 
acterised by  this  class  of  adherents.  Those  were  the 
days  which  tried  men's  souls.  The  movement  at  first 
was  necessarily  belligerent.  In  some  respects  it  made 
war  on  the  existing  denominations  with  relentless  energy. 
Part  of  its  plea  was  the  overthrow  of  denominationalism 
and  the  sectarian  spirit.  It  held  out  the  olive  branch  of 
peace  to  all  who  would  accept  the  terms  which  the  Dis- 
ciples believed  were  fundamental  in  the  teaching  of  the 
Scriptures,  for  these  terms  always  and  everywhere  re- 
quired the  complete  surrender  of  the  denominational  posi- 
tion, and  the  hearty  acceptance  of  what  was  called  "  the 
ancient  order  of  things."  At  least  this  was  the  contention 
of  the  Disciples  after  they  had  been  forced  into  a  separate 
religious  position.  Indeed,  the  "  Declaration  and  Ad- 
dress" foreshadowed  this  very  state  of  things  when  it 
contended  for  the  abandonment  of  everything  sectarian 

277 


278    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


and  a  union  upon  simply  New  Testament  teaching.  From 
this  point  of  A'iew  the  movement  was  intensely  aggressive, 
and  the  consequence  was  that  it  made  either  friends  or 
foes  of  all  the  religious  people  with  whom  it  came  in 
contact.  In  many  instances  it  made  bitter  enemies. 
Perhaps  this  could  not  have  been  otherwise.  There  are 
no  stronger  prejudices  than  those  that  arise  out  of  re- 
ligious convictions,  and  there  is  nothing  for  which  men 
will  sacrifice  more  than  religious  associations. 

But  however  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  the  new 
movement  was  born  and  developed  in  an  atmosphere  of 
war.  It  was  really  a  fighting  movement  from  the  start; 
consequently  it  carried  with  it  many  of  the  evils  of  a 
continuous  conflict.  Nevertheless,  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  out  of  this  conflict  came  some  of  the  strongest  men 
and  women  of  the  nineteenth  century.  They  were  real 
heroes  of  the  strife.  This  fact  strikingly  illustrates  a 
principle  which  seems  to  be  universal.  The  great  men 
and  women  of  all  ages  in  this  world's  history  have  been 
produced  in  that  narrow  belt  of  the  earth  wherein  the 
seasons  are  in  continual  conflict.  It  may  be  that  John 
Ruskin  has  overestimated  the  value  of  war  in  the  develop- 
ment of  character;  still  it  must  be  confessed  that  in  the 
"  piping  times  of  peace  "  there  are  not  many  great  char- 
acters developed.  Any  way  it  is  certain  that  religious 
controversy  and  opposition  are  not  entirely  without  their 
compensation.  It  is  an  ugly  side  of  a  religious  movement ; 
but,  after  all,  it  strengthens  certain  phases  of  character 
which  are  essential  to  anything  like  rapid  and  healthy 
growth.  The  strong  men  of  the  Disciple  movement  were 
very  generally  deficient  in  that  broad  and  elegant  culture 
which  gives  to  character  its  finest,  normal  development, 
and  makes  men  and  women  agreeable,  even  when  they  are 
not  intellectually  great.  But  if  we  wish  to  find  men  and 
women  fitted  for  a  struggle,  we  will  pick  those  who  are 
in  the  struggle,  or  who  have  practically  passed  through  it, 
or  some  other  similar  struggle  in  which  character  is  made. 
The  leaders  on  both  sides  of  the  union,  which  has  already 
been  considered,  were,  for  the  most  part,  largely  moulded 
in  the  hot  crucible  of  conflict  which  everywhere  met  them 
in  their  onward  march  to  victory.  And  while  these  men 
gained  force,  it  is  probable  that  they  often  lost  in  ease 
and  grace  of  manner.    Of  course  there  were  those  who 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  279 


united  in  their  personality  both  strength  and  culture, 
though  this  could  not  be  affirmed  of  very  many,  and 
especially  during  the  earlier  days  of  the  movement. 

The  following  list  of  names  will  be  sufficient  to  show 
that  some  great  men  came  into  the  union  from  both  the 
"  Reformers  "  and  "  Christians,"  or  were  identified  with 
it  about  this  time.  The  chief  men  of  the  movement,  from 
the  side  of  the  Reformers  were,  the  Campbells  (Thomas 
and  Alexander),  Walter  Scott,  Robert  Richardson,  Philip 
S.  Fall,  William  Haj'den,  Adamson  Bentley,  the  Bos- 
worths  (Cyrus  and  Marcus),  John  Smith,  D.  S.  Burnett, 
James  Challen,  John  Henry,  Jacob  Osborne,  Sidney  Rig- 
don,  A.  J.  Ewing,  Darwin  Atwater,  Aylett  Raines,  Jacob 
Creath  (Senior  and  Junior),  and  John  T.  Johnson.  Of 
those  who  came  into  the  union  from  the  Christians " 
may  be  mentioned,  Barton  W.  Stone,  Samuel  Rogers,  John 
Rogers,  John  A.  Gano,  .John  Wliitaker,  John  Flick,  Joseph 
Gaston,  Thomas  M.  Allen,  John  Secrest,  and  B.  F.  Hall. 

Several  of  these  men  have  already  been  referred  to, 
and  some  account  given  of  their  character  and  work. 
They  all  deserve  a  much  fuller  notice  than  can  here  be 
given,  but  a  few  of  them,  owing  to  certain  facts  connected 
with  their  history,  must  receive  special  attention.  Among 
these  the  name  of  Dr.  Robert  Richardson  deserves  a  first 
place. 

While  Walter  Scott  and  those  associated  with  him  were 
practically  turning  the  Western  Reserve  '*  upside  down  " 
with  their  advocacy  of  the  great  plea  which  they  were 
making,  a  new  man  was  added  to  the  list  of  leaders,  who 
became  most  prominent  in  the  religious  movement  which 
had  been  inaugurated  by  the  Campbells.  While  Scott 
was  conducting  an  Academy  in  Pittsburg,  he  had  for  a 
pupil  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Robert  Richardson, 
who  had  been  brought  up  in  the  Episcopal  Church,  but 
his  association  with  Scott  had  influenced  him  to  re-ex- 
amine the  whole  subject  of  baptism.  Young  Richardson 
was  a  fine  scholar,  and  being  warmly  attached  to  Scott 
personally,  he  began  a  thorough  investigation  as  to  his 
duty  with  regard  to  the  ordinance  of  baptism.  At  last  a 
decision  was  reached,  and  he  immediately  made  his  way 
from  Pittsburg  into  the  Western  Reserve,  120  miles,  seek- 
ing baptism  at  the  hands  of  Scott.  Scott  was  at  that  time 
engaged  in  one  of  his  great  revival  meetings,  and  his  joy 


280   HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


was  almost  unbounded  when  he  found  out  the  purpose 
of  young  Richardson's  visit.  Richardson  was  at  that  time 
a  practising  phj'sician  near  Pittsburg,  but  as  soon  as  he 
embraced  the  "  ancient  Gospel,"  as  it  was  commonly  called 
by  the  "  Reformers,"  he  gave  himself  with  all  the  ardour 
of  his  earnest  nature  to  the  cause  which  he  had  espoused. 

Perhaps  justice  has  scarcely  ever  been  bestowed  upon 
Dr.  Richardson  for  the  part  which  he  took  in  the  great 
reformatory  movement;  and  yet  it  is  doubtful  whether 
any  other  man,  save  Mr.  Campbell  himself,  contributed 
more  to  the  success  of  the  movement  than  did  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson. His  was,  in  some  respects,  a  unique  work.  He 
brought  into  the  movement  some  elements  which  were 
not  contributed  by  others,  and  without  which  the  move- 
ment would  have  been  shorn  of  a  large  portion  of  its 
strength.  He  possessed  much  of  the  spirit  of  Walter 
Scott,  his  teacher,  though  he  lacked  the  evangelistic  fervor 
of  the  latter,  and  was  not  gifted  in  extemporaneous  speech 
as  was  the  great  evangelist.  Nevertheless,  Richardson 
possessed  some  personal  characteristics,  as  well  as  attain- 
ments, which  differentiated  him  from  all  the  other  "  re- 
formers," and  specially  qualified  him  for  doing  a  certain 
work  which  he  afterwards  did. 

For  years  he  continued  to  practise  medicine,  but  during 
all  his  lifetime  he  was  an  active  preacher  and  writer. 
In  1835  he  was  induced  by  Alexander  Campbell  to  remove 
to  Bethany,  where  he  became  Mr.  Campbell's  co-labourer 
in  conducting  the  Milleiinial  Harbinger.  At  Bethany  he 
occupied  the  chair  of  Chemistry  in  Bethany  College,  and 
it  can  be  safely  said  that  in  this  position  he  was  not  only 
eminent  as  a  teacher,  but  it  is  probable  that  no  one  in 
the  faculty  exerted  a  more  salutary  influence  upon  the 
students  of  the  College  than  did  the  "  sage  of  Bethpage." 

Mr.  Campbell  made  no  mistake  in  selecting  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson as  a  right-hand  man  in  the  great  work  which  he 
had  undertaken.  He  was  Mr.  Campbell's  most  trusted 
adviser  in  the  College  work,  as  well  as  in  the  management 
of  the  Harbinger.  But  it  was  in  the  latter  position  where 
Dr.  Richardson's  influence  was  most  supremely  felt.  It 
is  a  well-known  fact  that  Dr.  Richardson's  influence  over 
Mr.  Campbell  was  very  great,  and  to  him  may  be  ascribed 
a  great  amount  of  the  success  which  attended  the  religious 
movement  inaugurated  by  the  Campbells. 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  281 


Dr.  Richardson  was  endowed  with  splendid  intellectual 
gifts,  and  he  cultivated  these  with  unwearied  industry 
until  the  close  of  his  useful  life.  He  was  especially  a 
fine  critic.  His  scientific  studies  were  helpful  to  him  in 
forming  exact  conclusions  with  respect  to  Biblical  in- 
terpretation, and  nowhere  perhaps  did  he  manifest  greater 
ability  than  in  the  field  of  Biblical  exegesis.  It  was  here 
that  he  was  a  great  helper  to  Mr.  Campbell.  The  latter's 
fondness  for  generalisation  sometimes  led  him  into  doubt- 
ful statements  with  respect  to  particular  things.  Not  so 
with  Dr.  Richardson.  He  was  careful  about  the  most 
minute  matters,  and  while  many  of  his  criticisms  and 
Biblical  interpretations  had  upon  them  the  stamp  of 
originality,  he  never,  in  a  single  instance,  advocated  any 
position  which  may  not  be  defended  on  purely  critical 
grounds.  Indeed,  it  is  well  known  to  a  few  who  are  still 
living  that  he  saved  Mr.  Campbell  from  some  critical 
mistakes  which  the  latter  would  have  made  had  it  not 
been  for  his  trustworthy  and  able  co-labourer.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell was  so  heavily  pressed  with  his  numerous  engage- 
ments, and  so  overworked  with  regard  to  the  great  things 
to  which  his  attention  was  constantly  called,  that  he 
neither  had  time  nor  strength  to  always  give  the  closest 
attention  to  minute  matters.  It  was  just  here  where  Dr. 
Richardson  was  of  supreme  value  to  him.  While  he  and 
Mr.  Campbell  would  often  talk  over  in  a  general  way  the 
chief  points  to  be  considered,  it  was  finally  left  to  Dr. 
Richardson  to  work  out  the  details  and  to  make  a 
decision  in  the  case.  His  judgment  was  scarcely  ever  at 
fault,  and  his  patience  in  pursuing  a  subject  to  the  last 
analysis  made  his  conclusions  almost  infallible  with  re- 
spect to  everything  he  investigated.  He  never  stopped 
with  the  surface  of  things,  but  made  his  examination 
thorough,  so  that  nothing  was  left  to  be  considered. 

His  literary  ability  was  no  less  than  his  knowledge  of 
the  Bible.  He  read  much,  but  he  studied  more.  He  was 
a  thinker.  His  library  was  well  selected,  and  he  literally 
lived  in  it  when  he  was  away  from  his  other  duties.  He 
cultivated  a  fine  literary  style,  and  this  is  shown  in  all 
his  writings.  Of  course  his  magnum  opus  is  his  "  Life  of 
Alexander  Campbell,"  which  is  a  model  of  pure  English, 
though  it  is  somewhat  marred  by  cumbersome  details  of  a 
not  very  interesting  character  to  the  general  reader.  Still 


282    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


it  should  be  judged  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  writer. 
He  was  evidently  not  aiming  simply  to  produce  an  interest- 
ing life  of  Mr.  Campbell.  He  was  rather  looking  at  Mr. 
Campbell  with  a  view  to  furnishing  material  for  subse- 
quent historians.  A  popular  life  of  Mr.  Campbell  is 
yet  to  be  written,  but  when  it  is  written  its  facts 
will  be  mainly  furnished  by  the  admirable  work  of  Dr. 
Richardson. 

It  should  be  said  to  the  praise  of  Dr.  Richardson  that 
his  contribution  to  the  religious  movement,  with  which 
he  was  identified,  was  not  specially  controversial,  though 
when  he  chose  to  write  on  controversial  subjects  he  showed 
himself  to  be  a  well-trained  logician,  and  capable  of  stating 
his  arguments  with  clearness  and  vigour.  Nevertheless, 
his  chief  contribution  was  of  a  spiritual  character,  and 
this  was  much  needed  in  order  to  counteract  the  contro- 
versial tendency  which  could  not  be  very  well  avoided  in 
the  earlier  days  of  the  Reformation. 

From  this  time  we  must  reckon  with  four  great  men 
who,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  "  Reformers,"  may  be 
denominated  the  "  Big  Four  "  of  the  Nineteenth  Century 
Religious  Movement.  Each  one  of  these  had  his  special 
place,  and  made  a  distinct  contribution  to  the  great  work 
to  which  they  were  all  committed.  Thomas  Campbell  con- 
tributed perhaps  most  to  the  union  sentiment  which  was 
prominent  at  the  beginning;  Alexander  Campbell  con- 
tributed most  to  the  constructive  features,  both  theological 
and  ecclesiastical ;  Walter  Scott  contributed  most  to  the 
evangelistic  spirit  and  work,  while  Dr.  Richardson  con- 
tributed most  to  the  devotional  and  spiritual  side  of  the 
movement. 

Of  course  there  were  many  others  who  did  valiant 
service,  with  respect  to  all  these  sides  of  the  movement, 
but  these  four  men  undoubtedly  were  the  leaders  in  their 
respective  spheres. 

Another  name  among  those  mentioned  deserves  very 
special  emphasis,  namely,  William  Hayden.  Perhaps  no 
one  man  during  the  period  now  under  consideration  did 
more  active  service  than  did  Mr.  Hayden.  During  his 
ministry  of  thirty-five  years  he  travelled  90,000  miles,  fully 
60,000  of  which  he  made  on  horseback,  more  than  twice 
the  distance  around  the  world.  During  this  time  he  bap- 
tised with  his  own  hands  more  than  1,200  people.  He 


PIOMEER  LEADERS 

1,  Aylett  Raines.  2.  William  Hayden.  3,  Jacob  Creatli,  Jr.  4,  David 
S.  Burnet.  5,  John  Allen  Gano.  C.  T.  M.  Allen.  7,  James  Cliallen. 
8,  Adamson  Bentley.  9,  Dr.  W.  A.  Belding.  10,  Darwin  Atwater.  11, 
John  Lindsey.    12,  David  Purviance. 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  283 


also  preached  over  9,000  sermons,  that  is,  about  260  dis- 
courses per  annum  for  every  year  of  the  thirty-five  years 
of  his  public  life.  At  one  time  he  preached  over  fifty 
sermons  in  the  month  of  November  alone.  He  was  also 
very  active  in  his  private  labours,  and  his  peculiar  power 
of  winning  souls  was  very  great,  either  in  private,  or  in 
his  public  discourses.  In  the  social  circle  he  was  espe- 
cially effective,  urging  as  he  did  his  great  message  in  a 
charming  manner,  in  which  humour  and  anecdote  had 
their  appropriate  places. 

His  mental  powers  worked  with  great  rapidity  and  en- 
ergy. Though  not  educated  in  a  scholastic  sense,  his 
wide  experience,  his  matchless  memory,  and  his  constant 
contact  with  the  problems  he  had  to  solve  gave  him  a 
mastery  in  the  field  of  service  to  which  he  had  committed 
his  life.  He  travelled  much  with  Walter  Scott,  and  as 
he  had  a  fine  musical  gift  he  was  of  great  assistance  to 
Scott  in  evangelistic  work. 

What  William  Hayden  was  to  Ohio,  in  many  respects, 
John  T.  Johnson  was  to  Kentucky.  He  was  a  model 
evangelist.  While  he  is  usually  classed  with  the  preachers 
who  came  into  the  union  from  the  "  Christians,"  or  those 
associated  with  B.  W.  Stone,  it  is  probable  that  he  prac- 
tically, from  the  beginning,  belonged  to  both  parties.  He 
was  first  of  all  a  Baptist  preacher,  but  was  led  to  accept 
the  position  of  the  "  Reformers  "  by  the  writings  of  Alex- 
ander Campbell  and  the  influence  of  certain  men  who  were 
associated  with  the  "  Reformers."  However,  he  soon  be- 
came closely  identified  with  the  "  Christians,"  through 
his  personal  relations  with  B.  W.  Stone.  They  lived  near 
neighbours  and  quickly  became  warmly  attached  to  each 
other. 

Perhaps  no  one  exerted  greater  influence  in  bringing 
about  the  union  than  did  John  T.  Johnson.  He  was  the 
personification  of  enthusiasm;  he  never  became  dis- 
couraged, no  matter  how  dark  the  days  were,  or  how 
gloomy  the  prospect  might  be.  He  always  realised  that 
behind  every  cloud  the  sun  was  still  shining,  and  he  had 
a  supreme  faith  in  the  ultimate  triumphs  of  truth.  There 
was  not  a  grain  of  pessimism  in  his  whole  composition. 
Everywhere  he  went  he  was  a  flame  of  light  and  love.  He 
inspired  confidence,  even  when  his  religious  position  was 
practically  reprobated.    Men  loved  him,  even  when  they 


284    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


hated  the  plea  which  he  made;  but  as  a  rule,  those  who 
hated  his  plea  and  loved  him,  finally  came  to  love  his 
plea. 

In  1832,  he  was  associated  with  B.  W.  Stone  in  con- 
ducting the  Christian  Messenger,  which  was  at  that  time 
published  from  Georgetown,  Ky.  In  this  position 
Johnson  did  valiant  service.  But  his  relation  to  the  press 
did  not  in  any  respect  abate  his  zeal  or  activity  in  the 
evangelistic  field.  He  literally  went  everywhere  preach- 
ing the  Word.  Throughout  the  South  and  Southwest  his 
name  became  a  household  word  among  those  who  loved 
what  he  was  pleased  to  call  the  "  Ancient  Gospel."  In- 
deed, it  was  largely  owing  to  his  active  evangelistic  labours 
that  the  plea  of  the  Disciples  obtained  considerable 
strength,  in  the  regions  where  he  preached,  from  this  time 
until  his  death.  He  certainly  deserves  a  very  prominent 
place  in  the  memory  of  those  who  revere  the  pioneers  of 
the  movement. 

John  Henry,  an  Ohio  evangelist,  did  valiant  service  for 
the  cause  of  the  Reformation  both  before  and  after  the 
union.  He  was  perhaps  next  to  Scott,  in  his  power  to 
impress  an  audience.  He  was  a  very  rapid  speaker,  so 
that  when  thoroughly  aroused  his  words  would  flow  like 
an  impetuous  stream.  He  and  Thomas  Campbell  travelled 
together  for  some  time  in  Ohio,  and  occasionally  they 
alternated,  and  preached  so  that  when  Campbell  preached 
one  evening  Henry  would  preach  the  next.  On  one  occa- 
sion Mr.  Campbell  announced,  at  the  close  of  his  own 
service,  that  next  evening  the  pulpit  would  be  occupied  by 
his  friend,  John  Henry.  But  he  desired  to  warn  the  audi- 
ence that  they  had  better  bring  their  buckets  with  them, 
"  as  the  flood  gates  of  the  Gospel  would  be  opened  by 
his  distinguished  brother."  Henry  was  not  specially 
pleased  with  this  reference  to  his  rapid  speaking.  But 
as  Father  Campbell  was  distinguished  for  his  deliberate 
speaking,  Henry  decided  to  get  even  with  him.  So  at 
the  close  of  his  service  he  announced  that  Father  Campbell 
would  speak  the  next  evening,  and  he  advised  the  audience 
to  come  prepared  to  remain  for  a  long  time,  bringing 
sufficient  food  to  appease  their  hunger,  "  as  the  everlasting 
Gospel  would  be  preached."  It  was  generally  conceded 
that  Henry  had  made  good  his  desire  to  get  even  with 
the  brother  whom  he  revered  very  much,  but  who  had 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  285 


exposed  himself  to  such  a  retort  as  Henry  could  not  with- 
hold. 

This  incident  is  told  not  only  because  it  illustrates 
character,  but  also  for  the  purpose  of  indicating  the  fact 
that  these  grand  old  men  occasionally  indulged  in  a  bit 
of  humour,  just  as  always  happens  with  men  of  power; 
for  it  is  perhaps  true  that  no  one  has  ever  been  very  effect- 
ive as  a  public  speaker  who  has  been  incapable  of  humour 
at  the  right  time  and  place. 

Another  Kentucky  preacher  was  most  instrumental  in 
bringing  about  the  union  between  the  "  Reformers  "  and 
"  Christians,"  as  well  as  performing  prodigies  of  valour 
in  the  evangelistic  field.  Samuel  Rogers  was  a  man  with- 
out scholastic  education,  but  he  was  the  impersonification 
of  earnestness  and  common  sense.  It  is  said  that  over 
10,000  converts  came  into  the  movement  under  his  im- 
mediate preaching.  Associated  with  his  active  ministry 
were  such  men  as  his  brother  John,  John  Smith,  John 
Allen  Gano  (who  was  a  great  exhorter  with  remarkable 
persuasive  powers),  and  Thomas  M.  Allen,  who  soon  after 
the  union  removed  to  Missouri,  and  became  prominently 
instrumental  in  planting  churches  throughout  that  great 
state. 

Allen  belonged  to  the  old  school  of  gentlemen.  He 
first  studied  law,  but  finally  gave  this  up  for  the  ministry, 
and  his  courteous  manner,  earnestness,  personal  dignity, 
and  great  simplicity  in  the  proclaiming  of  his  message 
soon  gained  for  him  a  widespread  reputation  as  an  advo- 
cate of  the  plea  for  the  restoration  of  primitive  Christian- 
ity. Undoubtedly  the  Reformation  in  Missouri  is  in- 
debted to  him  more  than  to  any  other  man  for  the  position 
it  occupies  to-day.  Such  was  his  enthusiasm  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  Scriptures  that  everywhere  he  made  converts, 
and  most  of  his  preaching  was  practically  pioneer  work. 
He  went  where  there  were  no  churches,  preaching  in  court- 
houses, school-houses,  and  in  private  houses;  indeed,  wher- 
ever he  could  obtain  a  hearing.  An  incident  may  be 
related  as  illustrating  this  characteristic  of  the  man.  A 
preacher  visited  a  town  where  Allen,  about  a  year  before, 
had  preached  in  the  court-house.  He  inquired  if  there 
were  any  people  in  the  town  belonging  to  the  "  Christian 
Church,"  and  was  referred  to  a  man  whom  Allen  had 
baptised  on  the  occasion  mentioned.    When  the  preacher 


286   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


went  to  this  man's  house,  he  inquired  if  he  was  a  member 
of  the  "  Christian  Church."  The  man  told  him  he  waa 
not.  "Are  you  a  Presbyterian?"  His  answer  was,  "I 
do  not  belong  to  any  Church."  "  Why,"  said  the  preacher, 
"  I  was  told  that  you  belonged  to  the  Christian  Church." 
"  Well,"  said  the  man,  "  about  a  year  ago  a  preacher  by 
the  name  of  Thomas  M.  Allen  preached  in  the  court-house, 
and  as  he  preached  what  I  believed  was  the  truth,  and  as 
I  had  never  heard  it  before  preached  so  plainly,  at  the 
close  of  his  sermon  I  went  up  and  joined  him." 

Probably  he  was  not  the  only  man  that  has  joined  the 
preacher,  but  in  this  case,  doubtless  the  man  did  join 
Christ,  but  the  man's  statement  was  a  simple,  unsophisti- 
cated way  of  putting  the  case.  He  knew  nothing  about 
churches,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  pioneer  preachers 
did  not  trouble  themselves  very  much  about  churches. 
Their  main  contention  was  to  bring  the  people  to  Christ, 
and  they  often  left  them,  like  Philip  left  the  Eunuch,  to 
go  on  their  way  rejoicing,  while  they  themselves  went 
to  other  fields  of  labour. 

The  Creaths,  both  senior  and  junior,  were  strong  forces 
in  their  day.  The  junior  Creath  possessed  much  of  the 
pulpit  power  of  his  distinguished  uncle,  who  was  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  eloquent  men  of  that  period.  The 
younger  Creath  became  identified  especially  with  the  work 
in  Missouri,  and  though  entirely  of  a  different  type  of 
man,  he  was  a  true  yoke-fellow  with  Allen  and  others 
who  were  largely  instrumental  in  planting  the  Reforma- 
tion principles  in  that  great  and  growing  state. 

It  is  thought  proper  to  give  a  somewhat  lengthy  notice 
of  Aylett  Raines,  as  his  case  is  not  only  very  instructive 
to  the  inquiring  reader,  but  so  strikingly  illustrates  one 
of  the  principles  of  the  reformatory  movement  that  it  is 
believed  that  a  somewhat  lengthy  sketch  of  him  is  justi- 
fiable, without  any  invidious  discrimination  against  other 
men  who  may  have  occupied  even  a  more  prominent  posi- 
tion in  some  respects  than  Mr.  Raines  did. 

Aylett  Raines  was  born  in  Spottsylvania  County,  Vir- 
ginia, January  22,  1798.  His  parents  were  poor,  and 
he  was  reared  under  the  pressure  of  stress  and  strain 
from  childhood  to  manhood.  His  parents  were  "  outer 
court  worshippers  "  in  the  Episcopal  Church.  They  had 
him  sprinkled  when  he  was  four  years  of  age.    In  early 


PIONEER  LEADERS  (coiitiimed) 

1,  Allen  Wright.  2,  Dr.  S.  E.  Sliepard.  3.  Jolm  T.  Jones.  4.  Joel  H. 
Hayden.  5.  Dr.  James  T.  Barclay.  6,  William  Davenport.  7,  James 
Shannon.  8.  W.  K.  Pendleton.  9."  Dr.  Chester  Bullard.  10,  Marcus  P. 
Wills.    11,  Tolbert  Fanning.    12,  John  I.  Rogers. 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  287 


manhood  he  began  to  doubt  the  truth  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  he  very  soon  became  decidedly  sceptical. 
Finally  he  adopted  Deism  as  the  true  religion.  He  had 
been  helped  into  this  belief  by  reading  Thomas  Paine's 
"  Age  of  Keason."  But  soon  he  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  A  depraved  heart  and  corrupt  life  is  the  father  of 
all  the  scepticism  in  the  world."  He  now  began  to  con- 
sider the  various  systems  of  religion  that  were  prevailing 
at  that  time.  A  prayerful  study  of  the  Bible,  and  espe- 
cially of  the  Gospel  of  John,  opened  his  eyes  to  the  truth 
as  to  the  work  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  in  the  salvation 
of  the  world.  He  read  and  pondered  long  upon  that 
text,  God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  Him  might  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

This  was  the  key  of  the  Gospel  by  which  the  door  of 
salvation  was  unlocked  to  man.  Two  Divine  persons, 
God  and  His  Son;  two  human  sentiments,  loved  and  gave; 
two  universals,  the  collective  noun  "  world  "  and  the  dis- 
tributive pronoun  "whosoever";  two  solemn  conditions, 
"  saved,"  "  perish,"  incident  to  and  consequent  upon  be- 
lief and  disbelief.  Faith,  salvation — salvation  condi- 
tioned upon  faith.  Faith  has  to  do  with  testimony,  de- 
pendent upon  the  man  exercising  his  God-given  reason, 
weighing  evidence,  exercising  the  power  of  choice;  obedi- 
ence has  to  do  with  the  law,  submitting  his  will  to  the 
Divine  Will,  in  compliance  with  the  plain  requirements 
of  the  Gospel.  Faith  and  practice  were  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  religion. 

This  he  saw-,  yet  such  was  the  neutralising  power  of 
sectarianism  that  it  was  a  long  while  before  he  emerged 
into  the  full  light  of  the  "  Sun  of  Righteousness." 

While  a  great  and  radical  change  had  passed  over  the 
entire  horizon  of  his  life,  and  while  he  studied  the  Bible 
with  reverent  zest,  still  it  was  years  before  he  came  to 
the  full  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God. 
After  about  two  years'  study,  while  still  engaged  in  teach- 
ing, he  became  the  Apostle  of  Restorationism  and  began 
to  preach  the  doctrine  of  the  final  holiness  and  happiness 
of  all  mankind.  This  he  did  with  such  zeal  and  show 
of  logic,  reasoning  from  such  passages  as,  "  In  Adam  all 
die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive,"  "Jesus 
by  the  grace  of  God  tasted  death  for  every  man,"  that  he 


288   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


found  many  ready  to  accept  this  pleasing  and  de- 
lusive teaching.  It  allowed  the  indulgence  of  sinful  pleas- 
ures and  promised  in  the  sweet  by  and  by "  eternal 
felicity.  He  gathered  a  congregation  of  about  thirty  and 
organised  them  into  a  church.  Let  no  one  think  that 
doubts  or  misgivings  never  disturbed  the  tranquillity  of 
his  mind  or  the  peaceful  repose  of  his  soul.  The  lax 
morals  of  some  of  those  who  embraced  Restorationism  and 
Latitudinarianism  and  the  questionable  conduct  of  others 
at  times  gave  rise  to  serious  and  solemn  reflection.  The 
following  incident,  as  related  by  himself,  occurred  at  one 
of  his  meetings  held  in  the  woods  in  Crawford  County, 
Indiana.  While  Mr.  Raines  was  teaching,  the  people  be- 
came very  anxious  to  hear  him  present  his  views  of  the 
final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  men.  As  there  was 
no  church  in  the  neighbourhood  willing  to  open  its  doors 
to  him,  to  disseminate  such  harmful  teachings,  the  people, 
with  a  zeal  worthy  of  a  better  cause,  erected  a  stand  in 
a  convenient  grove  and  made  rude  seats  of  logs  and  planks 
and  a  canopy  of  the  leafy  boughs  of  trees.  At  the  ap- 
pointed time  a  vast  concourse  of  the  farmers  convened 
to  hear  him  preach.  Many  of  the  "  baser  sort "  also  came 
to  have  fun  and  to  find  confirmation  as  strong  as  Holy 
Writ  for  their  evil  doings. 

The  speaker  commanded  the  profound  attention  of  this 
mixed  multitude.  Mr.  Raines  noticed  among  the  crowd 
a  young  man  considerably  the  worse  for  liquor.  This  man 
seemed  to  be  especially  concerned,  and  he  began  to  ap- 
proach nearer  and  nearer  to  the  speaker.  At  last  he 
stopped  just  in  front  of  the  stand,  and  only  a  few  feet 
away  from  the  speaker.  His  left  hand  encircled  a  small 
sapling  and  he  was  endeavouring  to  steady  his  trembling 
form  by  its  aid.  His  countenance  betrayed  the  most  in- 
tense interest  in  the  speaker's  argument.  He  soon  became 
wrought  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement,  and  gesticulat- 
ing with  his  right  hand,  he  cried  out  in  maudlin  accents: 

Make  it  ought,  young  m-an.  M-a-ke  it  o-ut,  young  man, 
if  you  don't  I'm  a  g-o-ner."  This  amused  the  congrega- 
tion and  confused  the  speaker.  Some  one  said,  "  Take 
him  out,"  but  no  one  moved,  and  Mr.  Raines  continued 
his  argument  and  finished  his  discourse  without  further 
interruption.  This  little  incident,  trifling  as  it  seems, 
created  a  deep  impression  on  the  speaker  and  started  a 


PIONEER  LEADERS  (continued) 

1.  Dr.  L.  L.  Pinkerton.  2,  Almon  B.  Green.  3,  Henry  T.  Anderson. 
4,  Robert  Milligan.  5,  T.  W.  C'askey.  C,  Richard  C.  Ricketts.  7,  Henry 
D.  Palmer.  8,  N.  A.  McConnell.  9",  A.  Chatterton.  10,  .James  Robeson. 
11,  A.  S.  Hayden.  12,  J.  Harrison  Jones.  13,  Moses  E.  Lard.  14,  James- 
Darsie.    15,  B.  K.  Smith.    16,  John  x\.ugustus  Williams. 


SOME  OB'  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  289 


train  of  thought  that  later  brought  forth  good  fruit.  The 
opening  of  the  eyes  of  the  understanding  to  behold  won- 
drous things  in  God's  law  is  sometimes  a  very  slow  proc- 
ess. It  proved  so  in  this  case.  The  progress  was  slow, 
but  it  was  sure.  He  reasoned  as  to  the  products  of 
Restorationism.  He  reasoned  from  this  aphorism :  "  By 
their  fruits  shall  you  know  them."  Was  this  young  man, 
dissolute  and  drunken  as  he  was,  a  specimen  apple  of 
the  fruit  that  grew  on  the  trees  of  Restorationism?  If 
such  the  fruit,  what  the  tree?  His  mind  was  too  clear 
and  his  reasoning  powers  too  logical  not  to  see  the  con- 
clusion to  which  it  pointed.  Yet  unbelief  is  sure  to  err. 
He  had  formerly  reasoned  about  Deism  in  the  same  way — 
if  it  was  such  a  good  thing,  why  did  it  not  produce  better 
fruit? 

Reaching  this  point  in  his  reasoning,  it  seems  strange 
that  the  full  light  of  liberty  of  the  Gospel  plan  of  salva- 
tion did  not  dawn  upon  his  mind.  It  shows  how  near  a 
man  can  be  to  the  truth,  and  yet,  really,  how  far  away 
from  it.  He  was  destined  to  experience  a  period  of  re- 
cession, and  was  like  the  Israelites,  when  leaving  Egypt, 
although  they  were  soon  upon  the  borders  of  the  promised 
land,  yet  were  not  permitted  to  enter,  but  were  turned 
back  and  wandered  in  the  wilderness  for  forty  years.  So 
he  again  turned  back  from  the  truth  which  he  saw  dimly 
and  was  involved  in  the  mists  again.  He  tells  how  he 
gradually  glided  from  Restorationism  into  Universalism, 
and  how  he  was  finally  cured  of  both.    He  writes : 

I  must  not,  however,  omit  mentioning  in  this  place  that 
although  when  I  first  imbibed  the  doctrine  of  the  Restora- 
tionists  I  believed  in  millions  of  years  of  punishment  after 
death  as  the  portion  of  the  finally  impenitent,  yet  by  subse- 
quent reading,  reasoning,  and  observation,  my  mind  was  im- 
perceptibly changed  with  respect  to  the  duration  of  this  pun- 
ishment, so  that  I  ultimately  arrived  at  the  conclusion 
that  there  could  be  no  punishment  at  all  after  death. 
In  this  state  of  mind,  I  continued  twelve  months,  for  it 
did  seem  to  me  that  the  preaching  of  Universalism  was 
more  prejudicial  than  beneficial  to  the  human  family.  While 
I  was  a  Restorationist,  I  rejoiced  to  know  that  many  sinners 
reformed  under  my  ministry ;  but  after  I  became  a  Universalist, 
if  moral  reformation  was  ever  produced  in  any  case  under  my 
preaching,  I  do  not  know  it,  and  I  do  now  affirm  before  God, 
who  knows  that  I  do  not  lie,  that  it  is  my  opinion,  an  opinion 
too,  which  is  the  result  of  observation  and  experiment,  that 


290    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


had  I  during  the  time  in  which  I  was  preaching  the  above  doc- 
trine, been  delivering  lectures  on  Owenism,  my  ministry  would 
have  been  as  advantageous  to  mankind.  I,  therefore,  rejected 
Universalism,  and  became  again  a  Restorationist.  In  the 
Spring  of  the  following  year,  1828,  it  was  my  good  fortune  to 
hear  Walter  Scott  preach  the  ancient  gospel,  and  although  I 
went  to  this  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  opposing  Mr.  Scott, 
after  I  had  heard  him,  I  saw  plainly  that  if  I  opposed  him  I 
would  expose  myself,  for  he  had  taught  nothing  but  the  un- 
sophisticated truths  of  the  New  Testament — and  how  could  I 
oppose  him? 

I,  however,  still  felt  a  strong  antipathy  to  this  Scottism,  as 
it  was  called,  and  concluded  that  I  could,  in  all  probability, 
by  hearing  him  several  times  detect  some  monstrous  error  in 
his  preaching.  This  induced  me  to  attend  his  meetings  again 
and  again,  but  the  consequence  was  that  I  myself  was  con- 
vinced of  some  fundamental  errors  in  my  own  method  of 
preaching,  and  that  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Scott  was  in  strict 
accordance  with  the  doctrine  of  Christ  and  his  apostles. 

I  now  asked  what  would  truth  and  magnanimity,  under  such 
circumstances,  require  me  to  do?  Must  I  stifle  my  convic- 
tions? No.  This  would  have  been  hypocrisy.  Must  I  ac- 
knowledge them?  Yes.  This,  then,  is  the  front  of  my  offend- 
ing, and  so  long  as  the  lamp  of  life  shall  continue  to  burn  in 
my  bosom,  or  a  spark  of  truth  shall  animate  my  soul,  I  hope 
magnanimously  to  acknowledge  all  divine  truths,  in  so  far 
as  I  may,  through  the  grace  of  God,  be  able  to  discover  them. 
The  preaching  of  Mr.  Scott  did  not,  however,  convince  me  that 
the  doctrine  of  the  final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  men  was 
not  a  revealed  truth.  He,  however,  convinced  me  that  there 
was  greatly  too  much  speculation  in  my  preaching;  that  I  had 
disarranged  many  points  of  the  Gospel ;  had  wholly  omitted 
some;  and  in  short  that  the  form  of  doctrine  into  which  I  was 
endeavouring  to  mould  the  minds  of  people  was  essentially 
different  from  the  apostolic  form  of  sound  words,  and  that 
until  the  apostolic  mould  or  form  of  doctrine  should  be  es- 
tablished and  appreciated,  the  minds  of  Christian  professors 
would  be  as  diverse  as  are  the  diversified  counterfeit  moulds 
into  which  their  minds  have  been  cast,  and  that  the  result 
would  inevitably  be  sectarian  discord,  and  all  its  concomitant 
evils.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  I  was  convinced  of  this  fact,  I 
commenced  exhibiting  what  I  then  considered  and  what  I  still 
consider  to  be  the  primitive  form  of  sound  words,  and  lest 
I  should  be  labouring  under  some  unknown  illusion,  (for  the 
Universalists  said  I  was  insane),  I  performed  a  considerable 
tour  of  preaching  before  I  submitted  to  baptism,  and  made  it  a 
point  to  promulgate  those  items  of  doctrine  in  reference  to 
which  I  differed  from  my  former  associates,  that  I  might  have 
the  benefit  of  the  wisdom  of  a  multitude  of  counsellors  in 
enabling  me  to  arrive  at  right  conclusions;  but  all  the  argu- 
ments which  during  this  tour  were  advanced  against  the  order 


SOME  OP  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  291 


which  I  had  espoused  rather  served  to  confirm  than  to  un- 
settle my  faith,  and  the  same  is  true  with  respect  to  every 
argument  which  I  have  since  heard  relative  to  this  subject. 
Having  performed  this  tour  and  having  obtained  a  most 
salutary  confirmation  of  my  faith,  I  immediately  rode  the 
distance  of  forty  miles  to  the  house  of  E.  Williams,  a  highly 
respectable  and  able  minister  of  the  doctrine  of  Restoration- 
ism,  living  in  Portage  County,  Ohio,  in  order  to  convince  hira 
of  the  error  of  our  former  course,  and  communicate  to  him  the 
new  truths  which  I  had  received  under  the  preaching  of 
Brother  Scott.  This  E.  Williams  was  a  man  toward  whom  I 
cherished  a  friendship  the  most  unwavering  and  ardent.  To 
him  I  communicated  my  views  and  the  arguments  by  which 
I  had  been  convinced  of  their  correctness,  and  on  the  fourth 
day,  after  having  arrived  at  his  house,  enjoyed  the  superlative 
satisfaction  of  receiving  from  this  beloved  brother  a  declara- 
tion of  his  conviction  of  the  truth  of  those  views,  and  within  a 
few  days  after,  in  the  transports  of  joyful  hope,  we  mutually 
submitted  to  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  still  retaining  the  opin- 
ion of  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  of  the  final  holiness  and  happi- 
ness of  all  men. 

Previously  to  my  immersion  I  was  resolved  neither  to  resist 
nor  to  encourage  by  any  partial  measures,  my  conviction 
relative  to  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  Restorationism.  If  true 
I  was  willing  to  believe  it,  if  false  to  reject  it,  and  whether 
true  or  false  I  knew  that  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  im- 
partially could  have  no  tendency  to  lead  me  into  error.  I 
therefore  resolved  to  bring  my  mind,  if  possible,  or  at  least 
as  much  as  possible,  like  a  blank  surface  to  the  ministry  of 
Christ  and  his  apostles,  and  to  permit  them  to  impress  upon  it 
all  such  characters  of  truth  as  they  chose.  I  was  aware  that 
prejudice,  passion,  and  imagination  are  potent  governors  in 
this  world,  and  that  if  I  were  to  arrive  at  logical  and  scrip- 
tural conclusions  I  must  disenthrall  myself  from  their  domin- 
ion, and  become  exclusively  a  creature  of  testimony.  I  had 
seen  old  professors  of  error,  through  the  influence  of  prejudice, 
resolve  to  adhere  to  their  errors,  when  the  strongest  reason 
they  could  urge  in  their  defence  was  that  they  had  already 
adhered  to  them  a  long  time. 

I  had  seen  passion  make  its  hundreds  of  proselytes,  who 
seemed  to  have  neither  eyes  nor  ears  for  anything  which  did 
not  Inflame  their  passions,  and  I  had  seen  imagination  carry 
its  votaries  into  the  whirlwinds  of  extravagant  theory,  into 
the  most  ridiculous  and  pernicious  delusions.  Imagination 
in  particular  is  an  irresistible  enemy  to  right  conclusion,  if  not 
chastened  by  facts.  How  often  have  men  imagined  that  they 
were  teapots,  or  that  they  were  made  of  glass.  How  often 
have  individuals  fancied  themselves  to  be  in  the  agonies  of 
death  when  but  for  the  workings  of  their  imaginations  thoy 
were  in  perfect  health;  and  have  we  not  also  good  reason  for 
believing  that  the  power  of  unbridled  imagination  has  driven 


292   HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


thousands  to  insanity  and  to  an  untimely  grave.  As  soon  as 
we  permit  our  minds  to  wander  far  beyond  tlie  limits  of  facts 
or  beyond  the  confines  of  true  testimony  concerning  facts,  we 
sail  on  an  immense  and  fathomless  ocean,  without  rudder, 
compass,  or  ballast.  It  has  not  been  long  since  many  sections 
of  our  country  were  thrown  into  a  ferment  by  the  Utopian 
schemes  and  bewitching  sophistries  of  Robert  Owen  and  his 
satellites.  New  Harmony  was  to  be  the  city  of  mental  in- 
dependence and  the  centre  of  a  terrestrial  paradise.  Multi- 
tudes believed  the  report  and  hastened  in  crowds  to  this 
sceptical  Elysium,  but  instead  of  finding  the  best  of  every- 
thing as  they  had  imagined,  many  of  them  plunged  themselves 
into  poverty,  and  the  city  of  mental  independence  now  stands 
a  monument  of  these  creatures  of  imagination  and  vain  delu- 
sion. And  who  has  not  heard  of  the  "  Pilgrims  "  who  some 
years  ago  passed  through  Ohio?  These  filthy  beings  (for 
they  never  washed  either  themselves,  or  their  clothing)  were 
enthusiastically  devoted  to  their  system,  and  ridiculous,  ir- 
rational, and  unscriptural,  as  it  was,  so  immovable  was  the 
faith  of  many  of  them  that  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansas,  they 
agonised  and  starved  in  the  expectation  that  two  sassafras 
sticks,  the  one  Beauty  and  the  other  Bands,  would  bud  and 
grow  in  that  land  of  promise.  In  other  cases,  men  have 
imagined  that  they  would  never  die;  and  whole  congregations 
of  religionists  have  so  nearly  starved  themselves  to  death 
under  the  conviction  that  it  was  their  duty  to  starve  that 
medical  aid  was  necessary  for  their  restoration.  In  Guernsey 
County  in  this  state  (Ohio),  an  old  deformed  impostor  an- 
nounced himself  to  the  people  as  the  Eternal  God,  and  about 
twenty  became  believers;  in  about  three  weeks  three  of  the 
number  were  preachers.  The  Shakers  rejected  matrimony  and 
taught  that  they  were  already  in  the  resurrection,  and  multi- 
tudes believed.  But  time  and  space  and  the  reader's  patience 
would  all  fail  were  I  to  attempt  to  give  the  thousandth  part 
of  the  evidence  by  which  the  question  before  us  might  be 
illustrated. 

Having,  therefore,  before  me  these  and  many  other  facts  in 
proof  of  the  evil  effects  produced  by  the  workings  of  an 
imagination,  uncontrolled  by  true  testimony,  I  was  resolved 
to  examine  in  the  first  place  the  evidences  of  the  Christian 
religion;  and  then  to  endeavour  to  satisfy  my  own  mind,  by 
an  impartial  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  relative  to  all  the 
points  of  doctrine  which  they  might  contain.  This  I  was  con- 
vinced was  a  rational  and  logical  course  and  I  did  not  wish  to 
be  diverted  from  it. 

I  had  in  my  past  life  been  driven  to  and  fro  by  the  bewilder- 
ing impossibilities  of  imaginative  systems,  and  had  under- 
gone several  changes  of  religious  sentiment.  I  had  experienced 
much  chagrin  in  consequence  of  these  changes,  and  being  still 
a  votary  of  truth,  I  wished  to  elicit  her  by  such  advances  as 
should  secure  her  favour,  and  believing  as  I  did  that  I  was 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  293 


already  in  possession  of  many  indubitable  gospel  facts  and 
truths,  I  desired  to  propagate  these  and  these  alone  until  such 
time  as  I  should  legitimately  obtain  knowledge  of  other  facts 
and  truths.  I  wished  to  make  sure  work  of  it  by  building  on 
the  rock  that  I  might  not  again  subject  myself  to  the  mortifi- 
cation of  undergoing  at  any  subsequent  period  of  my  life 
another  fundamental  change  of  religious  sentiment. 

This  determination  and  practice,  however,  rendered  me  ob- 
noxious to  many  evil  surmisings.  My  former  friends  desired 
to  hear  me  sing  or  play  the  notes  of  their  favourite  doctrine, 
which  I,  consistently  with  the  above  principles  and  resolutions, 
could  not  do,  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  advocates  for  endless 
punishment  were  prejudiced  against  me,  because  I  was  not  a 
believer  in  what  they  esteemed  a  fundamental  article  of  Chris- 
tian faith.  Amidst  all  the  uproar  which  this  collision  of 
opinions  caused,  I  was  resolved  to  hold  a  steady  hand  and 
cool  head.  I  told  both  those  who  believed  and  those  who  did 
not  believe  in  the  final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  men  that 
I  had  not  changed  my  opinion  with  respect  to  that  doctrine; 
that  I  was  determined  to  act  in  subordination  to  the  law  of 
Christ,  which  says,  "  Him  that  is  weak  in  the  faith,  receive 
ye,  but  not  to  doubtful  disputations,"  and  that  I  would  not 
preach  anything  that  would  disturb  the  peace  of  the  Church 
which  I  did  not  consider  to  be  a  fundamental  fact  or  truth  of 
the  Gospel  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

At  the  Mahoning  Association,  about  five  months  after  my 
immersion,  I  was  publicly  questioned  relative  to  my  senti- 
ments, and  from  the  bench  on  which  I  stood  I  did  not  hesitate 
to  declare  to  the  whole  congregation  that  it  was  still  my 
opinion  that  all  men  would  finally  become  holy  and  happy.  I 
shall  never,  whilst  I  retain  my  memory,  forget  the  magnanim- 
ity of  Thomas,  Alexander  Campbell,  and  Scott,  and  several 
others  on  that  occasion.  They  acted  as  men  highly  elevated 
above  the  paltry  bickerings  of  speculative  partisans,  for 
though  they  considered  my  Restoration  sentiments  as  a  vagary 
of  the  brain,  they  did  not  treat  me  with  contempt,  but  with 
firmness  and  kindness  encouraged  me  to  persevere  in  the 
Christian  race. 

Had  they  pursued  with  me  the  opposite  course  I  awfully 
fear  that  I  might  have  made  shipwreck  of  faith  and  a  good 
conscience  and  become  a  castaway.  Whereas,  under  the  kind 
treatment,  which  I  received  from  the  chief  men  of  the 
Restoration,  and  the  increased  means  of  religious  knowledge, 
to  which  I  obtained  access  after  I  had  left  the  Universalists,  I 
grew  in  grace  and  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  with  such 
rapidity  that  in  twelve  months  or  less  time,  Restorationism 
had  wholly  faded  out  of  my  mind. 

From  the  period  at  which  I  embraced  the  primitive  form  of 
sound  words,  I  was  resolved  to  take  no  position  upon  any 
doctrinal  point,  far  removed  from  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  Christ,  and  to  insist  upon  nothing  as  an  article  of  union 


294    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


and  communion  which  God  had  not  required  as  a  condition 
of  salvation.  These  with  me  constituted  the  central  point  in 
Christianity,  the  divinely  powerful,  the  transcendentally  glor- 
ious magnet  around  which  all  our  Christian  affections  should 
revolve  and  to  which  all  Christians  should  be  attracted  in  one 
body,  having  one  faith,  one  spirit,  one  hope,  one  baptism,  one 
Lord,  one  God  and  Father  of  all  Christians.  Around  this 
heavenly  centre,  for  the  salvation  of  sinners  and  the  health 
and  nourishment  and  the  growth  of  the  body  of  Christ,  have  I 
laboured,  and  I  thank  God  that  my  labour  has  not  been  in 
vain.  I  have  seen  men  who  were  philosophically  Calvinist  and 
Arminians  and  Restorationists,  members  of  the  same  congre- 
gation and  sitting  around  the  same  table  of  the  Lord,  and 
in  the  joyful  fervours  of  the  same  Christian  love  attracted  by 
the  one  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  praising  God  in  con- 
cert, and  there  were  no  divisions  among  them.  How  noble  an 
object  to  be  sought,  Peace  on  earth  and  good  will  among  men, 
the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bonds  of  peace  I  This  then  is 
the  sin,  a  sin  against  sectarianism,  for  which  I  have  been 
drawn,  quartered,  and  gibbeted;  yes,  the  sin  of  peace  making, 
upon  Gospel  principles,  is  that  for  which  I  am  now  to  be 
crucified.  Had  I  buried  my  convictions  in  the  callous  heart 
of  a  dastardly  hypocrite  and  continued  preaching  in  my  old 
way,  my  old  sect  would  have  embraced  me  in  brotherly  love 
— a  brother  serpent  I — and  with  them  all  would  have  been  well, 
but  as  I  was  constrained,  by  what  I  believed  to  be  the  truth, 
nay,  for  the  sake  of  peace  and  the  salvation  of  sinners,  to  cease 
contending  for  my  former  peculiarities,  which  did  not  appear 
to  make  for  peace,  nor  to  contribute  much  to  the  salvation  of 
sinners,  I  have  become  a  monster  in  human  form. 

Most  of  the  foregoing  facts  are  furnished  by  Mr.  Raines 
himself  in  a  sketch  of  his  life.  They  certainly  give  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  character  of  the  times  in  which 
he  lived,  as  well  as  the  marvellous  influence  of  the  truth 
of  God  as  it  finally  wrought  in  this  man's  life.  He  was 
known  to  the  writer  of  this  volume,  and  it  is  my  opinion 
that  very  few  men  excelled  Mr.  Raines  in  a  personal 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  or  in  ability  to  make  these 
Scriptures  intelligible  to  others.  He  was  eminently  an 
expository  preacher,  relying  almost  entirely  upon  a  clear 
exposition  of  the  Word  of  God  for  whatever  influence  he 
wished  to  produce  upon  his  audience.  His  teaching  was 
as  clear  as  sunlight,  his  logic  almost  irresistible,  and  the 
earnestness  with  which  he  enforced  his  own  convictions 
carried  conviction  to  others. 

There  were  several  other  men  among  those  who  w'ere 
distinguished  for  efficient  service  about  the  time  the  union 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  295 


took  place  and  immediately  thereafter,  who  deserve  very 
special  notice,  but  as  these  men  have  been  sketched  very 
frequently  in  works  specially  devoted  to  personal  remi- 
niscences, I  have  felt  justified  in  omitting  any  further 
notice  of  these  than  has  already  been  given,  except  so  far 
as  they  may  necessarily  fall  into  the  history  after  this 
time.  Some  of  the  men  connected  with  the  Keforniation 
will  receive  attention  in  subsequent  chapters,  as  they  do 
not  come  prominently  into  view  until  further  along  in 
the  history  of  the  movement. 

Special  attention  has  been  given  to  Mr.  Raines  mainly 
for  the  reason  that  he  occupied  a  unique  position  with 
respect  to  the  Campbellian  movement.  His  case  has  al- 
ways been  regarded  as  a  typical  one,  as  illustrating  the 
principles  of  Christian  union  advocated  by  the  Disciples. 
In  reviewing  his  case,  the  following  important  conclu- 
sions are  reached: 

(1)  The  Disciples  have  been  right  in  eliminating  all 
divisive  elements  from  their  platform  of  Christian  union. 

(2)  They  have  been  right  also  in  assuming  that  there 
is  a  common  ground  upon  which  all  who  love  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  can  unite. 

(3)  They  have  always  contended  that  we  must  receive 
each  other  without  regard  to  doubtful  disputations,  or 
speculative  opinions. 

(4)  They  have  contended  that  men  may  hold  opinions 
as  private  property,  but  when  these  opinions  are  likely 
to  produce  division  or  schism  they  must  not  be  advocated 
publicly. 

(5)  They  have  contended  that  where  these  opinions 
are  of  little  or  no  practical  importance  they  will  soon 
cease  to  be  regarded  as  valuable  by  those  who  hold  them, 
if  the  essential  things  are  made  prominent  and  these 
opinions  are  held  in  abeyance. 

(6)  Disciples  have  discriminated  between  opinions  that 
have  little  or  no  Scriptural  basis  and  those  that  may  fairly 
be  inferred  from  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures,  and  yet 
even  those  that  are  believed  to  be  supported  by  the  Word 
of  God,  where  they  are  simply  deductions,  without  an 
expressed  precept  or  example,  are  not  to  be  made  questions 
of  fellowship. 

(7)  These  conclusions  are  not  only  illustrated  by  the 
case  of  Aylett  Raines,  but  also  by  the  union  which  took 


296    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

place  between  the  "  Reformers  "  and  "  Christians."  Un- 
doubtedly this  union  could  never  have  been  consummated 
had  there  been  special  emphasis  placed  upon  the  points 
of  difference  between  the  two  bodies.  The  union  was 
really  on  the  points  of  agreement,  while  the  differences 
were  allowed  to  take  care  of  themselves.  The  practical 
result  of  the  whole  matter  was,  in  a  little  time  there  were 
no  differences,  and  this  is  precisely  what  Mr.  Campbell 
always  afl&rmed  would  certainly  follow  when  emphasis  was 
put  in  the  right  place,  namely,  on  facts,  about  which 
Christians  are  all  agreed,  and  not  on  opinions,  about  which 
they  are  generally  in  disagreement. 

In  confirmation  of  these  conclusions,  the  following  from 
the  pen  of  Professor  Charles  Louis  Loos,  who  has  been 
identified  with  the  Disciples  almost  from  the  beginning, 
may  be  regarded  as  an  authoritative  statement  with  re- 
spect to  the  union  between  the  "  Reformers  "  and  "  Chris- 
tians." Professor  Loos  writes  in  the  first  person  from 
the  point  of  view  of  the  Reformers,"  and  his  testimony 
is  all  the  more  valuable  as  he  treats  so  generously  the 
"  Christians,"  who  from  his  point  of  view  held  to  some 
erroneous  opinions. 

What  decided  the  reformers  who  stood  with  A.  Campbell  to 
enter  into  this  union  with  the  "Christians"?  This  is  cer- 
tainly a  question  of  deep  interest  to  us. 

Let  me  give  the  answer  briefly,  based  on  a  careful  study  of 
the  case. 

1.  As  already  stated,  these  "  Christians "  were  earnest 
biblical  reformers,  resolved  to  stand  on  the  Bible  alone.  They 
had  rejected  all  creeds;  had  adopted  the  immersion  of  peni- 
tent believers  as  the  only  scriptural  baptism.  They  were  most 
reverent  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory,  and  as 
the  Saviour  and  Kedeemer  of  men  by  his  death  on  the  cross. 

2.  They  were  ready  and  zealous  to  learn  the  way  of  life 
more  perfectly ;  there  was  with  them  no  "  hitherto  and  no 
farther  "  in  Bible  knowledge,  as  with  men  bound  by  creeds. 

8.  Like  the  brethren  of  the  other  side,  they  were  resolved  to 
keep  aloof  from  all  speculations  on  matters  of  faith  and  duty, 
and  to  teach  only  the  Word,  in  the  thoughts  and  language  of 
Christ  and  the  apostles. 

4.  Finally — and  this  was  a  capital  matter — Stone  and  his 
brethren  were  noted  for  their  noble  manliness  of  character, 
their  piety  and  religious  zeal.  They  were  men  worthy  of  the 
highest  confidence.  A.  Campbell  repeatedly  bore  strong  wit- 
ness to  this. 

On  these  grounds  this  union  was  effected.    Of  course,  these 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  29T 


intelligent  men  on  both  sides  knew  very  well  that  it  was 
altogether  possible  and  no  uncommon  thing,  to  use  scriptural 
speech  and  give  it  a  meaning  quite  foreign  to  that  intended 
by  the  sacred  writers.  This  objection  was  never  urged.  The 
confidence  in  this  union,  however,  was  strong  because  of  the 
eminent  character  for  intelligence,  sincerity,  piety,  and  su- 
preme devotion  to  the  Word  of  God  of  B.  W.  Stone  and  the 
men  who  were  with  him. 

It  is  also  well  known  that  these  "  Christian  "  reformers  for 
years  did  not  occupy  precisely  the  same  ground  with  A. 
Campbell  and  his  brethren  on  the  subject  of  the  operation  of 
the  Spirit  and  the  object  of  baptism.  Unity  on  these  points, 
however,  was  soon  reached. 

And  now  as  to  the  result  of  this  union. 

This  is  a  very  instructive  history  and  of  the  greatest 
moment  to  the  proper  appreciation  of  the  principles  of  Chris- 
tian union  proposed  by  this  reformation. 

First  of  all,  and  most  evident,  is  the  fact  that  by  means 
of  this  alliance  an  immense  force,  in  the  numbers  and  the 
character  of  the  people  brought  into  the  union,  was  added  to 
the  army  of  New  Testament  reformers.  It  is  not  easy  to 
calculate  with  any  sort  of  accuracy  the  additional  strength 
thus  acquired.  There  must  be  taken  into  the  account  not 
only  the  "  Christian  "  Churches,  but  eminently  also  the  not 
inconsiderable  company  of  preachers,  not  a  few  of  them  strong 
men,  that  was  united  with  the  other  body  of  able  ministers  of 
the  Word,  advocating  a  return  to  primitive  Christianity,  to- 
gether now  constituting  a  mighty  host  of  valiant  reformers. 
This  new  increase  of  strength  extended  especially  over  the  im- 
portant territory  of  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Illinois,  and  later  of 
Missouri,  a  vast  field  especially  favourable  to  religious  reform. 
That  this  accession  gave  our  reformation  a  mighty  impulse  is 
beyond  all  question.  Who  acquainted  with  our  history  does 
not  know  what  was  gained  by  winning  to  our  cause  such  men 
as  Samuel  and  John  Rogers,  J.  A.  Gano,  T.  M.  Allen,  Henry  D. 
and  Francis  R.  Palmer,  and  others  that  might  be  named,  be- 
sides B.  W.  Stone  himself?  A  long  list  of  younger  men,  who 
became  great  preachers,  might  be  named,  who  were  brought  to 
us  by  this  union.  Much  of  the  marvellous  advance  our  plea 
has  made  in  the  States  above  named  and  in  the  great  West 
generally,  is  beyond  doubt  largely  owing  to  the  union  of  the 
"  Christians  "  with  the  "  Disciples." 

But  that  which  is  most  instructive  to  us,  in  this  important 
page  of  our  history,  is  the  demonstration  it  affords  of  the 
justness  and  safety  of  the  principle  of  union  advocated  by  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  and  vindicated  in  this  instance. 

Let  the  reader  bear  carefully  in  mind  the  basis  of  the  union 
effected,  and  also — and  this  is  very  essential  to  a  proper  judg- 
ment in  this  case — what  the  real  doctrinal  position  of  this 
body  of  "  Christians  "  was,  and  the  character  of  their  preach- 
ers, all  of  which  has  been  stated  above.    All  these  conditions 


298    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


made  the  proposal  of  union  wise  and  safe.  For,  let  me  re- 
peat it,  the  principles  of  union  the  Campbells  advocated  did 
not  justify  a  coalescence  of  elements  that  have  doctrinally  no 
affinity  with  each  other.  No  fraternal  incorporation  with  us 
of  a  people  fundamentally  at  variance  with  us  in  the  essential 
elements  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  could  have  been  proposed 
or  accepted.  But  the  condition  of  things  being  as  above  de- 
scribed, what  was  the  result? 
It  was  this: 

In  the  churches  of  Eastern  Ohio,  where  an  alliance  was 
effected,  the  supreme  power  of  A.  Campbell  and  of  the  doc- 
trinal position  he  occupied  relative  to  the  points  of  divergence 
between  the  Disciples  and  the  "  Christians "  soon  revealed 
itself.  The  penumbra  of  Unitarianistic  ideas  gradually  passed 
away  before  the  powerful  arguments  of  the  Campbells,  Scott, 
and  their  compeers,  and  gave  place  to  the  full  light  of  truth 
on  the  most  momentous  facts  revealed  in  the  New  Testament, 
the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  atonement  based  upon 
it.  Those  only  who  have  lived  in  the  very  heart  of  this  re- 
markable transformation  can  have  a  just  notion  of  what  it 
was. 

I  believe  I  am  justified  in  saying  that,  as  a  general  fact,  so 
far  as  the  case  demanded  it,  the  same  result  followed  relative 
to  the  "  Christians  "  in  Kentucky  and  in  the  South  and  West, 
and  for  the  same  reasons. 

These  excellent  Christian  people  on  both  sides,  by  this  union 
became  truly  brethren;  they  were  no  longer  two  parties,  but 
had  now  become  one.  They  loved  one  another  " ;  were  not 
only  willing,  but  desirous  to  "  see  eye  to  eye.''  This  is  a 
capital  point  in  the  matter.  They  were  ready  and  eager  to 
J  earn,  and  they  knew  and  felt  that  there  was  no  hindrance 
to  this.  What  more  natural,  then,  than  that  the  truth,  wher- 
ever it  was  among  them,  and  which  is  always  the  stronger, 
especially  in  very  strong  hands,  should  prevail  ? 

This  trace  of  Arianism,  faint  and  evanescent  as  it  certainly 
was,  had  been  begotten  by  the  scholastic  speculations  of  an 
extreme  orthodoxy,  in  fellowship  with  a  rigid  Calvinism  that 
shocked  men,  and  is  now  happily  passing  away.  When  these 
godly,  sincere  seekers  after  truth  were  in  fraternal  associa- 
tion with  men,  who,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  were  utterly  free 
from  these  mischievous  and  repulsive  ideas  and  habits,  the 
truth  concerning  Jesus  Christ  and  the  mystery  of  his  death  on 
the  cross  appeared  to  them  in  a  new  and  better  light.  The 
causes  that  had  led  them  to  the  position  to  which  they  had 
been  driven,  were  taken  away. 

But  there  was  a  particular,  powerful  force  that  operated  in 
behalf  of  a  correct  acceptation  of  Christ's  nature  and  office. 
It  was  this.  In  our  preaching  of  the  gospel  we  put  in  the 
front  and  lifted  up  to  the  loftiest  eminence,  as  the  one  su- 
preme object  of  faith,  Jesus  Ch/rist,  the  Son  of  the  Living 
God.    What  other  effect  could  follow  with  a  people  who  so 


SOME  OP  THE  MEN  IN  THE  UNION  299 


preached,  that  all  attention  should  be  fixed  upon  the  exalta- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ,  that  he  might  be  preached  as  really 
worthy  of  this  highest  place  in  the  faith,  confidence,  and  hope 
of  men?  And  this  all  preached,  and  the  inevitable  effect  ir- 
resistibly followed?  To-day  we  are  everywhere  one  in  our 
faith  and  preaching  in  this  regard.* 

Many  other  testimonies  might  be  given  concerning  the 
spirit  and  general  character  of  the  union  which  took  place 
in  1832.  After  1835  it  became  an  established  fact,  and 
the  slight  differences  which  existed  between  the  two  bodies, 
prior  to  the  union,  were  seldom,  if  ever,  referred  to  after 
the  union  was  finally  consummated.  It  has  already  been 
intimated  that  the  "  Reformers  "  lost  considerably  among 
the  Baptists  on  account  of  this  union,  but  they  gained 
very  largely  from  other  sources,  and  from  the  churches 
that  entered  into  the  union  with  them.  As  has  already 
been  seen,  they  gained  also  in  the  ministry  that  came  in 
with  the  "  Christians."  Some  of  the  ablest  men  of  the 
Reformation  movement  belonged  to  the  "  Christian  "  body. 

* "  Reformation  of  the  Nineteenth  Century/'  pp.  94-99. 


CHAPTER  XI 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES 

BOUT  a  year  before  the  union  of  the  "  Reformers  " 


and    Christians  "  tooli  place,  namely,  the  latter  part 


of  1830,  the  delusion  of  Mormonism  came  to  the 
front  in  Northern  Ohio.  Sidney  Rigdon,  who  has  already 
been  referred  to  as  pastor  of  a  church  in  Pittsburg,  and 
later  as  a  prominent  preacher  in  the  Western  Reserve, 
became  identified  with  the  Mormon  propaganda.  Rigdon 
was  well  suited  in  many  respects  for  the  work  which  he 
undertook.  He  was  a  fluent  and  captivating  speaker, 
though  at  no  time  had  he  ever  been  thoroughly 
trusted  among  the  Disciples.  He  was  ambitious 
and  jealous  of  others,  and  though  possessing  some 
popular  characteristics,  no  one  fully  believed  in  him.  He 
was  nearly  alv/ays  aiming  at  some  sensational  develop- 
ment, and  it  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the  Mormon 
delusion  had  special  attractions  for  him. 

While  living  in  Pittsburg  he  was  connected  with  a 
printing  office,  and  in  this  way  he  had  access  to  the  manu- 
script of  a  Presbyterian  preacher  by  the  name  of  Solomon 
Spaulding,  who  had  written  a  story,  giving  a  fanciful  ac- 
count of  the  nations  inhabiting  the  land  of  Canaan  before 
the  time  of  Joshua.  This  manuscript  detailed,  with  con- 
siderable minuteness,  the  life,  wars,  migrations,  etc.,  of 
the  people  he  was  describing.  He  further  represented 
that  America  was  settled  by  the  ten  lost  tribes  of  Israel, 
and  that  the  American  Indians  had  their  origin  in  this 
fact.  Spaulding's  book  was  entitled,  "The  Lost  Manu- 
script Found."  Rigdon  came  into  possession  of  this  manu- 
script, and  spent  several  years  altering  and  arranging  it 
to  suit  the  purposes  he  had  in  view. 

Meantime,  he  began  to  lose  caste  with  the  Disciples. 
He  began  his  defection  by  seeking  to  introduce  a  common 
property  scheme  which  he  declared  was  part  of  the  ancient 


300 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  301 


Gospel,  as  exhibited  in  the  latter  part  of  Acts  ii.  At 
Austintown,  Ohio,  Mr.  Campbell  severely  condemned  his 
property  scheme,  and  this  only  accelerated  Rigdon's  plan 
to  announce  his  book  of  Mormon  and  begin  the  advo- 
cacy of  a  new  propaganda.  He  had  found  in  Joseph 
Smith  a  person  suitable  in  every  way  to  co-operate  with 
him  in  bringing  his  delusion  to  the  front.  Through  a 
well-laid  plan,  and  with  a  few  men  thoroughly  dupes, 
trained  for  the  purpose,  the  new  religion  was  launched; 
and  for  a  time  it  had  considerable  influence  in  Northern 
Ohio,  especially  in  Kirtland,  Hiram,  Mentor,  and  a  few 
other  places.  However,  in  the  main  its  influence  had 
a  short  run,  and  was  never  very  potent  among  the  Dis- 
ciples, though  a  great  many  people  were  at  first  easily 
deluded  by  its  strange  fascination  and  by  the  apparent 
sincerity  of  the  men  who  advocated  it. 

It  is  not  difiScult,  after  all,  to  account  for  this  temporary 
acceptance  of  Mormonism,  however  ridiculous  it  may  look 
to  intelligent  people  at  the  present  time.  In  judging 
of  those  who  accepted  it,  there  are  several  things  that 
must  be  taken  into  account.  First,  the  ignorance  of  the 
people  generally  with  respect  to  the  Bible,  and  especially 
with  respect  to  certain  passages  which,  when  literally 
construed  and  made  to  apply  to  the  people  at  that  time, 
seemed  to  support  some  of  the  contentions  made  by  Rig- 
don,  Smith,  and  those  associated  with  them.  In  the  second 
place,  the  story  about  the  American  Indians,  the  lost 
tribes,  etc.,  etc.,  had  a  fascinating  mystery  about  it  that 
at  once  captivated  the  unthinking  masses.  Third,  the 
doctrine  of  miracle  was  supported  by  numerous  passages 
of  Scripture,  and  Rigdon  insisted  that  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  was  to  follow  repentance  and  bap- 
tism, conferred  upon  baptised  penitents  the  power  to  work 
miracles. 

Of  course  it  is  easy  to  see  how  this  Mormon  delusion 
would  make  an  impression.  There  are  always  enough 
people  in  nearly  every  community  who  are  ready  for 
change,  and  especially  for  the  mysterious,  who  can  be 
trusted  to  take  up  with  nearly  any  kind  of  delusion  which 
has  in  it  a  religious  element,  and  is  at  the  same  time 
removed  as  far  as  possible  from  common  sense.  The  recent 
Dowie  delusion  is  a  case  which  fitly  illustrates  this  par- 
ticular point. 


302    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


But,  as  has  already  been  stated,  there  .were  not  many 
defections  from  the  Disciple  Churches;  only  one  or  two 
preachers  besides  Rigdon,  and  these  of  little  importance, 
went  over  to  the  Mormons.  A  few  of  the  churches  were 
somewhat  distracted  at  first,  but  through  the  earnestness 
and  vigilance  of  the  Reformation  preachers  not  very  much 
harm  was  done.  Hearing  of  the  defection  of  Rigdon,  the 
venerable  Thomas  Campbell  visited  Mentor  and  vicinity 
in  1831,  and  through  his  wise  council  and  great  influence 
he  practically  saved  the  churches  from  becoming  seriously 
affected  by  the  Mormon  delusion. 

Meantime,  Alexander  Campbell  vigorously  attacked  the 
Book  of  Mormon  in  his  Harbinger,  and  also  in  a  separate 
tract  of  twelve  pages,  in  which  he  exposed  the  flagrant 
falsehoods  and  contemptible  absurdities  which  the  book 
contains.  During  the  month  of  June  he  visited  Ohio, 
spending  twenty-two  days  delivering  discourses  and  ex- 
posing the  position  with  such  clearness  and  convincing 
facts  that  Mormonism  made  no  further  progress,  and  was 
driven  from  Northern  Ohio  to  Independence,  Mo.,  thence 
finally  to  Salt  Lake  City.  While  Rigdon  and  his  associates 
were  at  Kirtland  much  excitement  prevailed  there,  as  will 
be  easily  understood  from  the  following  description: 

Scenes  of  the  most  wild,  frantic,  and  horrible  fanaticism 
ensued.  They  pretended  that  the  power  of  miracles  was  about 
to  be  given  to  all  who  embraced  the  new  faith ;  and  commenced 
communicating  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  laying  their  hands  on  the 
heads  of  the  converts,  which  operation  at  first  produced  an 
instantaneous  prostration  of  body  and  mind.  Many  would 
fall  upon  the  floor,  where  they  would  lie  for  a  long  time,  ap- 
parently lifeless.  The  fits  usually  came  on  during,  or  after, 
their  prayer  meetings,  which  were  held  nearly  everj'  evening. 

The  young  men  and  women  were  more  particularly  subject 
to  this  delirium.  They  would  exhibit  all  the  apish  actions 
imaginable,  making  the  most  ridiculous  grimaces,  creeping 
upon  their  hands  and  feet,  rolling  upon  the  frozen  ground, 
going  through  all  the  Indian  modes  of  warfare,  such  as  knock- 
ing down,  scalping,  etc.  At  other  times  they  would  run 
through  the  fields,  get  upon  stumps,  preach  to  imaginary  con- 
gregations, enter  the  water  and  perform  the  ceremony  of  bap- 
tising. Many  would  have  fits  of  speaking  in  all  the  Indian 
dialects,  which  none  could  understand.  Again,  at  the  dead 
hour  of  night,  yoimg  men  might  be  seen  running  over  the 
fields  and  hills,  in  pursuit,  as  they  said,  of  the  balls  of  fire, 
lights,  etc.,  which  they  saw  moving  through  the  atmosphere.  * 
*  "  History  of  the  Disciples  in  the  Western  Reserve,"  p.  213. 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  303 


One  reason  why  the  churches  of  the  "  Reformers  "  were 
not  much  influenced  by  Mormonism  was  owing  to  their 
intelligent  understanding  of  the  Bible  and  their  persistent 
determination  to  accept  nothing  in  religious  matters  that 
was  not  as  old  as  the  New  Testament  Scriptures.  From 
the  very  beginning  of  their  movement  they  had  set  their 
forces  against  mere  emotionalism,  as  an  evidence  of  accept- 
ance with  God.  They  heartily  believed  that  "  faith  comes 
by  hearing  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God,"  and  that 
all  "  sights  and  sounds "  and  remarkable  experiences 
formed  no  part  of  the  evidence  that  any  one  is  a  Christian 
in  the  true  sense  of  that  term. 

Outside  of  the  Reform  churches,  however,  where  the 
people  had  been  taught  that  such  scenes  as  transpired  at 
Kirtland  were  evidences  of  the  working  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  Mormon  propaganda  found  congenial  soil,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  vigorous  opposition  of  the  Reformers  " 
it  is  probable  that  it  would  have  gained  considerable  in- 
fluence in  Ohio,  if  it  had  not  become  permanently  estab- 
lished. The  plea  which  the  Disciples  made  for  an  in- 
telligible faith  was  the  very  thing  that  practically  killed 
Mormonism  in  the  Western  Reserve. 

It  is  said  that  troubles  never  come  singly.  During  the 
same  year  when  Mormonism  had  its  beginning,  the  "  Re- 
formers "  in  the  Western  Reserve  became  greatly  excited 
with  respect  to  the  Millennium.  Their  success  in  preach- 
ing the  "  ancient  Gospel "  and  the  restoration  of  New 
Testament  Christianity  was  so  great  that  they  became 
deeply  impressed  with  the  idea  that  the  Millennial  period 
was  near  at  hand.  The  earnest,  enthusiastic  nature  of 
Walter  Scott  lent  itself  easily  to  the  acceptance  of  this 
near  approach  of  the  Millennium.  He  imparted  his  own 
enthusiasm  to  many  who  were  associated  with  him,  and 
the  result  was  that  the  churches  everywhere  were  more 
or  less  affected  by  this  Millennial  anticipation.  The 
fruitage  of  this  notion  was  not  conducive  to  the  best 
development  of  the  plea  which  the  Disciples  were 
making. 

Mr.  Campbell  soon  saw  that  this  tendency  was  likely 
to  go  too  far.  From  his  point  of  view  there  was  con- 
siderable truth  in  the  contention  of  Scott  and  his  asso- 
ciates. He  had  named  his  new  magazine  the  Millennial 
Harbinger,  and  this  fact  itself  indicated  that  he  was  on 


304   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  lookout  for  a  new  age.  Undoubtedly  this  was  the 
predominant  idea  in  naming  his  magazine  as  he  did.  Still 
Mr.  Campbell  was  always  level-headed  with  respect  to 
everything.  He  never  lost  his  balance.  His  enthusiasm 
never  ran  away  with  his  judgment.  He  understood  too 
well  the  influence  which  had  to  be  overcome  before  the 
Millennial  period  could  arrive.  However,  his  willingness 
to  hear  both  sides  of  the  question  caused  him  to  admit 
into  the  columns  of  the  Harbinger  a  series  of  articles  by 
S.  M.  McCorkle,  a  "  sturdy  layman,"  and  these  essays  pro- 
duced a  very  profound  impression,  not  only  in  the  West- 
ern Reserve,  but  in  other  quarters  where  the  Harbinger 
was  circulated.  Mr.  McCorkle's  essays  were  very  able, 
from  his  particular  point  of  view,  and  they  did  much  to 
accentuate  the  excitement  which  had  already  been  at  fever 
heat  with  respect  to  the  near  approach  of  the  Millennium. 
Mr.  Campbell  saw  that  something  must  be  done  to  check 
the  abnormal  excitement  which  had  already  become  wide- 
spread. Consequently,  in  1834,  he  began  in  the  Harhinger 
a  series  of  articles  signed  by  "  A  Reformed  Clergyman," 
which,  while  they  reviewed  Mr.  McCorkle's  essays,  had 
in  view  a  much  wider  purpose,  viz.,  that  of  checking  a 
tendency  which  he  regarded  as  hindering  the  practical 
work  of  the  Gospel.  He  used  the  nom  de  plume  of  "  Re- 
formed Clergj^man  "  with  the  hope  of  concealing  his  per- 
sonality. In  this,  however,  he  was  not  entirely  successful. 
Though  his  general  style  was,  to  some  extent,  obscured, 
there  were  those  who  soon  began  to  suspect  that  Mr. 
Campbell  was  himself  the  real  author  of  the  essays. 

These  essays  had  the  effect  of  creating  a  reaction  against 
the  extreme  views  which  had  been  advocated  by  Mr.  Mc- 
Corkle and  others,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  the 
excitement  subsided,  at  least  so  far  that  it  was  no  longer 
a  danger  to  the  propagation  of  the  Ancient  Gospel. 

By  the  way,  it  has  always  been  somewhat  difficult  to 
understand  just  what  were  Mr.  Campbell's  views  concern- 
ing the  Millennial  period.  Over  his  own  initials  he  began 
several  series  of  articles  in  subsequent  numbers  of  the 
Millennial  Harbinger,  and  it  is  a  rather  curious  fact  that, 
after  a  few  preliminary  essays,  which  never  reached  any 
definite  conclusion,  these  series  were  always  discontinued. 
So  far  as  his  views  can  be  made  out,  from  his  writings, 
he  evidently  believed  in  the  coming  of  a  Millennial  period. 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  305 


but  he  was  never  willing  to  commit  himself  to  any  definite 
time  when  it  would  begin.  Nor  is  it  clear  that  he  took 
any  particular  side  in  the  controversy  between  Pre- 
Millennialists  and  Post-Millennialists.  Whatever  opinion 
he  may  have  had,  or  even  expressed,  was  held  tentatively, 
and  in  no  case  was  it  ever  made  an  important  element 
in  his  teaching.  Like  everything  else  of  a  somewhat  specu- 
lative character,  it  was  remanded  to  the  category  of 
opinions,  and  as  such  it  could  have  no  place  in  determining 
Christian  fellowship.  All  such  matters  were  open  for 
legitimate  discussion,  but  they  were  regarded  as  belong- 
ing to  the  sphere  of  knowledge,  rather  than  of  faith.  They 
were  things  concerning  which  Christians  had  a  right  to 
inquire,  but  if  they  were  things  that  could  not  be  deter- 
mined from  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures  with  definite 
certainty,  every  one  was  allowed  to  hold  any  view  with 
respect  to  them  that  seemed  most  reasonable,  provided 
this  view  was  not  made  an  article  of  faith. 

This  very  liberty  to  differ,  but  not  to  divide,  though 
a  cardinal  principle  with  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  has  al- 
ways had  its  difiSculties  as  a  working  basis.  The  very 
simplicity  of  the  creed,  namely,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God,  lent  itself  to  some  extent,  at 
least,  to  the  statement  which  Mr.  Rice  so  constantly  and 
persistently  kept  repeating  in  his  debate  with  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, that  the  Disciples  had  among  them  "  all  sorts  of 
preachers,  preaching  all  sorts  of  doctrine."  A  more  exact 
statement  would  have  been  that  among  the  Disciples  all 
sorts  of  doctrine  were  held  by  all  sorts  of  people,  but 
only  one  doctrine  could  be  legitimately  preached  from 
the  pulpit  of  the  Disciples,  and  that  was  the  doctrine  of 
the  Cross. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  freely  admitted  that  this  simple,  yet 
comprehensive  creed  was  sometimes  improperly  used,  and 
hence  it  required  constant  care  and  strong  emphasis  upon 
the  limitations  of  opinionism,  in  order  to  keep  the  move- 
ment from  being  wrecked  by  the  very  principle  which  was 
its  most  fundamental  characteristic.  As  regards  this 
threatening  danger,  Mr.  Campbell  himself  constantly  mani- 
fested the  right  spirit  in  all  his  discussions  with  his  breth- 
ren. He  never  made  even  some  of  his  most  cherished 
opinions  tests  of  Christian  fellowship.  A  striking  ex- 
ample of  his  attitude  toward  speculative  theology  is  pre- 


306    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


sented  in  the  following  extract  from  a  reply  which  he 
made  to  J.  Henshall  concerning  Calvinism  and  Arminian- 
ism: 

All  my  readers  can  testify  that  I  never  wrote  an  essay  on 
the  election  and  reprobation  of  Calvin  and  Arminius.  One  or 
two  of  my  correspondents  have  on  our  pages  been  permitted 
to  give  us  an  essay  on  Election.  But  I  have  not  at  any  time 
discussed  that  speculative  question.  I  do  not  think  that  we 
are  required  either  from  the  book  of  God  or  our  position  as  a 
Christian  community  to  take  any  ground  upon  sundry  specu- 
lative questions  on  which  religious  parties  have  been  pleased 
to  place  their  communion  tables.  This  kind  of  warfare  be- 
longs not  at  all  to  us.  If  we  must  again  fight  over  all  these 
sectarian  battles,  one  by  one,  we  only  build  up  the  things  we 
have  been  pulling  down,  and  inevitably  make  ourselves  liable 
to  be  elected  and  reprobated  by  the  old  stereotyped  parties 
whose  views  we  defend  or  assault. 

Besides,  there  is  nothing  salutary  or  important  at  stake  in 
these  theories,  their  warmest  advocates  themselves  being 
judges.  The  Presbyterian  of  the  highest  supralapsarian  Cal- 
vinism invites  to  the  Lord's  Table  and  to  his  "  sacraments  " 
and  "  holy  communions  "  the  grossest  Methodistic  Arminians 
in  all  the  country.  t::>o  does  the  most  outspoken  declaimer 
against  Fletcher's  left  leg  of  sublapsarian  Calvinism  invite  to 
his  solemnities  his  extra-fastidious  Calvinistic  brother.  While, 
then,  the  sons  of  creeds  so  metaphysically  repulsive  are  thus 
pleased,  now-a-days,  to  stultify  their  own  speculations,  what 
have  we  to  do  with  such  useless  jargon?  Time  was,  indeed,  in 
this  new  world,  and  yet  is  in  some  parts  of  it,  that  a  strict 
Calvinist  and  strict  Arminian  had  no  more  to  do  with  one 
another  than  once  had  the  Jews  and  Samaritans. 

If  we  are  not  Calvinists,  certainly  we  are  not  Arminians. 
Then  why  argue  against  Calvinism  as  Arminians  do,  and  thus 
jeopardise  an  association  with  them  as  injurious  to  them,  as 
it  would  be  offensive  to  the  Calvinists?  I  say  injurious  to 
them,  for  certainly  if  the  theory  which  says,  "  You  loould,  but 
cannot,"  be  anti-evangelical  and  dangerous,  that  which  af- 
firms "  You  can,  but  will  not,"  is  equally  so,  inasmuch  as  it 
leads  one  to  think  that  he  possesses  a  power  to  please  God 
independent  of  his  own  will. 

Both  theories  are  full  of  sophistry.  No  man  has  either  the 
tcill  or  the  can  to  please  God  without  the  grace  of  God.  With 
Paul  I  say,  "  I  can  do  all  the  things  through  Christ  who 
strengthens  me  " ;  and  with  entire  acquiescence  I  assent  to  the 
words  of  the  Messiah — "  Without  me  you  can  do  nothing."  A 
man,  enlightened  by  the  grace  of  God,  would,  indeed,  be  per- 
fect if  he  could.  To  will  perfection  is  present  to  such  a  one; 
but,  to  be  perfect  in  anything  but  the  will,  is  impossible.  So 
far  as  my  observation  and  philosophy  go,  he  that  assumes  the 
physical  ability  to  please  the  Lord,  evinces  the  least  moral 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  307 


ability  to  do  it;  while  he  who  most  laments  his  inability,  is 
making  the  greatest  endeavours  to  do  his  will. 

There  were  other  things  of  a  disturbing  character  which 
came  to  the  front  soon  after  the  union  between  the  "  Re- 
formers "  and  "  Christians "  took  place.  Indeed,  these 
things  were  simmering  some  time  before,  and  might  have 
hindered  the  union  from  being  consummated,  if  they  had 
been  pressed  by  either  side,  during  the  conferences.  One 
of  these  was  the  name  which  the  united  body  should  wear. 
Up  to  this  time  many  of  the  Disciples  had  made  no  par- 
ticular objection  to  the  name  "  Reformers,"  for  that  was 
just  what  they  were  in  fact,  but  they  had  for  the  most 
part  called  themselves  "  Disciples  of  Christ."  The 
"  Christians,"  however,  were  not  much  inclined  to  give 
up  their  name,  or  to  even  accept  any  other,  as  they  be- 
lieved that  this  name  was  divinely  given,  and  was  also 
beautifully  appropriate,  as  honouring  Christ,  and  at  the 
same  time  furnishing  a  common  name  that  ought  not  to 
be  objectionable  to  any  follower  of  Christ,  as  it  was  en- 
tirely free  from  any  sectarian  taint  whatever. 

For  the  next  decade  the  question  of  name  was  discussed 
with  great  warmth  at  times  in  the  Christian  Messenger, 
Millennial  Harbinger,  and  other  periodicals  representing 
the  movement.  Mr.  Campbell  advocated  the  name  Dis- 
ciples," or  Disciples  of  Christ,"  rather  than  the  name 
"  Christian,"  for  the  following  reasons : 

"  It  is  more  ancient — more  descriptive — more  Scriptural 
— more  unappropriated.  .  .  .  For  these  four  reasons  I 
prefer  this  designation  to  any  other  which  has  been 
offered." 

But  Mr.  Campbell  did  not  make  his  view  of  the  matter 
an  article  of  his  faith.  Doubtless  he  was  influenced  largely 
in  favour  of  the  name  "  Disciples  of  Christ "  for  the 
reason  that  the  name  "  Christian  "  had  become  identified 
with  the  brethren  associated  with  Stone,  and  these  breth- 
ren were  more  or  less  charged  with  Unitarianism,  for 
which  Mr.  Campbell  had  very  scant  respect.  While  it 
is  undoubtedly  true  that  Barton  W.  Stone  was  not  a 
Unitarian  or  an  Arian  in  any  just  estimate  of  what  he 
held  with  respect  to  the  Godhead,  nevertheless,  he  had 
undoubtedly  given  some  ground  for  the  charge  made 
against  him  to  those  who  were  anxious  to  find  fault.  Mr. 


308    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Campbell  thought  that  as  "  Disciples  of  Christ "  was  a 
Scriptural  title,  and  was  even  older  than  the  title  "  Chris- 
tians," it  was  more  appropriate  under  the  circumstances 
than  any  other  name  that  had  been  proposed.  But  hear 
his  conservatism  with  respect  to  the  matter.    He  says : 

I  am  not,  however,  pertinacious.  The  brethren  all  have  a 
vote  in  this  matter  and  among  the  candidates  for  the  public 
favour,  I  give  my  vote  for  the  "Disciples,"  or  "  Disciples  of 
Christ."  This  is  for  the  reasons  now  given  of  my  choice.  But 
I  will  not  contend  with  any  man  for  a  mere  name,  especially 
when  they  are  all  good.  It  will  be  remembered  that  I  have 
used  almost  indiscriminately  sundry  names,  and  am  likely  to 
continue  doing  so;  for  where  the  Lord  has  made  me  free,  I 
cannot,  without  good  cause,  agree  to  bind  myself. 

Those  who  contended  for  the  name  "  Christians  "  based 
their  contention  mainly  on  Scriptural  grounds.  They  held 
to  the  view  that  this  name  was  divinely  given  when  "  the 
Disciples  were  called  Christians  first  atAntioch."  Theargu- 
ment  which  was  made  from  the  meaning  of  the  Greek 
verb  chrematizo,  translated  "  were  called,"  was  very  in- 
genious, and  if  not  conclusive,  it  certainly  had  philosoph- 
ical and  linguistic  reasons  to  support  it.  It  was  claimed 
that  these  Disciples  were  called  "  Christians  "  by  Divine 
authority,  and  this  made  the  matter  of  the  name  much 
more  important  with  those  who  held  this  view,  than  if 
it  had  been  left  without  any  definite  Scriptural  authority. 

All  agreed  that  the  right  name  was  important,  and  they 
were  no  doubt  correct.  He  who  studies  history  will  know 
how  influential  names  are.  For  a  striking  illustration 
as  to  the  influence  of  denominational  names,  it  may  be 
mentioned  that  the  English  Baptists  are  very  much  more 
.  like  the  Disciples  in  the  United  States  than  they  are  like 
the  Baptists  in  the  States,  most  of  the  English  Baptists 
holding  not  only  to  open  communion,  but  to  an  open 
membership  as  well.  That  is,  they  admit  to  their  churches 
Pedo-Baptists  without  immersion,  and  also  are  for  the 
most  part  intensely  Arminian  in  their  views  of  the  divine 
government.  Nevertheless,  they  are  claimed  by  the  Bap- 
tists of  America  as  part  of  their  great  family,  and  are 
everywhere  fellowshipped  as  though  there  were  no  differ- 
ences between  them,  and  simply  because  the  English  Bap- 
tists retain  the  denominational  name. 

At  first  it  looked  as  if  the  question  of  name  was  likely 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  309 


to  be  a  troublesome  element  in  the  question  of  Christian 
union,  but  after  an  earnest  discussion  of  the  whole  matter 
it  was  finally  settled  by  declaring  that  all  the  names  men- 
tioned in  the  Scriptures  are  entirely  legitimate. 

It  is  also  worthy  of  record  that  at  their  great  conven- 
tion held  in  St.  Louis,  in  1904,  a  committee  reported  in 
favour  of  "  Church  of  Christ "  as  the  official  name  of  the 
body;  but  after  discussion  this  part  of  the  report  was 
stricken  out  by  an  overwhelming  majority,  simply  because 
it  seemed  to  imply  that  other  Scriptural  names  are  not 
proper.  This  action  of  a  great  convention  has  perhaps 
settled  the  question  for  all  time  to  come  that  Christians 
of  the  present  day  have  no  right  to  be  more  specific  in 
the  name  by  which  they  are  called  than  were  the  Christians 
of  New  Testament  times.  These  were  called  "  Disciples," 
"  Christians,"  "  Brethren,"  "  Saints,"  "  Children  of  God," 
etc.,  etc.  It  is  now  understood  that  it  would  rob  the 
inheritance  of  the  followers  of  Christ  if  any  of  these  names 
were  taken  away  from  them.  It  is  right  to  say  that  the 
above  committee's  suggestion  had  supposed  reasons  of  a 
legal  status  behind  it. 

The  same  is  true  as  regards  the  churches ;  so  they  called 
their  churches  "  Churches  of  Christ,"  "  Churches  of  God," 
or  simply  "  Churches,"  though  they  recognised  that  the 
most  distinctive  name  for  the  Church  as  a  whole  is 
"  Church  of  God,"  and  this  seems  to  be  specially  appro- 
priate for  the  reason  that  it  embraces  as  a  designation 
all  that  is  suggested  in  the  Godhead. 

The  settling  of  this  question  of  a  name  furnishes  an- 
other illustration  of  the  practical  character  of  the  plat- 
form of  Christian  union  to  which  the  Disciples  are  com- 
mitted. Where  the  New  Testament  has  allowed  freedom 
the  Disciples  say  no  one  shall  be  bound,  but  where  the 
Scriptures  speak  they  will  speak.  This  has  been  their 
battle  cry  all  the  way  down  their  history,  and  though  it 
has  sometimes  been  illegitimately  used,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  about  the  fact  that  it  has  had  much  to  do  in  making 
the  platform  of  the  Disciples  a  simple  but  comprehensive 
ground  for  the  union  of  Christians. 

About  this  time  it  became  very  evident  that  they  had 
been  so  thoroughly  engrossed  by  the  great  plea  which  they 
were  advocating,  and  had  become  so  intoxicated  by  the 
success  which  they  had  nearly  everywhere  met,  that  the 


310    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


internal  affairs  of  the  churches  had  been  left  largely  to 
take  care  of  themselves,  without  any  proper  supervision, 
or  even  instruction  with  respect  to  order,  piety,  and 
spiritual  development.  No  one  lamented  this  state  of 
things  more  than  Mr.  Campbell  himself,  though  it  was 
shared  by  nearly  all  the  leaders  of  the  movement  who 
had  given  the  matter  careful  attention.  So  far  the  move- 
ment had  been  largely  evangelistic.  It  had  sought  for 
converts,  but  had  made  little  or  no  provision  for  these 
converts  to  be  built  up  in  faith,  hope,  and  love.  In  most 
cases  the  churches  had  no  very  special  order  of  any  kind, 
except  that,  so  far  as  the  Reformers were  concerned, 
they  had,  from  the  beginning,  made  the  Lord's  Supper  a 
principal  feature  in  every  Lord's  Day  service.  Among  the 
"  Christians  this  practice  did  not  universally  prevail,  and 
it  required  no  little  tact  and  Christian  courtesy  to  bring 
about  uniformity,  in  respect  to  this  matter,  after  the  union 
took  place.  Nevertheless,  in  a  short  time,  all  the  churches 
everywhere  adopted  the  practice  of  celebrating  the  Lord's 
Supper  every  Lord's  Day. 

But  in  other  respects  there  was  a  sad  lack  of  order. 
There  seemed  to  be  very  little  attention  given  to  the  quali- 
fications of  those  who  desired  to  preach  the  Gospel.  The 
plea  was  so  simple,  and  also  so  attractive,  that  many 
began  to  preach  who  had  little  or  no  qualification  for 
such  a  sublime  work.  The  result  was  that  ^'  all  sorts 
of  men  were  preaching  some  sort  of  doctrine,"  while  many 
of  the  churches  seemed  to  think  more  of  a  Scriptural 
precept  and  example  for  preaching  the  Gospel  than  they 
did  for  living  the  Scriptural,  Christian  life. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  in  1835,  the  same  year  the  union 
was  finally  consummated,  Mr.  Campbell  issued  his  Ear- 
hinger  "  Extra,"  entitled  Order."  In  this  he  elaborated 
his  views  of  Church  government,  which  were  largely  simi- 
lar to  the  Church  views  advocated  by  the  Haldanes  in 
Scotland.  Three  distinct  officers  were  recognised,  namely, 
Evangelists,  Elders,  and  Deacons.  The  Evangelists  were 
the  proclaimers  of  the  Gospel,  the  announcers  of  the  good 
news,  and  they  were  to  go  from  place  to  place  preaching 
the  glad  tidings,  baptising  the  people,  and  bringing  them 
together  into  churches,  and  setting  these  churches  in  or- 
der, ordaining  Elders  in  them,  who  were  to  take  the  over- 
sight and  feed  the  flock  of  God.     The  Deacons  were  to 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  311 


specially  look  after  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  churches, 
though  they  were  to  obtain  great  boldness  in  the  faith, 
and  might  even  preach  the  Gospel  when  opportunity  of- 
fered. Very  few  of  the  churches  at  this  time  had  regular 
preaching  by  a  well-equipped  minister  of  the  Gospel.  Most 
of  the  men  who  were  distinguished  for  conspicuous  ability 
as  speakers  were  kept  in  the  evangelistic  field,  so  as  to 
obtain  recruits,  for  this  seemed  to  be  the  chief  aim  of 
the  Disciples  during  these  initial  years  of  their  movement. 
The  consequence  was  that  much  of  the  teaching,  as  well 
as  the  exercise  of  discipline,  was  confined  to  the  Elders, 
or  Bishops,  of  each  church,  it  being  held  as  a  cardinal 
principle  that  every  church  should  have  a  plurality  of 
overseers. 

Some  of  these  Bishops  had  very  few  qualifications  for 
the  responsible  work  to  which  they  were  called,  but  not 
in  a  few  instances  these  Bishops  themselves  became  active 
and  earnest  proclaimers  of  the  Gospel.  Nevertheless,  it 
is  an  undeniable  fact  that  many  of  the  churches  suffered 
on  account  of  the  incompetency  of  the  eldership.  This 
was  so  much  the  case  that  the  Disciples  have  been  criti- 
cised for  adopting  the  system  of  Church  government  which 
prevailed  at  that  time.  But  these  critics  do  not  seem 
to  take  into  consideration  all  the  facts  of  the  case.  It 
was  practically  this  system  or  nothing.  With  very  few 
qualified  preachers,  and  these  kept  constantly  in  the  evan- 
gelistic field,  it  was  simply  impossible  to  furnish  well- 
equipped  pastors  for  these  newly  formed  churches. 
Furthermore,  it  is  doubtful,  even  at  the  present  time, 
whether  very  much  has  been  gained  to  the  movement  by 
eliminating  the  Elders  from  the  function  of  teaching  which 
they  once  discharged,  for  however  imperfectly  the  work 
was  done  in  some  cases,  it  is  indisputably  true  that  the 
modern  system,  of  having  the  pastor  do  this  exclusively, 
is  open  to  some  very  serious  objections,  and  may,  in  the 
long  run,  prove  to  be  quite  as  much  a  mistake  as  that 
of  making  the  eldership  mainly  responsible  for  teaching 
the  churches.  After  all,  the  system  of  church  govern- 
ment suggested  by  Mr.  Campbell,  and  adopted  very  gen- 
erally by  the  Disciples,  is  very  much  like  the  Dutchman's 
perpetual  motion.  He  told  his  friends  that  he  had  "  gone 
so  far  along  with  his  invention  as  that  it  would  now  run 
mit  a  crank."     No  system  of  church  government  is  a 


312    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


perpetual  motion.  It  has  to  run  mit  a  crank."  Perhaps 
these  pioneers  were  not  careful  enough  in  selecting  their 
Elders.  Some  of  them  were  probably  "  cranks "  in  the 
modern  sense.  Doubtless  in  many  cases  the  churches  had 
little  material  from  which  they  could  select  suitable  men. 
In  such  cases  it  might  have  been  better  to  form  a  sort 
of  temporary  organisation,  and  wait  until  men  were  de- 
veloped, who  could,  in  some  degree,  at  least,  meet  the 
conditions  prescribed  in  the  New  Testament,  as  to  the 
qualifications  of  the  Elders  and  Deacons.  The  difficulty, 
after  all,  may  not  have  been  with  the  system,  but  rather 
with  the  way  it  was  used.  No  system  will  work  except 
"  mit  a  crank,"  or  with  a  power  behind  it  that  regulates 
and  enforces  the  system,  so  it  will  work. 

In  any  case  it  is  certain  that  these  were  anxious  times 
with  the  leaders  of  the  Reformation  or  Restoration  move- 
ment. In  seeking  to  restore  the  "  ancient  order  of  things  " 
it  had  been  found  a  very  difficult  matter  to  make  the  order 
fit  the  modern  world,  and  too  much  emphasis  upon  the 
order  became  a  hindrance  instead  of  a  help  in  carrying 
on  the  movement. 

After  this  time  most  of  the  Church  difficulties  grew 
out  of  a  rigid  enforcement  of  discipline  by  an  ignorant 
eldership  in  direct  opposition  to  the  fundamental  plea 
of  the  Disciples  that  liberty  of  the  individual  conscience 
must  be  protected  against  all  encroachments  from  clerical 
authority. 

The  zigzag  course  of  progress  is  well  illustrated  in  the 
facts  of  this  period.  In  the  days  of  the  Christian  Baptist 
Mr.  Campbell  had  severely  chastised  the  clergy.  He  had 
also  frequently  criticised  the  slavish  subserviency  of  in- 
dividual Christians  and  churches  to  the  domineering  ar- 
rogance of  the  clergy.  His  reformatory  movement  was 
now  reaping  some  of  the  results  of  his  own  teaching.  He 
had  helped  to  develop  an  extreme  individualism,  and  while 
this  was  perhaps  unavoidable  during  the  earlier  days  of 
the  movement,  it  was  now  a  factor  that  had  to  be  dealt 
with,  and  it  was  frequently  a  threatening  factor,  so  far 
as  the  unity  of  the  movement  was  concerned.  In  pleading 
for  liberty  the  Disciples  came  perilously  close  to  anarchy, 
and  it  required  all  the  tact  and  ability  of  the  leaders  of 
the  movement  to  bring  order  out  of  the  confusion. 

As  regards  church  organisation,  perhaps  the  chief  mis- 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  313 

take  that  was  made,  in  the  early  days  of  the  movement, 
was  with  respect  to  the  use  of  the  word  "  Church."  Mr. 
Campbell  himself  undoubtedly  had  mainly  the  correct  idea, 
though  he  does  not  seem  to  have  practically  insisted  upon 
carrying  out  his  idea  in  the  organisation  of  churches. 
Writing  later  upon  this  subject  he  says : 

The  Apostles  apply  the  term  church  to  a  single  congrega- 
tion, meeting  in  a  city  or  village.  Thus  we  have  the  Church 
in  Jerusalem ;  the  Church  at  Antioch ;  the  Church  in  Corinth ; 
the  Church  in  Philippi ;  the  Church  in  Cenchrea ;  the  Church 
of  the  Thessalonians ;  the  Church  of  the  Laodiceans;  the 
Church  of  Ephesus;  the  Church  in  Smyrna;  the  Church  in 
Pergamos ;  the  Church  in  Thyatira ;  the  Church  in  Sardis ;  the 
Church  in  Philadelphia. 

Besides  these  we  have  particular  churches,  in  private  houses, 
such  as  the  Church  in  the  house  of  Priscilla  and  Aquila,  Rom. 
xvi :  5 ;  the  Church  in  the  house  of  Nymphas,  Col.  iv :  15 ;  and 
the  Church  in  the  house  of  Philemon,  verse  second.  We  also 
read  of  churches  in  provinces  and  political  districts,  such  as 
the  Churches  in  Judea;  the  Churches  in  Galilee;  the  Churches 
in  Samaria;  the  Churches  of  Syria;  the  Churches  of  Cilicia; 
the  Churches  of  Galatia;  the  Churches  of  Asia;  the  Churches 
of  Macedonia;  the  Churches  of  the  Gentiles; — and  they  are 
spoken  of  as  The  Churches  of  Christ,"  the  "  Churches  of 
God,"  and  *'  the  Churches  of  the  Saints." 

Such  are  the  various  uses  of  this  very  important  word,  as 
found  on  a  careful  consideration  and  analysis  of  all  its  oc- 
currences in  the  Apostolic  writings.  It  is  worthy  of  remark, 
that  we  never  read  of  a  church  in  or  of  any  province  or  dis- 
trict, such  as  the  Church  of  England,  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
or  the  Church  of  Geneva.  We  might  as  rationally  look  for 
the  Church  of  America,  or  the  Church  of  Africa,  as  for  any 
national  or  provincial  church.  Such  an  idea  is  as  foreign  to 
the  sacred  style  and  spirit  of  Christianity,  as  that  of  an  Epis- 
copal, Presbyterian,  or  Baptist  Church. 

There  may,  indeed,  be  "  Churches  of  God,"  "  Churches  of 
Christ,"  "  Churches  of  the  Saints  "  in  a  city  as  well  as  in  a 
province,  or  an  empire.  And  there  may  be  also  but  one 
Church  of  Christ  in  a  city  or  province.  In  both  cases,  how- 
ever, a  Church  of  Christ  is  a  single  society  of  believing  men 
and  women,  statedly  meeting  in  one  place,  to  worship  God 
through  one  Mediator.  But,  a  Church  of  Churches,  or  a 
Church  collective  of  all  the  Churches  in  a  state  or  in  a  nation, 
is  an  institution  of  man,  and  not  an  ordinance  of  God. 

Nothing  in  the  constitution  of  a  Church  of  Christ  is  more 
evident  than  its  individual  responsibility  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  for  all  its  acts  and  deeds.  No  one  can  read,  with 
proper  discrimination,  any  one  of  the  apostolic  epistles,  with- 
out recognising  this  great  and  important  fact. 


314    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

But  the  independence  and  individual  responsibility  of  each 
and  everj  Christian  community  for  all  its  own  proceedings  is 
more  fully  set  forth  in  the  seven  letters  addressed,  by  the  Lord 
himself,  through  the  Apostle  John,  to  the  seven  Churches, 
then  existing  in  proconsular  Asia.  Each  and  every  Church  is 
addressed  as  though  there  was  not  another  Church  in  Asia 
than  itself.  No  one  is  praised  or  blamed  for  anything  beyond 
its  own  limits  and  operations.  These  were  not  state  or 
provincial  churches,  but  individual  communities.  So  far  from 
it,  three  of  them  are  found  in  one  and  the  same  province. 
Philadelphia,  Sardis,  and  Thyatira  were  cities  of  Natolia. 
And  of  these,  Sardis  was  not  more  than  forty  miles  from 
Smyrna.  Besides  these  seven  churches,  there  were  several 
other  churches  not  far  distant  from  these  in  Asia  Minor  not 
named  nor  alluded  to  in  their  letters.  Such  were  the  churches 
in  Galatia,  Phrygia,  Pamphylia,  Pontus,  Cappadocia,  etc. 

While  this  statement  is  comprehensive  and  to  the  point, 
it  is  open  to  at  least  one  objection.  While  the  term 
church  is  applied  to  a  single  congregation,  meeting  in 
a  city  or  village,  it  never  includes  a  number  of  churches 
in  the  same  village  or  city.  It  was  the  misapprehension 
of  this  fact  that  led  to  the  chief  mistake  which  the  Dis- 
ciples made  at  the  beginning,  and  which  has  been  con- 
tinued very  largely  up  to  the  present  time.  In  all  the 
instances  of  the  use  of  the  term  church,  referred  to  by 
Mr.  Campbell,  it  is  uniformly  in  the  singular  number, 
and  is  modified  only  by  the  territorial  condition.  It  is 
always  the  Church,  but  the  Church  at  a  place,  the  Church 
localised.  But  this  local  modification  in  no  way  changes 
the  meaning  of  the  leading  term.  Nor  is  this  Church 
at  a  place  different  in  any  essential  feature  from  any 
other  use  of  the  word,  when  applied  to  the  children  of 
God,  except  as  to  the  local  modification.  When,  however, 
the  term  church  is  used  in  the  plural  number,  then  the 
local  modification  changes  from  a  definite  city  or  place 
to  a  large  territory,  such  as  Asia,  Judea,  Galatia,  Mace- 
donia, etc.,  etc.  Hence  w^e  read  of  the  churches  of  these 
territories,  but  not  the  single  church  of  any  single  prov- 
ince.*   This  fact  is  a  habit  of  language.     The  units  of 

•  There  is  only  one  possible  exception  to  this  rule.  That  is  found  in 
Acts  ix:  31:  "Then  had  the  church  rest  throughout  all  Judaea  and 
Galilee  and  Samaria,  and  was  edified."  In  the  Authorised  Version  it  is 
"  churches  "  and  not  "  church."  But  as  the  three  oldest  MSS.  give  the  sin- 
gular number,  it  is  probable  that  church  and  not  churches  is  the  correct 
rendering.  However,  there  are  weighty  reasons  against  this  view  of  the 
matter  which  cannot  be  given  here.  But  assuming  that  the  testimony  of 
the  Codex  Sinaiticus,  the  Codex  Vaticanus,  and  the  Alexandrine  Codex  is 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  315 


several  places,  when  added  together,  take  the  plural  form, 
or  have  a  plural  signification.  Hence,  when  the  Church 
in  a  province  is  spoken  of,  the  local  modification  controls 
the  form  of  the  leading  term.  By  adding  together  a  num- 
ber of  places  belonging  to  one  province,  the  local  modifica- 
tion, for  the  time  being,  changes  the  singular  of  the  lead- 
ing term  into  the  plural;  and  this  being  true,  it  is  both 
proper  and  Scriptural  to  speak  of  the  Church  at  Liver- 
pool, the  Church  at  London,  the  Church  at  New  York, 
the  Church  at  Chicago,  and  the  Church  at  Cincinnati,  but 
not  the  churches  at  any  one  of  the  places,  though  it  would 
be  correct  to  speak  of  the  churches  of  these  places,  when 
the  places  are  taken  together,  in  a  single  province.  It 
is  also  proper  and  Scriptural  to  speak  of  the  Churches  of 
England,  the  Churches  of  France,  Churches  of  Canada, 
and  Churches  of  the  United  States,  but  not  of  the  Church, 
in  the  singular  number,  of  these  countries,  for  the  units 
taken  together  pluralise  the  leading  term. 

But  when  speaking  of  the  Church  of  God,  without  using 
any  local  modification,  it  is  always  proper  and  Scriptural 
to  speak  of  it  in  the  singular  number.  However,  should 
we  speak  of  it  as  limited  to  some  province,  or  large  terri- 
tory, we  should  certainly  use  the  plural  number.  Never- 
theless, this  in  no  way  affects  the  idea  of  unity,  which 
is  certainly  the  leading  idea,  since  the  term  church  is  only 
made  to  surrender  its  singular  form  when  the  local  modi- 
fication is  counted,  rather  than  the  term  church  itself. 

Up  to  the  time  which  is  now  under  consideration  the 
Disciples  had  given  very  little  attention  to  the  Church 
at  all.  Their  main  thought  had  been  about  the  Gospel. 
To  use  Mr.  Scott's  generalisation,  the  chief  contention  of 
the  Disciples  had  been  evangelistic.  Conversion  and 
union  were  the  two  watchwords  which  were  everywhere 
emphasised. 

Another  fact  needs  to  be  stated  here.  The  states  where 
the  plea  was  first  made  were  for  the  most  part  agricultural 
states,  such  as  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Virginia,  Indiana,  Illi- 
nois, and  Missouri.    The  preaching  was,  therefore,  chiefly 

conclusive,  still  it  is  not  certain  that  the  case  referred  to  furnishes  an 
exception  to  the  general  rule.  There  are  three  provinces  taken  together, 
and  this  fact  may  justify  the  use  of  the  singular  number  for  the  terra 
church,  instead  of  the  plural.  As  when  the  province  is  singular  the  term 
church  becomes  plural,  so  when  several  provinces  are  taken  together,  as 
in  Acts  ix:  31,  the  term  church  becomes  singular. 


316    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


confined  to  the  country  people  and  the  villagers.  Very 
little  was  accomplished  in  the  cities.  In  many  of  the 
cities,  in  these  states,  there  was  at  least  one  church,  but  this 
church,  in  most  instances,  made  little  or  no  progress,  if 
indeed  it  did  not  lose  ground.  If  another  congregation 
was  formed  at  all  in  the  same  city  it  was  probably  by 
division,  rather  than  by  multiplication.  As  there  was 
no  organic  relation  between  the  churches,  and  each  church 
emphasised  its  individuality  so  excessively  that  it  claimed 
to  recognise  no  jurisdiction  whatever  from  any  other 
church,  the  result  was  that,  instead  of  co-operation  in  the 
towns  and  cities  where  more  than  one  congregation  ex- 
isted, these  congregations  sometimes  became  antagonistic 
rather  than  helpful  in  their  spirit  and  conduct  towards 
each  other.  The  result  of  this  want  of  co-operation,  as 
well  as  the  difficulty  of  securing  good  locations  and  good 
houses  on  these  locations,  made  the  progress  of  the  Dis- 
ciples in  the  cities  very  slow.  However,  they  ought  not 
to  be  blamed  for  this  state  of  things  without,  first  of  all, 
having  a  clear  understanding  of  the  real  facts  by  which 
they  were  controlled.  Most  of  them  were  poor,  and  to 
secure  a  good  house  of  worship  in  a  city,  well  located, 
required  an  expenditure  which  the  Disciples  were  gen- 
erally unable  to  make.  They  were  compelled  to  put  up 
with  poor  accommodations,  often  in  an  obscure  street, 
and  in  this  way  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  reach  many 
of  the  influential  people  of  the  cities  where  their  cause 
was  planted.  Indeed,  these  city  churches  received  many 
of  their  additions  from  the  country  churches,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  these  accessions  from  the  country  it  is  proba- 
ble that  the  city  churches  "would  have  made  even  less 
progress  than  they  did.  Still,  it  is  an  important  fact 
that  much  of  the  spirit  of  illicit  church  independence 
came  from  the  accessions  from  the  country  churches,  where 
co-operation  in  a  very  effective  sense  had  not  been  cul- 
tivated. 

But  there  was  still  another  factor  which  must  be  taken 
into  the  account,  in  judging  of  the  Restoration  move- 
ment. The  following  statements  of  Mr.  Campbell  clearly 
indicate  a  difficulty  which  has  only  been  hinted  at  up 
to  the  present  time: 

A  corrupt  people  never  yet  held  fast  a  pure  religion.  When 
they  happened  to  be  in  possession  of  a  true  and  pure  religion, 


APOSTASIES  AND  OTHER  DIFFICULTIES  317 


objectively  considered,  they  have  corrupted  its  institutions 
especially  in  the  ratio  of  their  own  delinquency.  Hence,  with 
me,  at  least,  it  has  become  a  law  of  conscience  or  of  mind,  or, 
if  any  one  prefers  it,  a  law  of  human  nature,  to  which  there  is 
no  exception,  that  the  practical  piety  and  morality  of  any  com- 
munity will  never  be  sounder  than  their  religious  and  moral 
institutions ;  or,  the  corruptions  of  religion  will  always  be 
in  proportion  to  the  degeneracy  of  the  people.  Hence  it  fol- 
lows that  we  may  expect  to  find  the  purest  and  most  uncor- 
rupt  institutions  of  religion  amongst  the  most  pure  and  vir- 
tuous people.  And  may  I  not  challenge  the  faithful  pages  of 
ecclesiastic  history  to  adduce  a  single  exception!  Nay,  is  it 
not  most  manifest  that  the  more  corrupt  any  community,  the 
more  corrupt  its  institutions  of  religion ;  and  the  more  moral 
and  religious  the  people,  the  purer  and  more  uncorrupt  their 
religious  institutions.  .  .  . 

This  is  a  reformation  of  a  lofty  daring,  but  hard  to  be 
effected,  because  it  is  wholly  impracticable  for  a  corrupt 
people.  It  required  as  much  perfection  in  the  people  as  in  the 
system  to  which  they  aspire.  To  ascend  is  much  more  difficult 
than  to  descend.  Even  to  desire  a  restoration  of  primitive 
Christianity  in  letter  and  spirit,  in  faith  and  practice,  is  not 
possible,  except  to  a  highly  cultivated  and  spiritually  minded 
population;  and  as  these  are  not  yet  the  majority  of  the  best 
sect  in  Christendom,  we  cannot  promise  ourselves  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  it  pervade  the  whole  land  in  a  few  years.  Nations 
have  become  Protestants  in  one  day,  so  far  as  saving  Peter's 
pence  and  servile  obedience  to  a  foreign  despot  is  concerned; 
but  what  nation  ever  became  Protestant  in  a  day,  so  far  as 
doing  all  things  whatsoever  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  com- 
manded ! 

But,  as  respects  the  past  reformations  of  England  and 
America,  and  that  in  contemplation  and  in  progress  now,  we 
have  much  to  say — which  cannot  be  said  in  this  letter.  We 
shall,  therefore,  bid  you  God  speed  in  the  good  cause,  for 
another  moon,  when  we  shall  have  stated  that  we  advocate  not 
a  reformation  upon  a  dozen  of  other  reformations ;  but  a  full 
restoration  of  the  original  gospel  institutions  as  delineated  on 
the  sacred  pages,  and  as  practised  by  the  first  Christians. 
More  than  this  we  cannot  ask,  and  less  than  this  we  dare  not 
attempt,  if  we  expect  the  Lord  to  help  and  bless  us  in  the 
glorious  undertaking.* 

Undoubtedly  the  fact  referred  to  by  Mr.  Campbell  has 
not  been  sufficiently  considered  by  those  who  have  written 
concerning  the  Disciple  movement.  The  Reformers  un- 
questionably had  a  very  imperfect  state  of  things  with 
which  to  deal,  as  well  as  very  imperfect  characters  out 
of  which  to  build  the  new  churches  according  to  the  primi- 

•  Millennial  Barbinger,  1837,  pp.  320-321. 


318    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


tive  pattern.  Many  of  the  members  of  these  new  churches 
came  from  the  respective  denominations,  and  not  a  few 
of  these  never  did  rise  in  their  church  relations  above  the 
denominations  with  which  they  were  formally  associated. 
But  most  of  them  were  infatuated  with  the  individualism 
of  the  Disciples,  and  they  did  not  hesitate  to  lend  their 
influence  to  the  perpetuation  of  a  state  of  things  which 
made  earnest  co-operation  among  the  churches  practically 
impossible.  The  Disciples,  in  only  a  few  of  the  cities, 
have  partially  restored  the  ancient  order  of  things  with 
respect  to  the  Church  at  a  city.  Perhaps  Kansas  City 
and  Des  Moines,  la.,  may  be  mentioned  as  coming  nearer 
the  primitive  style  than  any  other  cities  where  the  Dis- 
ciple plea  has  made  considerable  progress.  In  these  cities 
the  different  congregations  are  somewhat  under  a  general 
direction  which,  to  a  large  extent,  avoids  the  extreme  in- 
dividualism which  has  obtained  in  most  of  the  Churches 
throughout  the  United  States.  When  the  Disciples  shall 
everywhere  recognise  the  fact  that  in  every  city  all  the 
congregations  should  be  under  the  direction  of  one  official 
Board,  then,  and  not  until  then,  is  it  probable  that  they 
will  become  a  real  religious  influence  in  the  great  cities 
of  our  land. 


CHAPTER  XII 


RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  AND  RESTORATION 

THE  movement  had  now  passed  through  one  period, 
viz.,  the  Creative,  and  was  partly  through  another, 
the  Chaotic.  It  had  also  begun  to  take  on  a  well- 
defined  organic  existence.  It  is  true  the  organisation  was 
still  somewhat  nebulous,  nevertheless  some  important  steps 
had  been  taken  in  this  matter.  Mr.  Campbell's  extra  on 
"  Order,"  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made,  did 
much  to  bring  the  churches  into  line  with  at  least  a  work- 
ing organisation.  However,  the  churches,  as  a  whole, 
were  still  without  any  very  definite  means  by  which  they 
could  work  together  with  respect  to  any  specific  end. 
When  the  associations  were  abandoned,  what  were  called 
"  Yearly  Meetings  "  partially  took  their  place.  These 
meetings  were  valuable  for  preaching  the  Gospel  and  for 
mutual  acquaintance  and  fellowship.  They  furnished  an 
opportunity  for  the  cultivation  of  brotherly  love,  which 
at  this  time  was  a  very  potent  factor  in  the  movement; 
but  as  regards  co-operation,  in  any  definite  way,  these 
meetings  were  of  very  little  value.  They  were,  however, 
continued  from  year  to  year,  especially  in  Ohio  and  Ken- 
tucky, the  tAvo  states  where  the  movement  had  received  its 
greatest  hospitality. 

But  as  the  movement  began  to  enter  upon  its  organic 
period,  it  became  less  and  less  distinctly  a  Reformation 
movement,  and  more  and  more  a  Restoration  movement. 
As  the  Disciples  had  now  reached  a  clearly  defined  sepa- 
rate existence,  it  became  necessary  for  them  to  vindicate 
their  right  to  that  existence.  The  main  difficulty  in  the 
case  was  in  their  contention  that  their  movement  was 
emphatically  in  the  interests  of  Christian  Union.  While 
they  were  seeking  to  simply  reform  the  denominations, 
their  plea  did  not  seem  to  these  denominations  to  be  al- 
together inconsistent;  but  when  they  set  up  an  organisa- 
tion of  their  own  and  asked  all  the  denominations  to 

819 


320   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


come  to  their  religious  position,  it  looked  to  these  de- 
nominations like  an  invitation  for  all  of  them  to  join 
the  Disciples,  and  this  to  the  denominations  was  not  a 
very  gracious  invitation. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  it  became  necessary  for  the  Dis- 
ciples to  defend  their  position  wholly  on  Scriptural 
grounds.  They  claimed  that  they  were  simply  asking 
the  denominations  to  occupy  the  primitive  platform,  or 
the  position  recognised  by  Christ  and  His  Apostles.  In 
other  words,  the  Disciples,  from  this  time  forward,  claimed 
that  they  were  aiming  to  restore  the  ancient  order  of 
things,"  or  the  true  faith  and  true  practice  of  the  primitive 
Church;  consequently,  they  justified  their  separate  exist- 
ence, and  their  earnest  invitations  to  other  religious  people 
to  occupy  their  position,  on  the  ground  that  they  were  not 
asking  others  to  join  them,  but  rather  to  join  in  the 
restoration  of  Apostolic  Christianity. 

Of  course,  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  movement 
the  claim  had  been  made  that  the  exalted  aim  was  to  build 
upon  the  foundation  of  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus 
Christ  Himself  being  the  chief  cornerstone.  But,  while 
the  Disciples  were  pleading  for  reformation,  rather  than 
restoration,  the  fundamental  principles  of  their  movement 
were  not  so  distinctly  and  emphatically  aflBrmed.  Now, 
however,  as  they  were  charged  with  being  a  new  denomina- 
tion, they  felt  bound  to  defend  themselves  against  this 
charge  by  setting  up  their  plea  for  a  complete  return  to 
Apostolic  faith  and  practice  in  everything  that  pertains 
to  the  Christian  life. 

This  was  a  high  claim,  and  as  such  it  required  definite 
and  unanswerable  reasons  to  sustain  it.  These  reasons 
were  furnished  around  the  following  propositions: 

(1)  The  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone  is  all-sufl&cient  as 
a  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 

(2)  As  this  Bible  contains  the  will  of  God  to  man,  it 
is  capable  of  being  understood,  and  its  teaching  applied 
in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  Christian  life. 

(3)  The  full  recognition  and  acceptance  of  Bible  teach- 
ing will  heal  the  divisions  of  Christendom,  and  unite  in 
one  body  all  professed  Christians,  who  love  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  better  than  those  things  that  alienate  and 
divide  them  into  practically  antagonistic  denominations. 

From  the  beginning,  emphasis  had  been  placed  upon 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  RESTORATION  321 


the  first  of  these  propositions.  The  "  Declaration  and  Ad- 
dress "  had  accentuated  the  plea  for  the  Bible,  and  the 
Bible  alone,  as  a  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  But  it  did 
not  show  very  definitely  and  distinctly  how  this  Bible 
might  be  interpreted  so  as  to  bring  practical  union  among 
the  followers  of  Christ.  This  was  the  main  task  which 
the  Disciples  had  to  perform  at  the  beginning  of  their 
organic  or  reconstruction  period.  If  all  the  denomina- 
tions had  to  surrender  their  denominational  positions  and 
unite  upon  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone,  then  it  was 
necessary  that  these  denominations  should  be  shown  how 
they  might  all  understand  the  Bible  so  as  to  reach  prac- 
tical unity  as  regards  its  teaching.  It  was  useless  to 
contend  that  Christian  union  could  only  be  effected  by 
taking  the  Bible  as  an  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice, 
unless  all  could  understand  without  question  as  to  what 
the  Bible  really  teaches  with  respect  to  the  great  essen- 
tials of  the  Christian  faith  and  practice.  The  Disciples 
set  themselves  to  the  task  of  making  this  position  very 
clear.  They  contended  with  the  greatest  earnestness  that 
the  Bible  could  be  understood,  so  that  all  might  "  speak 
the  same  things,  be  of  the  same  mind  and  the  same  judg- 
ment," with  respect  to  all  matters  essential  to  the  union 
of  Christians.  They  contended  that  just  three  things 
were  necessary  in  order  to  reach  practical  unity  with 
respect  to  all  important  matters  contained  in  the  Word 
of  God.    These  three  things  were: 

(1)  A  reasonable  amount  of  intelligence. 

(2)  Perfect  honesty  in  the  study  of  the  Bible. 

(3)  A  correct  method  of  interpretation. 

The  first  required  the  dissemination  of  light;  the  second 
a  complete  willingness  to  surrender  to  everything  that  an 
intelligent  apprehension  of  Bible  teaching  demanded;  and 
the  third  required  that  the  Bible  should  be  treated,  in 
its  interpretation,  in  many  respects,  just  as  any  other  book 
or  facts  are  treated  when  we  wish  to  arrive  at  infallible 
certainty. 

The  method  which  the  Disciples  adopted  very  generally 
was  the  same  as  that  adopted  by  scientists  in  their  in- 
vestigations of  nature;  and  as  the  matter  of  Biblical  in- 
terpretation has  so  much  to  do  with  the  plea  of  the  Dis- 
ciples, at  this  particular  period,  it  may  be  well  to  give 
a  somewhat  detailed  account  of  the  system  of  hermeneutics 


322    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


which  they  employed,  both  at  that  time  and  in  their  sub- 
sequent history.  The  following  quotation  from  one  of 
their  ablest  writers  will  suffice  for  this  particular  purpose : 

The  question  is  often  asked,  why  are  there  so  many  theories 
of  religion  in  the  Christian  world?  Why  is  it,  that  those  who 
profess  to  draw  their  instruction  frt)iu  the  same  source  arrive 
at  conclusions  so  widely  different?  These  inquiries  are  ex- 
tremely pertinent,  and  are  entitled  to  a  satisfactory  reply.  All 
parties  unite  in  declaring  the  Bible  to  be  the  only  rule  of  faith 
and  practice,  and  yet  they  all  seem  to  be  led  by  it  in  different 
ways.  The  honest  seeker  after  truth  asks  us,  why  is  this? 
"Is  the  Bible  so  mysterious  as  not  to  be  understood?  Then 
why  do  you  direct  me  to  its  pages  for  light  and  guidance? 
Does  it  return  answers  so  ambiguous  as  to  leave  the  mind  in 
doubt  and  uncertainty?  Then  why  should  I  consult  it?" 
We  repeat,  that  these  interrogations  are  pertinent,  and  should 
claim  the  earnest  attention  of  those  who  profess  to  be  teachers 
of  religion.  Men  of  science  are  perfectly  agreed  in  their 
interpretation  of  the  book  of  nature,  and  mankind  have  a  right 
to  ask  why  men  of  piety  are  not  equally  agreed  in  their  in- 
terpretation of  the  book  of  nature's  God.  He  speaks  the  same 
thing  in  the  same  language  to  all,  and  yet  those  who  profess 
to  study  his  word  for  the  express  purpose  of  instructing  the 
ignorant  in  the  way  that  they  should  go,  return  answers  not 
only  various  in  their  import,  but  often  pointing  out  directly 
opposite  courses.  The  consequence  evidently  is,  that  the  faith 
of  professors  is  in  a  great  measure  transferred  from  the  Bible 
to  the  expositors  of  it.  Every  person  selects  the  man  in  whom 
he  has  the  most  faith  and  follows  his  directions.  A  more  un- 
fortunate state  of  things  could  hardly  be  presumed  to  exist 
with  any  consistent  claims  to  the  appellation  of  Christianity. 

We  think  a  satisfactory  solution  of  this  whole  matter  is  con- 
tained in  the  fact,  that  the  inductive  method  is  not  used  in  the 
investigations  of  the  Bible,  as  it  is  in  nature.  We  propose, 
therefore,  for  the  benefit  of  the  unlearned  reader,  to  endeavour 
to  explain  with  the  utmost  clearness,  what  is  meant  by  this 
method,  to  show  how  it  is  applied  to  the  investigations  of 
science,  how  it  leads  almost  necessarily  to  correct  conclusions, 
and  how  the  same  method  may  be  applied  with  the  same  result 
to  the  investigations  of  the  Bible.  We  invite  special  attention 
to  this  subject,  as  one  of  paramount  importance,  and  as  bear- 
ing directly  upon  the  evils  and  difficulties  to  which  we  have 
alluded. 

Up  to  the  days  of  Lord  Bacon,  men  of  science  were  not  of 
"  the  same  mind  and  the  same  judgment,"  but  on  the  contrary, 
theories  and  systems  were  as  multiform  and  discrepant,  as  are 
now  the  theories  and  systems  of  religion.  Because,  up  to  that 
time  philosophers,  if  indeed  they  may  be  called  such,  had  pur- 
sued the  same  course  with  respect  to  nature,  that  theologians 
have  pursued  up  to  this  time  with  respect  to  the  Bible,  What 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  RESTORATION  323 


was  that  course?  We  will  give  it  in  the  language  of  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Dick :  "  Prior  to  the  introduction  of  the  induc- 
tive method  of  philosophising,  men  of  science  were  extremely 
prone  to  the  framing  of  hypotheses,  before  they  had  atten- 
tively surveyed  and  collected  the  requisite  facts.  Theory  was 
reared  upon  theory  and  system  upon  system;  each  of  them 
obtained  its  admirers  and  its  period  of  applause,  but  in  con- 
sequence of  modem  researches  they  have  now  passed  away  like 
a  dream  or  vision  of  the  night."  To  the  same  effect,  this 
eminent  man  elsewhere  observes :  A  man  of  genius  frequently 
shuts  himself  in  his  closet,  and  from  a  few  scattered  fragments 
of  nature,  constructs,  in  his  imagination,  a  splendid  theory 
which  makes  a  noise  and  blaze  for  a  little,  like  an  unsubstan- 
tial meteor,  and  then  vanishes  in  air." 

The  consequence  of  pursuing  such  a  course  as  this  will  read- 
ily be  imagined.  There  was  no  such  thing  as  demonstration 
and  certainty,  and  hence  every  theory  depended  upon  its  plaus- 
ibility for  its  popularity.  To  some  minds  this  one  would 
seem  the  more  reasonable,  to  others  some  other  one ;  a  third  and 
fourth  would  also  have  their  advocates  and  defenders,  and  thus 
the  whole  scientific  world  would  be  divided  into  parties,  none 
of  them  knowing  whether  they  were  right,  but  all  zealously 
contending  for  their  peculiar  system  as  this  great  secret  of 
nature.  Now  it  will  be  apparent  that,  pursuing  such  a  course, 
they  could  never  have  arrived  at  the  same  conclusions,  because 
they  never  would  have  attained  to  anything  more  certain  than 
shrewd  guesses  at  the  truth.  They  might  have  exposed  and 
spent  their  lives  in  each  other's  stolidity  and  have  argued  and 
reasoned  forever  without  coming  together,  because  they  began 
their  investigations  where  they  ought  to  have  left  off. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  things  when  Lord  Bacon  came  up- 
on the  stage.  Theories  and  speculations  and  systems  were  sup- 
ported and  opposed  by  huge  folios  of  quasi  learning  and  wis- 
dom, while  nature  was  really  a  closed  volume,  and  the  most 
evident  facts  in  the  animal,  vegetable,  and  mineral  kingdoms, 
the  surest  and  most  universal  laws  of  physical  science,  were 
either  entirely  overlooked  or  seen  awry,  by  attempting  to  view 
everything  through  the  previously  formed  system. 

The  method  of  philosophising  which  he  introduced  was  di- 
rectly the  opposite  of  this.  In  general  terms,  it  is  "  the 
method  in  which  natural  objects  are  subjected  to  the  test  of 
observation  and  experiment,  in  order  to  furnish  certain  facts 
as  the  foundation  of  general  truths."  We  adduce,  by  way  of 
illustration,  a  few  familiar  examples :  Water  was  subjected  to 
a  certain  degree  of  heat,  when  it  was  found  to  generate  steam. 
This  was  a  single  instance.  The  experiment  was  repeated 
again  and  again  with  the  same  result,  until  the  experimenter 
was  perfectly  satisfied.  Then  he  announced  to  the  world  the 
general  truth  that  water  at  that  degree  of  heat  is  converted 
into  steam.  A  chemist  subjected  a  quantity  of  water  to  a 
certain  process,  and  found  that  it  resolved  itself  into  two  gases, 


324    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


oxygen  and  hydrogen.  He  states  the  result  of  his  experiment 
to  another  chemist,  who  repeats  it  with  a  like  result;  another 
does  the  same,  and  another,  all  with  the  same  result,  and  from 
these  particular  cases  they  infer  the  general  truth  and  pub- 
lish to  the  world  their  conviction  that  water  is  composed  of 
two  gases.  A  philosopher  by  experiment  finds  that  the  pres- 
sure of  the  atmosphere  will  sustain  a  column  of  water  thirty 
feet  high ;  that  sound  in  the  ordinary  state  of  atmosphere 
moves  at  the  rate  of  about  1,150  feet  per  second,  and  so  on  ad 
infinitum.  Let  it  be  observed,  now,  that  the  correctness  of 
these  conclusions  is  not  a  subject  for  reasoning  and  argumenta- 
tion. He  that  questions  them  has  but  to  repeat  the  experi- 
ment— has  to  show  that  the  facts  do  not  authorise  the  con- 
clusions, or  else  he  must  admit  them.  The  process  is  simply 
one  by  which  nature  is  made  to  speak  out  her  own  meaning. 
She  is  not  asked  to  support  this  system  or  that,  but  to  declare 
the  true  one.  Subjected  to  these  tests,  everything,  animate 
and  inanimate,  became  vocal  with  "  a  revelation  of  mysteries 
which  had  been  kept  secret  from  the  foundation  of  the  world," 
and  spoke  in  a  voice  so  clear  and  certain,  that  mankind  with 
one  consent  gave  credence  to  the  declaration  and  became  of 
"  one  mind  and  one  judgment." 

We  have  seen  what  caused  and  perpetuated  divisions  and 
parties  among  men  of  science.  We  have  also  seen  how  they 
were  all  brought  to  read  nature  exactly  alike,  to  draw  precisely 
the  same  conclusions  from  the  great  volume  that  was  open  be- 
fore them.  And  now  we  submit  it  to  every  considerate  mind, 
if  the  divisions  in  Christendom  are  not  owing  to  the  absence 
of  this  true  method  of  searching  the  volume  of  inspiration. 
It  cannot  be  from  a  want  of  intelligence,  or  honesty,  or  piety. 
These  are  all  found  in  the  highest  degree  among  individuals  of 
all  the  denominations.  But  the  most  towering  intellect  is 
insufficient  to  find  the  truth,  if  it  is  not  diligently  and  properly 
sought  after.  There  were  men  of  genius  and  learning  and 
patient  research  before  the  days  of  Kepler  and  Galileo  and 
Newton — but  their  genius  displayed  itself  in  the  formation  of 
hypotheses  and  imaginary  systems,  their  labour  and  research 
were  expended  to  support  these  theories — to  force  nature  to 
confirm  the  correctness  of  their  suppositions.  So  theologians 
either  fabricate  themselves,  or  find  fabricated  to  their  hands, 
certain  systems  of  divinity.  These  they  sincerely  believe  to  be 
true.  Hence  all  their  investigations  of  the  Bible  are  made 
with  the  design  of  finding  proof  texts  in  support  of  them. 
Whatever  seems  to  confirm  their  articles  of  faith,  is  elevated 
in  their  minds  to  an  undue  importance,  and  whatever  seems 
to  conflict  with  them  they  either  pass  over  altogether,  as  among 
"  the  deep  things  of  God,"  or  explain  away  their  force  by 
wrestling  with  them  from  their  legitimate  and  most  evident 
signification.  This  is  not  the  result  of  wickedness  and  de- 
pravity— it  does  not  arise  from  any  irreverence  for  the  word 
of  God,  but  it  is  the  natural  and  inevitable  consequence  of  the 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  RESTORATION  325 


system  to  which  they  have  bound  themselves.  The  man  who 
has  inherited  or  adopted  the  "  faith  alone  "  system,  sees  it  in 
almost  every  page  of  the  New  Testament,  while  he  who  has 
pledged  himself  to  the  system  of  "  works,"  finds  on  the  same 
page  a  confirmation  of  his  belief.  The  "  limited  atonement " 
man,  and  the  "  free  salvation  "  man,  each  finds  his  doctrine  in 
the  same  chapter,  each  is  surprised  at  the  dulness  of  his 
antagonist  in  not  seeing  as  he  sees,  each,  (it  may  be  uncon- 
sciously to  himself,)  has  favourite  texts  of  Scripture,  and 
others  which  he  reads  with  a  mere  passing  glance.  These  men 
can  never  "  see  eye  to  eye,"  because  they  have  different  media 
through  which  they  view  the  word. 

They  occupy  different  standpoints  in  looking  at  the  same 
things,  and  hence  they  must  forever  present  a  different  ap- 
pearance. And  yet  God  says  to  these  opponents,  "  he  ye  per- 
fectly joined  together  in  the  same  mind  and  in  the  same  judg- 
ment," (I.  Cor.  i:10).  Is  this  possible?  is  it  practicable? 
We  think  it  is,  to  all  who  are  willing  to  lay  aside  their 
prejudices  and  predilections,  and  with  a  sincere  desire  to  know 
what  is  the  truth,  will  adopt  that  method  of  investigation 
which,  in  the  scientific  world,  resulted  at  once  in  truth  and 
union.  To  illustrate  more  clearly  our  meaning,  and  to  show 
how  even  the  most  ordinary  mind  can  apply  this  inductive 
process  to  the  investigations  of  the  Bible  at  once  with  con- 
fidence and  certainty,  we  will  take  the  subject  of  the  Christian 
Faith.  We  lay  down  the  Scriptural  proposition,  "  There  is  one 
faith."  The  problem  for  solution  is  to  ascertain  what  this  is. 
We  lay  aside  all  confessions  of  faith — the  Presbyterian, 
Methodist,  Baptist,  Episcopalian,  and  we  are  to  determine 
from  an  induction  of  Scripture  cases,  what  is  "  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints."  We  say,  that  pursuing  this  course, 
every  inquirer  will  arrive  at  precisely  the  same  conclusion, 
which  will  be  beyond  doubt,  and  evidently  the  true  one. 

To  begin  our  investigations,  we  open  at  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  We  do  so  for  a  particular  reason,  namely,  because 
the  Apostles  were  the  first  who  acted  under  a  commission 
which  embraced  "  all  the  world  " — "  every  creature," — and 
which,  therefore,  includes  ourselves  and  all  others.  The 
philosopher  who  would  experiment  on  air  would  not  select 
water  or  solids;  so  if  we  would  learn  the  Christian  faith,  of 
course,  we  are  not  to  inquire  of  the  patriarchal,  or  of  the 
Jewish  Dispensation,  but  the  Christian.  It  will  not  be  neces- 
sary for  us  to  collate  all  the  cases  given  in  this  book ;  we  select 
a  few  of  the  plainest,  and  leave  those  who  may  be  dissatisfied 
with  our  conclusions,  to  prosecute  their  inquiries  to  any  de- 
sired extent. 

The  first  case  is  givai  in  the  second  chapter,  Peter,  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  standing  up  with  the  eleven, 
preaches  a  discourse  to  the  assembled  multitude,  who  had  come 
up  to  Jerusalem  from  the  different  countries  of  the  woi'ld. 
In  this  discourse  he  dwells  upon  the  prediction  of  the  Psalmist, 


326    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


that  God  would  not  leave  his  soul  in  hades,  neither  suffer  his 
Holy  one  to  see  corruption."  He  shows  that  this  could  not 
apply  to  David,  but  that  it  was  spoken  of  the  Christ,  and  that 
God  had  raised  him  from  the  dead,  so  that  his  flesh  did  not 
see  corruption.  He  concludes  by  saying,  "  therefore,  let  all 
the  house  of  Israel  know  assuredly  that  God  has  made  that 
same  Jesus  whom  ye  have  crucified,  both  Lord  and  Christ." 
This  then  was  the  faith  required  of  them;  that  ''God  hath 
raised  Jesus  from  the  dead  and  made  him  Lord  and  Christ." 

The  second  case  is  in  the  third  chapter.  Peter,  preaching 
from  Solomon's  porch,  la^s  down  the  proposition,  The  God 
of  our  fathers  has  glorified  his  Son  Jesus — but  ye  killed  the 
Prince  of  Life,  whom  God  hath  raised  from  the  dead."  He 
adds  that  "  those  things  which  God  before  had  showed  by  the 
mouth  of  all  his  i)rophets,  that  (the)  Christ  should  suffer,  he 
hath  so  fulfilled."  This  Jesus  hath  fulfilled  the  prophecies 
concerning  the  Christ,  therefore  he  is  the  Christ.  This  case 
corresponds  with  the  previous  one.  In  both  which  Peter 
labours  to  make  the  people  believe  that  Jesus  of  Xazareth  hath 
heeti  raised  from  the  dead  and  that  he  teas  the  Christ.  The 
apostles  were  witnesses  of  his  resurrection,  and  his  resurrec- 
tion was  the  proof  of  his  being  the  anointed  Son  of  God. 
(Rom.  i:4). 

The  third  case  which  we  introduce,  is  contained  in  the 
eighth  chapter,  and  known  as  the  conversion  of  the  eunuch. 
Philip,  we  are  told,  "  preached  unto  him  Jesus  " ;  and  when  the 
eunuch  desired  to  be  introduced  into  the  participation  of  the 
blessings  promised  through  him,  he  told  him  if  he  *'  believed 
with  all  his  heart"  he  might.  Believed  what?  Evidently 
what  Philip  had  preached.  He  said  "  I  believe  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Son  of  God."  Philip  must  have  taught  him  to 
believe  this,  because  he  knew  nothing  about  it  before.  He 
accepted  this  as  the  faith  necessary  to  entitle  him  to  the 
ordinances. 

The  fourth  case  is  that  of  the  jailer  at  Philippi,  recorded  in 
the  sixteenth  chapter.  He  said  to  Paul  and  Silas,  Sirs,  what 
must  I  do  to  be  saved?  "  "  And  they  said,  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 

These  cases  will  be  sufficient  to  illustrate  our  meaning.  We 
have  only  selected  a  few  out  of  a  large  number.  The  curious, 
or  the  dissatisfied,  will  find  any  desirable  number  in  the 
preachings  and  letters  of  the  Apostles.  But  from  these  par- 
ticulars, are  we  not  bound  to  conclude,  that  to  believe  with 
all  the  heart  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,"  is  the  "  one  faith  "  of  the  Gospel ;  "  the  faith  once  de- 
livered to  the  Saints " ;  the  rock  upon  which  the  Church  is 
built?  If  any  man  questions  it,  he  is  not  to  reason  about  it 
— he  is  not  to  argue  against  it — he  is  not  to  ask  "  how  can 
these  things  be  " — it  is  a  question  of  fact — something  either 
true  or  false;  and  all  the  objections  of  reason,  that  the  basis 
is  too  broad  or  too  narrow — that  the  faith  is  too  strong  or  too 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  RESTORATION  327 


weak,  too  much  or  too  little,  are  as  irrelevant  and  un- 
philosophical,  as  would  be  the  objection  that  gold  is  not 
malleable,  or  that  air  is  not  elastic.  The  only  pertinent  ques- 
tion is,  Is  it  true?  is  it  sustained  by  the  facts? 

We  are  persuaded  that  when  this  subject  is  examined  in  this 
light,  with  no  reference  to  the  various  confessions  of  faith  in 
the  world,  every  careful  inquirer  will  reach  the  same  conclu- 
sion. "  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  is  born 
(begotten)  of  God."  I.  John  v:l.  "Who  is  he  that  over- 
cometh  the  world,  but  he  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Son 
of  God?"  (verse  5th). 

Here  we  leave  the  subject  for  the  present;  at  some  future 
time  we  may  accompany  the  reader  through  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  in  seeking  responses  to  other  questions  of  interest 
and  importance.  We  trust  that  enough  has  been  said  to  con- 
vince the  earnest  seeker  after  truth,  that  the  Bible  was  not 
written  merely  that  ministers  might  have  scraps  of  texts  to 
place  at  the  head  of  their  discourses,  but  for  man ;  for  all 
men ;  that  it  is  to  be  carefully  studied,  and  its  directions  fol- 
lowed, that  he  is  to  let  it  speak  for  itself,  that  he  is  to  hear 
it  and  to  "  take  heed  how  he  hears,"  and  that  by  doing  so, 
it  is  "  able  to  make  him  wise  unto  salvation."  We  venture 
also  to  indulge  the  hope,  that  by  reading  it  in  the  way  we 
have  pointed  out,  all  who  love  its  truths  and  have  hope  in  its 
promises,  will  yet  "■  see  eye  to  eye  and  face  to  face,"  that  they 
will  "  all  speak  the  same  things,  and  be  perfectly  joined 
together  in  the  same  mind  and  in  the  same  judgment."  * 

Mr.  Campbell  himself  gave  some  instruction  as  to  how 
the  Word  of  God  could  be  infallibly  understood.  In  one 
place,  he  says :  "  Great  unanimity  has  obtained  in  most 
of  the  sciences  in  consequence  of  the  adoption  of  certain 
rules  of  analysis  and  synthesis;  for  all  who  work  by  the 
same  rules  come  to  the  same  conclusions.  And  may  it 
not  be  possible  that  in  this  Divine  science  of  religion  there 
may  yet  be  a  very  great  degree  of  unanimity  of  sentiment 
and  uniformity  of  practice  amongst  all  who  acknowledge 
its  Divine  authority?" 

He  also  gives  the  following  rules  for  interpreting  the 
Scriptures,  which  he  thinks,  if  properly  followed,  will  lead 
to  practical  unity  with  respect  to  the  meaning  of  all  im- 
portant matters: 

"  Rule  I.  On  opening  any  book  in  the  sacred  scriptures, 
consider  first  the  historical  circumstances  of  the  book.  These 
are  the  order,  the  title,  the  author,  the  date,  the  place,  and 
the  occasion  of  it. 

II.  In  examining  the  contents  of  any  book,  as  respects 
*  Christian  Union,  pp.  18-24,  J.  S.  Lamar. 


328   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


precepts,  promises,  exhortations,  etc.,  observe  who  it  is  that 
speaks,  and  under  what  dispensation  he  officiates.  Is  he  a 
Patriarch,  a  Jew,  or  a  Christian?  Consider  also  the  persons 
addressed — their  prejudices,  characters,  and  religious  rela- 
tions. Are  they  Jews  or  Christians — believers  or  unbelievers, 
approved  or  disapproved  ?  This  rule  is  essential  to  the  proper 
application  of  every  command,  promise,  threatening,  admoni- 
tion, or  exhortation,  in  the  Old  Testament  or  the  New. 

III.  To  understand  the  meaning  of  what  is  commanded, 
promised,  taught,  etc.,  the  same  philological  principles,  de- 
duced from  the  nature  of  language,  or  the  same  laws  of  in- 
terpretation which  are  applied  to  the  language  of  other  hooks, 
are  to  be  applied  to  the  language  of  the  Bible. 

IV.  Common  usage,  which  can  only  be  ascertained  hy  testi- 
mony, must  always  decide  the  meaning  of  any  icord  which  has 
but  one  signification;  but  when  the  words  have,  according  to 
testimony — (i.e.,  the  Dictionary) — more  meanings  than  one, 
whether  literal  or  figurative,  the  scope,  the  context,  or  parallel 
passages  must  decide  the  meaning;  for  if  common  usage,  the 
design  of  the  writer,  the  context,  and  parallel  fail,  there  can 
be  no  certainty  in  the  interpretation  of  language. 

V.  In  all  tropical  language,  ascertain  the  point  of  re- 
semblance, and  judge  of  the  nature  of  the  trope,  and  its  kind, 
from  the  point  of  resemblance. 

VI.  In  the  interpretation  of  symbols,  types,  allegories,  and 
parables,  this  rule  is  supreme.  Ascertain  the  point  to  be 
illustrated;  for  comparison  is  never  to  be  extended  beyond 
that  point — to  all  the  attributes,  qualities,  or  circumstances  of 
the  symbol,  type,  allegory,  or  parable. 

VII.  For  the  salutary  and  sanctifying  intelligence  of  the 
oracles  of  God,  the  following  rule  is  indispensable: — We  must 
come  ivithin  the  understanding  distance."  * 

As  the  catholicity  of  the  Disciple  plea  depended  upon 
the  possibility  of  all  intelligent,  honest  persons  reaching 
the  same  conclusion  with  respect  to  the  essentials  of  Chris- 
tian union,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  important  it  was  that 
a  method  of  Biblical  interpretation  should  be  adopted,  by 
which  the  Bible  could  be  infallibly  understood  by  those 
who  were  seeking  a  common  ground  on  which  to  unite 
the  divided  forces  of  Christendom.  From  this  time  for- 
ward the  Disciples  were  under  the  most  solemn  obliga- 
tion to  make  good  their  contention  that  Christian  union 
is  only  possible  by  a  union  of  Christians,  not  denomina- 
tions, and  such  a  union  cannot  even  be  hoped  for  unless 
all  will  turn  to  the  Word  of  God  and  heartily  seek,  by 
a  scientific  method,  to  reach  practically  the  same  conclu- 
sions with  respect  to  its  teaching. 

•"Christianity  Restored,"  pp.  96-97. 


I 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  RESTORATION  329 


At  any  rate,  this  was  the  new  order  of  things  which  came 
with  the  new  period  in  the  history  of  the  Disciple  move- 
ment. The  emphasis  placed  upon  Christian  union,  from 
this  point  of  view,  turned  every  one  to  the  study 
of  the  Word  of  God,  rather  than  to  creeds  and  confessions 
of  faith,  or  doctrinal  statements,  with  regard  to  denomina- 
tional differences.  Undoubtedly  this  view  of  the  whole 
matter  was  a  crucial  test  of  the  position  occupied  by  the 
Disciples.  If  they  could  make  clear  their  contention  that 
the  Bible  can  be  understood,  and  that  it  teaches  sub- 
stantially the  same  essential  things  for  all  Christians, 
then  undoubtedly  the  position  assumed  by  the  Disciples 
would  be  not  only  defensible,  from  the  Scriptural  point  of 
view,  but  would  also  be  eminently  catholic,  since  it  would 
provide  a  basis  for  Christian  union  upon  which  all  could 
stand. 

There  were,  however,  objections  made  to  this  position 
on  the  ground  of  its  uncharitableness.  It  was  affirmed 
that  those  who  held  to  it  were  intensely  narrow,  and  that 
the  position  practically  annulled  the  contention  of  Mr. 
Campbell  and  his  associates  that  opinions  must  not  be 
made  tests  of  Christian  fellowship.  On  this  very  sub- 
ject Mr.  Campbell  and  Mr.  Stone  at  first  somewhat  dif- 
fered, and  this  difference  caused  Mr.  Campbell  to  write 
an  essay  on  Opinionism,"  in  which  he  draws  the  dis- 
tinction between  opinions  with  respect  to  doubtful  matters, 
and  a  faith  that  is  certain  with  respect  to  facts.  In  reply 
to  Mr.  Stone,  he  says : 

Opinions  are  always,  in  strict  propriety  of  speech,  doubtful 
matters,  because  speculative.  If  ever  the  word  be  applied  to 
matters  of  testimony,  to  laws,  institutions,  or  religious  wor- 
ship, we  must  be  confounded  in  our  faith  and  practice.  If,  in 
his  style,  opinion  apply  equally  to  immersion  and  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity  then  it  will  apply  equally  to  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  eternal  life,  and  every 
item  of  the  Christian  faith  and  hope.  One  man  may  say,  "  I 
am  of  the  opinion  that  Jesus  did  not  die  for  our  sins ;  that  his 
death  was  that  of  a  martyr  or  witness  for  the  truth  of  God's 
philanthropy,  and  as  an  example  for  us."  And  another  is  of 
the  opinion  that  immersion,  the  Lord's  table,  and  the  literal 
resurrection  of  the  body,  are  all  carnal  notions  and  unworthy 
of  a  spiritual  man.  Both  appear  to  be  honest  and  pious 
men.  Shall  the  Christian  divide  the  ground  with  them,  and 
only  say  he  is  of  a  different  opinion?  This  is  not  the  charity 
which  rejoices  in  the  truth. 


330    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


I  know  that  baptism  means  immersion  as  certainly  as  I 
know  that  vianus  means  a  hand,  and  penna  a  pen;  or  as  cer- 
tainly as  I  know  that  sprinkling  is  not  pouring,  and  pouring 
is  not  dipping.  I  know  as  certainly  that  eis  means  into,  as  I 
do  that  in  does  not  mean  out,  nor  out,  in.  I  believe  as  cer- 
tainly the  Christian  facts  as  I  believe  any  events  of  the 
American  Revolution.  I  will  not  say  that  he  who  says  he  is 
of  the  opinion  that  George  Washington  lived  two  hundred 
years  ago,  and  was  the  same  person  who  is  called  Oliver  Crom- 
well, is  to  be  regarded  as  a  believer  of  the  American  history, 
but  only  differing  in  opinion  from  me.  I  cannot  regard  him 
as  only  differing  in  opinion  from  one  who  maintains  that  we 
are,  from  the  New  Testament,  as  much  bound  religiously  to 
observe  Easter  and  Christmas,  as  we  are  the  Lord's  Day  and 
the  Lord's  Supper.  He  may  call  me  uncharitable,  but  I  will 
be  honest  though  I  hazard  his  contumely. 

But  here  is  the  error.  We  are  represented  as  refusing  com- 
munion with  him  with  whom  God  communes,  if  we  do  not 
recognise  as  a  fellow-citizen  every  one  whom  God  regards  as 
one  of  his  people.  Has  God  anywhere  commanded  us  to  sit 
down  at  the  Lord's  Table  with  a  person  who  refuses  to  be 
immersed  because  he  was  sprinkled?  Or  has  he  enjoined  upon 
me  to  treat  any  person  as  a  brother  in  the  Lord  because  he 
has  recognised  him  as  such,  when  he  fails  to  keep  the  or- 
dinances of  the  Lord?  It  is  only  in  obedience  to  the  Lord, 
not  on  the  principle  of  expediency,  but  because  the  Lord  has 
enjoined  it,  that  we  are  to  associate  with  any  person  as  a 
brother  in  the  Lord.  Nor  do  I  say  that  none  are  Christians 
but  those  who  walk  orderly ;  we  only  say  that  we  are  com- 
manded to  associate  with  those  only  who  do  walk  orderly. 
If  we  can  dispense  with  the  neglect  or  disobedience  of  one 
Christian,  we  may  with  another;  and  so  on  till  we  have  in  the 
Church  all  the  vices  of  the  world. 

We  are  always  safe  when  we  act  constitutionally,  or  ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  our  Sovereign  Lord  the  King;  unsafe 
when  we  act  from  our  opinion,  or  sense  of  expediency,  or  the 
fitness  of  things.  He  who  is  so  enlightened  as  to  say  that 
immersion  into  the  name,  etc.,  is  the  only  baptism  Jesus  Christ 
appointed,  and  that  none  can  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  Jesus 
but  such  as  are  immersed  or  born  of  water,  and  yet  takes  upon 
himself  to  set  this  institution  aside  upon  his  own  opinion  of 
expediency,  presumes  more  upon  his  opinion  and  upon  the 
pliability  of  his  Lord  and  Master,  than  we  for  the  universe 
dare  presume.  Of  all  men,  he  who  knows  his  Master's  will, 
and  does  it  not,  is  most  obnoxious  to  the  displeasure  of  the 
Lord. 

To  say  that  a  new  state  of  things  has  arisen,  to  which  the 
New  Testament  laws  and  usages  will  not  apply,  is  at  once  to 
set  aside  the  perfection  and  applicability  of  the  book,  and  to 
weaken  the  obligation  of  every  Christian  institute,  and  our 
own  hands  in  waging  war  against  error. 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  RESTORATION  331 


Call  not  this  an  opinion;  or,  if  you  do,  call  my  belief  that 
Jesus  is  the  Bon  of  God  an  opinion  too;  and  every  thought, 
volition,  and  affection  of  the  heart,  an  opinion.* 

In  view  of  misunderstandings  and  misrepresentations 
with  respect  to  the  religious  position  of  the  Disciples,  Mr. 
Campbell  was  urged  to  publish  a  volume  that  would  set 
forth  their  principles  and  aims  in  a  clear  and  unmistak- 
able manner,  so  that  all  who  still  misrepresented 
would  be  left  without  excuse.  Accordingly,  in  1835,  he 
published  a  book,  entitled,  Christianity  Restored,"  which 
contained  in  an  orderly  manner  some  of  the  essays  that 
had  been  published  in  the  Christian  Baptist  and  Millennial 
Harbinger.  The  first  part  of  this  book  is  devoted  to 
"  Principles  and  Rules  by  which  the  Living  Oracles  may 
be  intelligently  and  certainly  interpreted,"  showing  con- 
clusively Mr.  Campbell's  conception  of  the  importance  of 
a  correct  system  of  hermeneutics. 

In  the  preface  to  this  book  he  refers  to  the  fact  that 
the  Disciples  had  now  become  practically  a  separate  peo- 
ple, and  furthermore  that  their  principles  and  aims  had 
been  fully  announced.     He  says: 

We  flatter  ourselves,  that  the  principles  are  now  clearly 
and  fully  developed,  by  the  united  efforts  of  a  few  devoted 
and  ardent  minds,  who  set  out  determined  to  sacrifice  every- 
thing to  truth,  and  follow  her  wherever  she  might  lead  the 
way:  I  say,  the  principles  on  which  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ — all  believers  in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah — can  be  united 
with  honour  to  themselves,  and  with  blessings  to  the  world ; 
on  which  the  Gospel  and  its  ordinances  can  be  restored,  in  all 
their  primitive  simplicity,  excellency,  and  power,  and  the 
church  shine  as  a  lamp  that  burneth  to  the  conviction  and 
salvation  of  the  world :  I  say,  the  principles  by  which  these 
things  can  be  done,  are  now  developed;  as  well  as  the  prin- 
ciples themselves,  which  together  constitute  the  original  gospel 
and  order  of  things  established  by  the  apostles. 

The  object  of  this  volume  is  to  place  before  the  community 
in  a  plain,  definite,  and  perspicuous  style,  the  capital  prin- 
ciples which  have  been  elicited,  argued  out,  developed,  and 
sustained  in  a  controversy  of  twenty-five  years,  by  the  tongues 
and  pens  of  those  who  -rallied  under  the  banners  of  the  Bible 
alone.  The  principle  which  was  inscribed  upon  our  banners 
when  we  withdrew  from  the  ranks  of  the  sects,  was: — "  Faith 
in  Jesus  as  the  true  Messiah,  and  obedience  to  him  as  our  Law- 
giver and  King,  the  only  test  of  Christian  character,  and  the 

*  Millennial  Harbinger,  Vol.  II.,  p.  103. 


332    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


only  bond  of  Christian  union,  communion,  and  co-operation; 
irrespective  of  all  creeds,  opinions,  commandments,  and  tradi- 
tions of  men." 

This  cause,  like  every  other,  was  first  plead  by  the  tongue; 
afterwards  by  the  pen  and  press.  The  history  of  its  progress 
corresponds  with  the  history  of  every  other  religious  revolu- 
tion, in  this  respect: — that  different  points,  at  different  times, 
almost  exclusively  engrossed  the  attention  of  its  pleaders.  We 
began  with  the  outposts  and  vanguard  of  the  opposition. 
Soon  as  we  found  ourselves  in  possession  of  one  post,  our 
artillery  was  turned  against  another;  and  as  fast  as  the  smoke 
of  the  enemy  receded,  we  advanced  upon  his  lines.  .  .  . 

But  to  contradistinguish  this  plea  and  effort  from  some 
others,  almost  contemporaneous  with  it,  we  would  emphati- 
cally remark  that — while  the  remonstrants  warred  against 
human  creeds,  evidently  because  those  creeds  warred  against 
their  own  private  opinions  and  favourite  dogmas,  which  they 
wished  to  substitute  for  those  creeds, — this  enterprise,  so  far 
as  it  was  hostile  to  those  creeds,  warred  against  them,  not  be- 
cause of  their  hostility  to  any  private  or  favourite  opinions 
which  were  desired  to  be  substituted  for  them ;  but  because 
these  human  institutions  supplanted  the  Bible,  made  the  word 
of  God  of  non-effect,  were  fatal  to  the  intelligence,  union, 
purity,  holiness,  and  happiness  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  and 
hostile  to  the  salvation  of  the  world. 

Unitarians,  for  example,  have  warred  against  human  creeds, 
because  those  creeds  taught  trinitarianism.  Arminians,  too, 
have  been  hostile  to  creeds,  because  those  creeds  supported 
Calvinism.  It  has  indeed,  been  alleged  that  all  schismatics, 
good  and  bad,  since  the  days  of  John  Wycliffe,  and  long  be- 
fore, have  opposed  creeds  of  human  invention,  because  those 
creeds  opposed  them.  But  so  far  as  this  controversy  resembles 
them  in  its  opposition  to  creeds,  it  is  to  be  distinguished  from 
them  in  this  all-essential  attribute,  viz.:  that  our  opposition  to 
creeds  arose  from  a  conviction,  that  whether  the  opinions  in 
them  were  true  or  false,  they  xcere  hostile  to  the  union,  peace, 
harmony,  purity,  and  joy  of  Christians;  and  adverse  to  the 
conversion  of  the  world  to  Jesus  Christ. 

Next  to  our  personal  salvation  two  objects  constituted  the 
summum  bonum,  the  supreme  good,  worthy  of  the  sacrifice  of 
all  temporalities.  The  first  was,  the  union,  peace,  purity,  and 
harmonious  co-operation  of  Christians — guided  by  an  under- 
standing enlightened  by  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  the  other,  the 
conversion  of  sinners  to  God.  Our  predilections  and  antip- 
athies on  all  religious  questions  arose  from,  and  were  con- 
trolled by,  these  all-absorbing  interests.  From  these  com- 
menced our  campaign  against  creeds.  We  had  not  at  first, 
and  we  have  not  now,  a  favourite  opinion,  or  speculation, 
which  we  would  offer  as  a  substitute  for  any  human  creed  or 
constitution  in  Christendom. 

W^e  were  not  Indeed  at  first  apprised  of  the  havoc  which 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  RESTORATION  333 


our  principles  would  make  upon  our  opinions.  We  soon,  how- 
ever, found  our  principles  and  opinions  at  war  on  some  points ; 
and  the  question  immediately  arose.  Whether  shall  we  sacrifice 
our  principles  to  our  opinions,  or  our  opinions  to  our  prin- 
ciples. We  need  not  say  that  we  were  compelled  to  the  latter; 
judging  that  our  principles  were  better  than  our  opinions. 
Hence,  since  we  put  to  sea  on  board  this  bottom,  we  have  been 
compelled  to  throw  overboard  some  opinions,  once  as  dear  to 
us  as  they  are  now  to  those  who  never  thought  of  the  difference 
between  principle  and  opinion. 

Some  of  those  opinions — as  the  most  delicate  and  tender 
buds  are  soonest  blighted  by  the  frost — immediately  withered, 
and  died  under  the  first  application  of  our  principles.  Infant 
baptism  and  infant  sprinkling,  with  all  infantile  imbecility, 
immediately  expired  in  our  minds,  soon  as  the  Bible  alone  was 
made  the  only  measure  and  standard  of  faith  and  duty.  This 
foundation  of  the  pedobaptist  temple  being  instantly  de- 
stroyed, and  the  whole  edifice,  leaning  upon  it,  became  a  heap 
of  ruins.  We  explored  the  ruins  with  great  assiduity  and  col- 
lected from  them  all  the  materials  that  could  be  worked  into 
the  Christian  temple;  but  the  piles  of  rubbish  that  remained 
were  immense.  .  .  . 

Our  views  and  attainments  in  the  knowledge  of  Christianity, 
such  as  they  are,  are,  we  think,  the  necessary  results  of  our 
premises  and  principles  of  interpretation.  Certain  it  is,  that 
by  them  we  were  led  into  those  views  of  the  ancient  gospel  and 
order  of  things,  which  we  were  enabled  to  exhibit  in  the  publi- 
cations of  the  year  1823.  While  we  state  this  fact  distinctively 
to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  a  candid  and  jealous 
examination  of  them,  we  would  not  be  understood  as  alleging, 
that  all  who  have  since  embraced  these  views,  or  who  now 
contend  for  them,  are  indebted  to  our  labours  for  their  knowl- 
edge of  original  Christianity.  The  same  principles  of  inter- 
pretation have  led  others  to  the  same  conclusions  from  the 
same  premises;  and  thus  have  we  been  mutually  helpers  to 
one  another.  The  momentous  importance  of  some  of  our  con- 
clusions, we  humbly  think,  entitles  our  premises  and  principles 
of  interpretation,  to  a  strict  and  impartial  consideration ;  and 
this  is  all  the  favour  we  petition  from  any  reader  into  whose 
hands  this  volume  may  happen  to  fall. 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  contention  how  thoroughly  Mr. 
Campbell  and  those  associated  with  him  dealt  with  them- 
selves, as  well  as  other  religious  people,  in  reaching  the 
simple  platform  to  which  they  had  now  come,  and  also 
the  great  value  that  was  placed  upon  a  proper  method 
of  interpreting  the  Word  of  God.  Further  on,  in  the 
body  of  the  book,  he  gives  his  views  with  respect  to  human 
creeds  and  also  with  respect  to  the  only  basis  upon  which 
it  is  possible  to  have  Christian  union.    He  says: 


334    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


No  human  creed  in  Protestant  Christendom  can  he  found, 
that  has  not  made  a  division  for  every  generation  of  its  exist- 
ence. And  I  may  add — the  more  thinking,  inquisitive,  and  in- 
telligent the  community  which  owns  a  creed,  the  more  frequent 
their  debates  and  schisms. 

But  the  Bible  will  do  no  better,  if  men  approach  it  with  a 
set  of  opinions,  or  a  human  symbol  in  their  minds.  For  then 
it  is  not  the  Bible,  but  the  opinions  in  the  mind,  that  form  the 
bond  of  union.  Men,  indeed,  had  better  have  a  written,  than 
an  unwritten  standard  of  orthodoxy,  if  they  will  not  abandon 
speculation  and  abstract  notions,  as  any  part  of  Christian 
faith  or  duty. 

But  all  these  modes  of  faith  and  worship,  are  based  upon  a 
mistake  of  the  true  character  of  Revelation,  which  it  has  long 
been  our  effort  to  correct.  With  us.  Revelation  has  nothing 
to  do  with  opinions,  or  abstract  reasonings;  for  it  is  founded 
wholly  and  entirely  upon  facts.  There  is  not  one  abstract 
opinion,  not  one  speculative  view,  asserted  or  communicated 
in  the  Old  Testament  or  New.  Moses  begins  with  asserting 
facts  that  had  transpired  in  creation  and  providence ;  and  John 
ends  with  asserting  prophetic  or  prospective  facts,  in  the  fu- 
ture displays  of  providence  and  redemption.  Facts,  then,  are 
the  alpha  and  omega,  of  both  Je\sish  and  Christian  revelations. 

But  that  the  reader  may  have  before  his  mind  in  one  sum- 
mary view,  the  whole  scheme  of  union  and  co-operation,  which 
the  living  oracles  and  the  present  state  of  the  Christian 
religion  in  the  world  demand;  which  has  been,  at  different 
times  and  in  various  manners,  illustrated  and  sustained  in 
the  present  controversy',  against  divisions, — we  shall  here  sub- 
mit it  in  one  period. 

Let  the  Bible  be  substituted  for  all  human  creeds ;  facts,  for 
definitions;  things,  for  words;  faith,  for  speculation;  unity  of 
faith,  for  unity  of  opinion;  the  positive  commandments  of  God, 
for  human  legislation  and  tradition;  piety,  for  ceremony; 
morality,  for  partizan  zeal;  tlie  practice  of  religion,  for  the 
profession  of  it; — and  the  work  is  done. 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  two  extracts  that  the  only  hope 
Mr.  Campbell  now  had  of  Christian  union  was  a  complete 
restoration  of  primitive  Christianity  in  its  faith,  doctrine, 
and  life.  The  idea  of  Reformation  was  now  entirely 
abandoned  and  Restoration  became  the  battle  cry  of  the 
Disciple  hosts. 

However,  it  is  important  not  to  misunderstand  this  ap- 
parently radical  position  of  the  Disciples.  It  was  never 
assumed  by  them  that  even  they  themselves  perfectly  real- 
ised their  ideal.  They  always  recognised  the  difference 
between  the  historical  church  and  the  ideal  church.  One 
of  these  represents  the  perfect  church,  as  it  is  described 


KECONSTRUCTION  AND  RESTORATION  335 

in  the  New  Testament,  the  other  represents  the  imperfect 
church,  as  it  is  realised  in  ecclesiastical  history.  One  is 
what  the  Holy  Spirit  would  have  the  Church  to  be;  the 
other  is  what  it  has  been  in  the  lives  of  weak  men  and 
women. 

From  this  point  of  view  it  is  evident  that  even  the 
primitive  Church  was  not  entirely  blameless.  It  had  its 
petty  quarrels  about  many  things;  and  in  the  character 
of  its  membership  it  was  far  from  being  perfect.  But 
the  Disciples  claimed  that  the  New  Testament  pattern  of 
the  Church  is  perfect,  and  that  this  is  the  ideal  which  we 
must  set  before  us  in  all  our  efforts  to  realise  to  the 
fullest  extent  the  Divine  ideal  of  what  the  Church  should 
be. 

Having  now  given  to  the  world  a  clear  statement  of 
its  principles  and  aims,  the  new  organisation  was  fairly 
launched;  and  though  uncharitably  criticised  by  many, 
and  often  misrepresented  by  some,  the  opposition  which 
it  received  only  served  to  intensify  the  convictions  of  the 
Disciples,  as  to  the  correctness  of  their  position,  and  in- 
flamed their  zeal  to  propagate  their  plea  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  world  and  the  union  of  Christians.  While  this 
separate  position  was  not  of  their  own  choosing,  they 
finally  reached  the  conclusion  that  this  was  perhaps  the 
better  position  to  occupy,  since  nothing  short  of  a  restora- 
tion of  New  Testament  Christianity  would  bring  order 
out  of  the  confusion  of  Christendom,  and  at  the  same 
time  lead  to  the  conversion  of  the  world. 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  this  point  of  view,  and 
reviewing  the  whole  movement  from  the  beginning,  Mr. 
Campbell  was  perhaps  justified  in  saying  what  he  did  in 
the  following  extract: 

Still  it  may  be  better  as  it  is,  that  a  new  organisation, 
founded  upon  the  New  Institution  alone,  and  neither  upon 
imity  of  opinion,  nor  upon  similarity  of  experience,  should 
have  been  created  and  made  to  witness  with  equal  impartial- 
ity and  fidelity  against  Baptists  and  Pedo-baptists.  So  it 
has,  indeed,  come  to  pass;  and  the  consequence  is  that  its 
voice  is  being  heard  in  its  numerous  periodicals,  by  its  many 
ministers  and  churches,  and  by  the  most  extraordinary  and 
rapid  growth  of  any  community  since  the  Protestant  reforma- 
tion. Heard  truly,  in  all  denominations,  insomuch  that  the 
spirit  that  was  some  fifteen  years  ago  working  but  in  a  few 
churches,  is  now  gone  abroad  into  the  land,  and  is  imbuing  all 


336    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


parties  more  or  less  with  its  influences.  Sentiments,  too,  that 
when  first  avowed  by  us,  were  deemed  heretical  and  dangerous, 
are  now  promulgated  from  the  high  places  of  sectarianism  with 
applause;  and  the  very  rules  of  interpreting  scripture,  for 
which  we  have  been  most  shamefully  reproached,  are  now  the 
standard  of  orthodoxy  in  some  of  the  most  respectable  and 
highly  evangelical  schools  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Worlds.* 

•  Haley's  "  Dawn  of  the  Eeformation." 


CHAPTER  XIII 


RESTORATION  AS  AN  IDEAL  AND  AS  A  REALISATION 

THE  Campbellian  movement  having  now  entered  upon 
its  Reconstruction  and  Development  period,  it  must 
henceforth  be  regarded  as  a  new  religious  organisa- 
tion with  definitely  defined  principles  and  aims.  Already 
the  movement  had  gained  adherents  in  several  states  other 
than  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  although  these  two  states  were 
the  chief  centres  from  which  the  movement  was  carried 
westward  and  southward.  A  few  churches  were  estab- 
lished in  the  East,  but  it  never  made  any  substantial 
progress  in  that  direction,  nor  did  it  progress  with  much 
force  towards  the  South  or  toward  the  North,  though  quite 
a  number  of  churches  were  established  in  Virginia,  Mary- 
land, the  Carolinas,  Tennessee,  Alabama,  and  Georgia, 
these  churches  being  planted  chiefly  by  evangelists  from 
Kentucky,  who  also  carried  it  into  Missouri.  From  Ohio 
it  was  carried  into  Michigan,  Indiana,  Wisconsin,  and 
some  other  Western  states. 

Bethany,  W.  Va.,  became  the  head  centre  of  the  move- 
ment, as  here  was  where  Mr.  Campbell  lived,  and  from 
this  place  he  issued  his  publications.  His  name  had  al- 
ready become  famous  through  these  publications,  his  pub- 
lic addresses,  and  especially  his  debates.  Two  of  these 
debates  have  already  been  noticed,  viz.,  the  one  with  Mr. 
Walker  and  the  other  with  Mr.  McCalla.  In  1829,  at 
Cincinnati,  he  held  a  debate  with  Robert  Owen,  in  which 
Mr.  Campbell  defended  the  Christian  religion  against  the 
assaults  of  that  noted  infidel.  Mr.  Owen  had  challenged 
the  entire  clergy  of  America  to  meet  him  in  open  debate, 
and  as  no  one  else  accepted  this  challenge,  Mr.  Campbell 
felt  it  his  duty  to  do  so  in  the  interests  of  a  common 
Christianity.  This  debate  gave  Mr.  Campbell  a  wide- 
spread reputation  in  both  America  and  Europe.  It  was 
perhaps  one  of  the  most  remarkable  debates,  with  respect 
to  the  Christian  religion,  ever  held,  if  indeed  it  can  be 
called  a  debate  at  all.    It  was  generally  conceded  by 


338    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


those  who  heard  it  that  Mr.  Campbell's  defence  of  the 
Christian  religion  was  overwhelming  in  its  conclusiveness. 
Indeed,  at  the  last  Mr.  Owen  practically  abandoned  the 
contest,  and  in  one  of  the  most  remarkable  extemporaneous 
speeches  ever  made,  Mr.  Campbell,  for  twelve  hours,  de- 
fended the  Christian  religion  in  a  manner  which  has  sel- 
dom been  equalled,  and  perhaps  never  surpassed. 

In  the  same  city,  in  January,  1837,  he  held  a  debate  with 
a  Roman  Catholic — Bishop  Purcell — on  the  following 
propositions  : 

1.  The  Roman  Catholic  institution,  sometimes  called  the 
Holy  Apostolic  Church,  is  not  now,  nor  was  she  ever  catholic, 
apostolic,  or  holy;  but  is  a  sect,  in  the  fair  import  of  that 
word,  older  than  any  other  sect  now  existing ;  not  the  "  mother 
and  mistress  of  all  churches  "  but  an  apostasy  from  the  only 
true,  apostolic,  and  catholic  Church  of  Christ. 

2.  Her  notion  of  apostolic  succession  is  without  any  founda- 
tion in  the  Bible,  in  reason,  or  in  fact;  an  imposition  of  the 
most  injurious  consequences,  built  upon  unscriptural  and  anti- 
scriptural  traditions,  resting  whollj'  upon  the  opinions  of  in- 
terested and  fallible  men. 

3.  She  is  not  uniform  in  her  faith  or  united  in  her  members, 
but  mutable  and  fallible  as  any  other  sect  of  philosophy  or 
religion — Jewish,  Turkish,  or  Christian — a  confederation  of 
sects  under  a  politico-ecclesiastic  head. 

4.  She  is  the  Babylon  of  John,  the  Man  of  Sin  of  Paul,  and 
the  Empire  of  the  Youngest  Horn  of  Daniel's  sea  monster. 

5.  Her  notions  of  purgatory,  indulgences,  auricular  con- 
fession, remission  of  sins,  transubstantiation,  supererogation, 
etc.,  essential  elements  of  her  system,  are  immoral  in  their 
tendency  and  injurious  to  the  well-being  of  society,  religious 
and  political. 

6.  Notwithstanding  her  pretensions  to  have  given  us  the 
Bible  and  faith  in  it,  we  are  perfectly  independent  of  her  for 
our  knowledge  of  that  book  and  its  evidences  of  a  divine 
original. 

7.  The  Roman  Catholic  religion,  if  infallible  and  unsuscept- 
ible of  reformation,  as  alleged,  is  essentially  anti-American, 
being  opposed  to  the  genius  of  all  free  institutions  and  posi- 
tively subversive  of  them,  opposing  the  general  reading  of  the 
Scriptures  and  the  diffusion  of  useful  knowledge  among  the 
whole  community,  so  essential  to  liberty  and  the  permanency 
of  good  government. 

Concerning  the  result  of  this  debate  the  following  reso- 
lutions by  a  large  public  meeting  held  at  the  close  of  the 
discussion,  were  passed: 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION 


339 


1.  Resolved,  that  it  is  the  unanimons  opinion  of  this  meet- 
ing that  the  cause  of  Protestantism  has  been  fully  sustained 
throughout  this  discussion. 

2.  Resolved,  that  it  is  our  opinion  the  arguments  in  favour 
of  Protestantism,  and  the  objections  to  the  errors  of  popery, 
have  not  yet  been  met. 

3.  Resolved,  that  we  look  forward  to  the  publication  of  this 
discussion  as  a  powerful  antidote  to  the  sophistry  and  arro- 
gance of  all  the  advocates  of  Romanism ;  and  that  we  have  the 
fullest  confidence  in  submitting  it  to  the  impartial  decision 
of  the  American  people. 

4.  Resolved,  that  we  approve  of  the  spirit  and  temper,  and 
were  pleased  with  the  power  of  argument  and  the  authorities 
by  which  Mr.  Campbell  sustained  his  positions,  and  concur 
with  him  in  possessing  no  unkind  feeling  or  prejudices  towards 
individuals,  but  believe  the  principles  of  Romanism  incon- 
sistent with  our  free  institutions. 

Some  years  after  the  debate,  Bishop  Purcell,  in  con- 
versation with  at  least  two  trustworthy  witnesses,  gave 
it  as  his  opinion  that  Mr.  Campbell  was  one  of  the  ablest 
defenders  of  Protestantism  that  had  ever  spoken  on  the 
subject,  and  furthermore  that  his  fairness  as  a  disputant 
was  worthy  of  all  praise.  It  is  well  known  that  Mr. 
Ow^en  was  lavish  in  his  praise  of  Mr.  Campbell's  courtesy, 
as  well  as  his  conspicuous  ability  as  a  defender  of  the 
Christian  faith. 

These  debates  were  afterwards  published,  and  their 
circulation  throughout  the  country  had  considerable  in- 
fluence upon  the  religious  movement  which  Mr.  Campbell 
was  specially  advocating.  He  accomplished  also  a  great 
deal  for  his  cause  during  his  travels  in  several  of  the 
states. 

Meantime  Mr.  Stone  had  moved  from  Georgetown  to 
Jacksonville,  III.,  and  had  associated  with  him  John  T. 
Johnson  in  the  editorship  of  the  Christian  Messenger, 
which  was  now  published  from  Jacksonville.  This  latter 
place  became  headquarters  for  the  advocacy  of  the  new 
movement,  especially  in  Illinois,  where  the  principles  of 
the  Restoration  began  to  make  considerable  headway. 
When  Mr.  Stone  located  at  Jacksonville,  in  the  autumn  of 
1834,  he  found  two  churches,  a  "  Christian  "  and  "  Re- 
form "  Church.  They  worshipped  in  separate  places.  He 
refused  to  unite  with  either  until  they  united.  Their 
union  was  finally  effected,  and  the  united  church,  under 
the  leadership  of  Mr.  Stone,  became  an  effective  illustra- 


340    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tion  of  Christian  union,  for  which  he  was  pleading  in  his 
periodical. 

In  addition  to  the  Millennial  Harbinger  and  Christian 
Messenger,  several  other  religious  periodicals  were  in  the 
field  about  this  time,  and  these  assisted  very  much  in 
spreading  the  principles  of  the  Restoration  movement. 
But  after  all,  the  main  agency  in  establishing  churches 
was  the  evangelistic  fervour  which  had  characterised  the 
movement  from  the  beginning.  In  Kentucky,  such  men  as 
John  Smith,  John  T.  Johnson,  John  Rogers,  Aylett 
Raines,  B.  F.  Hall,  John  A.  Gano,  Carl  and  Allen  Ken- 
drick,  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  and  others  continued  to  proclaim 
the  simple  Gospel,  as  they  had  learned  it,  wherever  they 
could  secure  a  hearing.  We  have  already  seen  how  the 
same  Gospel  was  early  proclaimed  in  northern  Ohio.  In 
the  southern  part  of  the  state  the  chief  evangelists  were 
Walter  Scott,  D.  S.  Burnett,  James  Challen,  L.  L.  Pinker- 
ton,  L.  H.  Jameson,  and  J.  J.  Moss. 

The  movement  in  Indiana  had  its  origin  mainly  among 
the  "  Christians  "  and  Baptists,  but  soon  gained  largely 
from  other  religious  sources,  but  chiefly  from  the  world, 
by  primary  conversion.  The  pioneers  in  this  work  were 
J.  P.  Thompson,  Beverly  Vawter,  John  O'Kane,  Elijah 
Goodwin,  J.  M.  Mathes,  John  Wright,  L.  H,  Jameson,  S. 
K.  Hoshour,  B.  K.  Smith,  and  Benjamin  Franklin.  Per- 
haps the  two  most  noted  were  O'Kane  and  Franklin. 
The  former  was  appointed  by  the  churches  of  Rush  and 
Fayette  Counties,  in  1833,  as  a  missionary  to  travel 
through  the  state,  and  he  soon  became  a  powerful  advocate 
of  the  principles  of  the  Restoration  movement,  and  through 
his  instrumentality  numerous  churches  were  planted  in 
various  parts  of  the  state.  In  Illinois,  the  labours  of 
B.  W.  Stone  were  strongly  supported  by  such  men  as 
D.  P.  Henderson,  W.  W.  Happy,  Josephus  Hewett,  John  T. 
Jones,  and  others. 

The  cause  was  early  established  in  Missouri.  The 
first  preachers  of  the  new  movement  were  Thomas  McBride 
and  Samuel  Rogers.  These  came  to  the  state  about  the 
time  Missouri  was  admitted  into  the  Union.  "  They  trav- 
elled from  settlement  to  settlement,  carrying  with  them  a 
blanket  on  which  to  sleep,  provisions,  and  the  indispensable 
coffee  pot,  as  the  distance  between  settlements  was  so 
great  that  they  often  camped  out  by  the  wayside."  *  Dur- 

*  Haley's  "  Dawn  of  the  Reformation."  , 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION  841 


ing  the  decade  between  1827  and  1837,  a  large  number  of 
preachers,  connected  with  the  new  movement,  emigrated 
to  Missouri  from  Kentucky.  Among  these  were  Joel  H. 
Haden,  T.  M.  Allen,  M.  P.  Wills,  F.  R.  Palmer,  Absalom 
Rice,  James  Love,  Jacob  and  Joseph  Coons,  Jacob  Creath, 
Esthan  Ballinger,  Allen  Wright,  M.  Sidenor,  Henry 
Thomas,  Duke  Young,  and  Doctor  Ferris.  From  this  fact 
it  will  be  seen  that  Missouri  was  literally  invaded  by  the 
Restoration  preachers  from  Kentucky.  Most  of  these 
preachers  had  been  identified  with  the  "  Christians  "  be- 
fore the  union  took  place  with  the  "  Reformers."  But 
the  churches,  which  they  established  in  Missouri,  before 
the  union  took  place,  readily  fell  into  line  with  the  union 
movement,  and  it  was  not  long  until  the  Disciple  plea 
became  a  potent  religious  factor  throughout  the  entire 
state.  So  decidedly  did  the  principles  of  the  Restoration 
movement  take  effect  in  Missouri,  that  it  is  to-day  the 
banner  state,  both  in  the  number  of  churches  and  member- 
ship, and  perhaps  also  influence,  when  compared  with  other 
states  where  the  greatest  success  has  been  achieved. 

In  lowa^  the  first  church  was  organised  in  1836,  by 
David  R.  Chance,  at  Lost  Creek,  and  the  first  regular 
ministers  were  Aaron  Chatterton  and  Nelson  A.  McCon- 
nell.  Other  pioneer  preachers,  such  as  John  Rigdon, 
S.  H.  Bonham,  Jonas  Hartzel,  John  Martindale,  Pardee 
Butler,  Daniel  Bates^  D.  P.  Henderson,  Allen  Hickey, 
S.  B.  Downing,  and  J.  K.  Cornell  also  became  efficient 
evangelists  at  this  particular  time. 

While  other  states  had  here  and  there  churches  estab- 
lished during  this  pioneer  period,  the  states  mentioned 
became  the  chief  centres  of  the  movement  just  before  and 
after  the  union  of  the  "  Christians  "  and  ^'  Reformers." 

No  trustworthy  statistics  can  be  obtained  as  to  the 
number  of  Disciples  during  the  decade  under  consideration. 
Many  of  the  churches  did  not  keep  a  record  of  their 
membership,  and  as  there  was  no  general  organisation 
wherein  the  churches  were  represented,  very  little  trust- 
worthy information  can  be  obtained  except  what  is  scat- 
tered through  the  various  periodicals  of  that  day.  How- 
ever, a  patient  look  through  the  reports  from  the  churches 
and  evangelistic  field  makes  it  evident  that  the  whole 
number  of  Disciples  must  have  been  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  100,000,  perhaps  150,000,  as  the  former  is  a  very  con- 


342    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHKIST 

servative  estimate.  The  greatest  increase  had  followed 
the  lines  of  emigration,  moving  from  the  two  chief  centres, 
Ohio  and  Kentucky,  westward;  though  with  considerable 
deflection  toward  the  south  and  northwest.  Nearly 
every  preacher  was  an  evangelist,  and  it  is  surprising  at  the 
present  time  how  many  of  these  devoted  their  untiring 
energies  to  preaching  the  Gospel,  without  money,  and 
without  price.  Most  of  them  were  uneducated  men,  but 
they  knew  their  Bible,  and  they  knew  the  people  with 
whom  they  came  in  contact;  and  adapting  their  message 
to  the  people,  the  result  was  a  very  rapid  spread  of  the 
great  plea  for  which  they  contended. 

The  difficulty  was  to  take  care  of  the  churches  they 
were  planting.  At  this  time  there  seems  to  have  been 
little  thought  about  Avhat  would  become  of  the  converts 
when  the  evangelist  left.  Generally  he  stayed  only  a 
week  or  two,  and  then  went  on  to  other  fields  of  conquest. 
The  new  converts,  where  the  new  church  was  planted, 
were  frequently  without  leadership  of  any  kind  that  was 
at  all  competent  to  help  these  young  disciples.  The  elder- 
ship, which  had  been  proposed  in  Mr.  Campbell's  extra 
on  "  Order,"  worked  well  enough  in  some  places.  Where 
there  were  men  capable  of  performing  the  functions  of  the 
elder's  office,  the  churches  got  on  very  w^ell;  but  in  most 
cases  the  men  who  were  appointed  to  the  eldership  had  few 
if  any  of  the  qualifications  described  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment; and  the  result  was  that  these  churches  would  have 
been  better  off  without  any  elders  at  all;  and  yet,  one 
of  the  features  of  this  sj^stem  was  that  every  church  should 
itself  be  set  in  order,  and  that,  too,  with  a  plurality  of 
elders.  In  some  churches  there  was  at  least  one  man 
who  might  have  been  useful  in  overseeing  the  flock,  but 
from  the  very  beginning  of  the  movement  the  "  one  man 
system,"  as  it  was  called,  was  considered  as  a  relic  of  the 
apostasy,  and  could  not  therefore  be  tolerated  for  a 
moment. 

Mr.  Campbell  himself  began  to  see  some  of  the  fruits 
of  his  own  teaching.  In  the  Christian  Baptist  he  had 
flayed  the  clergy  with  such  tremendous  vigour  that  his 
own  people  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  system 
which  seemed  to  recognise  the  "  one  man  power."  Of 
course  it  was  easy  to  pervert  Mr.  Campbell's  teaching, 
and  this  was  what  was  frequently  done  by  those  who  ad- 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION 


343 


vocated  what  was  little  less  than  a  wild  democracy  in 
the  administration  of  the  churches.  Mr.  Campbell's  at- 
tack on  the  clergy  was  simply  a  strong  protest  against 
the  abuse  of  an  order  of  things,  which,  when  legitimately 
used,  had  its  foundation  in  the  Scriptures;  and  it  is  per- 
haps an  undeniable  fact  that  there  was  much  ground  for 
a  vigorous  onslaught  upon  the  clergy  during  the  time  he 
published  the  Christian  Baptist.  Progress  is  never  in 
straight  lines,  nor  does  everything  move  in  parallel  col- 
umns. One  thing  at  a  time  is  the  general  law  by  which 
progress  is  made.  If  we  have  too  many  irons  in  the  fire 
some  of  them  will  burn.  When  Mr.  Campbell  saw  an  evil 
he  struck  at  it  with  all  the  might  he  could  control.  Some- 
times in  killing  the  evil  he  crucified  the  good  that  was 
under  it,  and  the  ghost  of  this  crucified  good  frequently 
came  up  in  after  years  to  haunt  him,  as  did  the  ghost  of 
an  efiflcient  ministry  rise  up  to  haunt  him  while  he  was 
trying  to  stay  the  anarchal  tendencies  which  characterised 
the  churches  toward  the  close  of  the  Chaotic  period. 

But  he  was  never  unequal  to  an  emergency,  even  if  he 
himself  was  the  cause  of  it.  The  Harbinger  for  1838  opens 
with  a  luminous  statement  concerning  the  religious  out- 
look, and  it  clearly  foreshadows  a  reaction  with  respect 
to  several  things,  and  one  of  these  is,  there  must  be  more 
attention  given  to  the  care  of  the  churches,  to  the  de- 
velopment of  the  spiritual  life,  and  to  co-operation  for 
effective  work,  so  that  a  new  day  might  come  to  the 
churches,  and  thereby  help  the  evangelistic  zeal  to  become 
a  permanent  force.  The  following  extract  is  very  sug- 
gestive : 

The  times  are  yet  truly  degenerate.  It  is,  indeed,  an  age  of 
improvement  in  everything  but  moral  and  religious  living. 
New  roads,  canals,  cities,  and  projects  innumerable  engross 
the  attention  of  the  community;  and  benevolent  schemes, 
domestic  and  foreign,  have  almost  exhausted  the  copiousness 
of  our  vernacular  for  suitable  designations.  Against  all  these 
improvements  we  utter  no  complaint;  but  we  do  say,  that  the 
great  multitude  of  professors  are  as  carnal,  selfish,  sensual, 
and  worldly  as  ever:  that  living,  talking,  acting  religion — 
vital  piety — heaven-toned,  heaven-taught,  heaven-inspired  piety 
and  virtue,  are  not  the  characteristics  of  the  Christian  profes- 
sion in  the  present  century ;  nor  ever  will  they  be  while  there 
is  so  much  opinionism  and  sectarian  contention — so  much 
party  spirit  and  party  zeal  as  now  urge  the  movements  of 


344   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


ecclesiastic  bodies.  Multitudes,  indeed,  yearly  assume  the 
Christian  name,  and  of  these  we  doubt  not  there  are  many  ex- 
cellent spirits  determined  for  eternal  life;  but  what  are  these 
to  the  great  aggregate?  How  few  congregations,  neighbour- 
hoods, families,  and  even  individuals,  are  living  as  though 
they  were  seeking  the  eternal  city — the  house  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens — as  though  they  earnestly  desired 
the  coming  of  the  Lord  and  the  glories  that  shall  follow! 

To  extend  the  Christian  profession,  rather  than  to  elevate 
it,  has  been  too  much  the  spirit  of  modern  enterprise.  To 
extend  it  is,  indeed,  most  desirable  and  most  consonant  to  the 
suggestions  of  the  Christian  spirit ;  but  few  seem  to  apprehend 
that  to  elevate  it  is  the  surer  and  speedier  way  to  extend  it. 
The  boundaries  between  the  church  and  the  world  are  not  suf- 
ficiently prominent  to  strike  the  attention  of  the  truly  inquisi- 
tive. The  heavenly  character  of  Christ's  religion  is  so  deeply 
veiled  under  the  garb  of  expedient  conformity  to  worldly  max- 
ims and  worldly  interests,  that  it  is  too  dimly  seen  to  command 
the  attention  of  even  those  who  ardently  seek  for  some  sub- 
stantial joys  to  fill  an  empty  mind. 

Our  brethren  in  the  cause  of  reformation  are  indeed  sur- 
rounded with  some  unpropitious  circumstances.  They  begin 
with  theory,  and  their  opponents  are  determined  always  to 
keep  them  in  it.  The  reformer  is  too  often  regarded  as  the  as- 
sailant, and  the  objects  of  his  benevolence  feel  as  though  they 
ought  to  stand  upon  the  defensive.  So  we  have  been  often  re- 
garded. But  while  we  earnestly  contend  for  the  faith 
anciently  delivered,  we  ought  to  remember  that  even  that  faith 
was  delivered  for  the  sake  of  its  living,  active,  and  eternal 
fruits. 

We  say  that  we  intend  the  second  volume  to  have  a  supreme 
regard  to  the  practical  side  of  the  questions  introduced.  It 
will  no  doubt  be  still  somewhat  controversial.  While  error, 
immorality,  and  impiety,  are  on  earth,  every  good  man  must, 
less  or  more,  be  a  controversialist.  Not  to  be  a  controver- 
sialist is  not  to  be  a  Christian  in  such  cases.  But  a  controversy 
for  opinions,  for  abstractions,  is  only  an  abuse  of  the  freedom 
of  speech — and  of  this  sort  there  have  already  been  many  thou- 
sands to  many.  Whatever  can  purify  the  heart,  enlarge  the 
soul,  refine  the  manners,  and  elevate  the  aspirations  of  Chris- 
tians, we  regard  as  fairly  practical.  And  in  order  to  personal 
excellence  and  happiness,  there  is  nothing  more  direct  and 
potent  than  a  full  discharge  of  relative  duties.  On  these,  then, 
we  must  labour  more  and  more ;  for  of  this  species  of  labour  we 
daily  perceive  a  growing,  a  rapidly  increasing  need. 

The  passion  for  wealth  and  power  was  never  more  active 
and  impetuous  in  any  community  than  it  now  appears  to  be 
in  these  United  States.  The  very  frame  of  our  government, 
our  constitution,  laws,  bills  of  rights,  are  all  occasionally  de- 
fied, and  trodden  under  foot,  and  threatened  with  utter  pros- 
tration and  ruin  at  the  impulse  of  these  passions.  Mobs, 
arson,  murder,  in  order  to  put  down  offensive  opinions,  or  to 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION  345 

prevent  the  discussion  of  them,  are  now  the  order  of  the  day ; 
and  all  opinions  are  fast  becoming  offensive  which  impede, 
even  by  the  restraints  of  civil  institutions,  the  passion  for 
wealth  and  power. 

Such,  alas!  being  the  facts,  the  undeniable  facts,  too  well 
proved  already  in  surrounding  society,  how,  we  ask,  ought 
Christians  to  watch  and  pray  that  they  may  not  be  abandoned 
to  temptation — that  they  may  be  kept  pure  and  unspotted 
from  the  vices  of  this  age?  To  those  desirous  to  make  their 
calling  and  election  sure  we  desire  to  lend  a  helping  hand  in 
the  following  volume. 

In  this  same  volume  there  are  many  indications  that 
clearly  point  to  the  fact  that  Mr.  Campbell,  at  this  time, 
was  fully  conscious  that  the  Restoration  movement  might, 
after  all,  run  off  the  track.  In  calling  attention  to  a  few 
fundamental  things,  and  emphasising  these  almost  ex- 
clusively, the  great  practical  side  of  the  Christian  life 
was  likely  to  be  neglected;  and  yet,  without  this,  mere 
exactness  in  Scriptural  teaching,  concerning  w^hat  at  that 
time  was  called  "  first  principles,"  would  end,  at  best, 
in  only  a  partial  return  to  New  Testament  Christianity. 
The  Disciples  had  been  so  much  engaged  in  spreading 
their  principles  that  they  came  perilously  near  losing  sight 
of  the  practice  of  these  principles ;  and  this  was  especially 
true  w4th  respect  to  the  organisation  and  development 
of  the  churches.  It  was  now  time  to  begin  earnest  work 
at  this  end  of  the  line,  and  this  was  precisely  what  Mr. 
Campbell  began  to  do  through  the  Harbinger,  and  through 
other  means  at  his  command.  In  this  work  he  had  a 
strong  and  faithful  helper  in  B.  W.  Stone,  through  the 
Christian  Messenger.  A  new  day  began  to  dawn,  though 
it  was  some  time  before  the  sun  shone  brightly. 

Another  trouble  began  to  manifest  itself,  and  this  also 
was  owing  to  placing  too  much  en^phasis  upon  an  exact 
reproduction  of  apostolic  Christianity  in  every  respect. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  has  never  been  a  time  since 
the  Apostles  when  Primitive  Christianity,  in  its  faith, 
doctrine,  and  life,  could  be  fully  reproduced  in  both  prin- 
ciple and  method,  for  the  reason  that  methods  are  always 
changing.  Principles  are  eternal,  but  methods  are  tran- 
sient. As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Disciple  movement,  from 
the  very  beginning,  developed  directly  opposite  to  some 
of  the  methods  of  the  Apostles.  This  was  especially  true 
as  regards  some  features  of  evangelism.     The  Apostles 


346    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


made  their  chief  attack  upon  the  great  cities,  the  centres 
of  civilisation,  commercial  enterprise,  and  literary  activity. 
They  went  from  city  to  city  and  sought  to  "  turn  the  world 
upside  down  "  by  first  turning  the  cities  upside  down. 
The  Disciples  began  their  evangelistic  operations  in  the 
country  and  villages;  and  even  at  the  present  time  they 
have  failed  to  make  a  very  determined  effort  to  capture 
many  of  the  great  cities.  In  a  few  cities  their  influence 
is  strongly  felt,  but  in  most  of  the  cities  throughout  the 
United  States,  as  well  as  other  countries,  they  are  not 
a  force. 

Now  it  is  probable  that  the  Disciple  movement  would 
have  failed  entirely  if  the  pioneer  preachers  had  confined 
themselves  chiefly  to  the  cities.  They  were  unsuited  for 
city  work,  and  their  zeal  would  perhaps  have  conquered 
their  patience  in  dealing  with  city  problems.  It  was 
perhaps  a  wise  Providence  that  guided  them  to  leave  the 
cities  mainly  alone,  and  plant  their  churches  in  the  coun- 
try and  villages.  This  at  least  is  what  they  did,  and  it 
is  highly  probable  that  this,  at  the  time,  was  a  wise  course 
to  pursue. 

Another  fact  has  to  be  taken  into  account  with  respect 
to  the  extreme  view  of  exactness  which  became  so  preva- 
lent during  the  thirties.  The  Apostles  did  not  have  to 
deal  with  an  abnormal  Christianity.  They  had  a  plain, 
unmistakable  issue  to  make.  This  was  with  heathenism 
on  one  side,  and  Judaism  on  the  other.  But  the  Camp- 
bellian  movement  had  to  deal  with  an  apostasy  which, 
while  it  "  began  to  work "  during  Apostolic  times,  did 
not  become  fully  developed  until  the  Middle  Ages. 

Several  religious  movements  antedated  that  made  by 
the  Disciples.  These  all  did  something  in  restoring  the 
ancient  order  of  things.  But  when  the  Disciple  movement 
began,  it  had  to  deal  with  not  only  the  unconverted  mil- 
lions, but  also  with  abnormal  churches  and  professing 
Christians  who  illustrated  only  a  partial  return  to  the 
primitive  faith  and  practice.  Mr.  Campbell,  at  least,  rec- 
ognised this  fact,  and  while  he  contended  for  the  perfect 
plan  of  salvation,  as  revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  he  never- 
theless constantly  recognised  that  there  might  be  a  very 
conscientious,  imperfect  obedience  to  all  that  this  plan 
implies.  In  short,  he  recognised  the  difference  between 
the  New  Testament  ideal  and  the  human  realisation  of 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION  347 


this  ideal.  The  former  of  these  could  not  be  improved; 
the  latter  furnished  a  problem  for  constant  attention, 
education,  and  development,  and  also  for  the  exercise  of 
charity  toward  those  who  did  not,  in  every  respect,  reach 
the  ideal. 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  this  point  of  view,  he  did 
not  make  any  one  feature  of  the  plan  of  salvation  to  com- 
prehend the  whole  plan,  and  he  constantly  recognised  the 
fact  that  some  of  the  features,  under  certain  circumstances, 
might  be  omitted,  without  entirely  vitiating  Christian 
character,  though  this  view  of  the  matter  did  not  hinder 
him  from  contending  earnestly  for  everything  that  the 
New  Testament  enjoins  with  respect  to  the  Gospel  and 
the  Church. 

However,  he  soon  saw  that  some  of  the  Disciples,  in 
making  their  plea  for  the  New  Testament  ideal,  were 
running  to  a  fatal  extreme  in  not  recognising  the  state 
of  religious  society  with  which  they  had  to  deal,  and 
also  the  imperfections  of  human  nature  in  realising  a  per- 
fect ideal.  This  brought  him  to  say  some  very  earnest 
things  in  the  Harbinger  of  1837. 

In  a  letter  to  a  sister,  who  had  addressed  him  from 
Lunenburg,  with  respect  to  whether  there  are  any  Chris- 
tians among  Protestant  parties,  Mr.  Campbell  says: 

In  reply  to  this  conscientious  sister,  I  observe,  that  if  there 
be  no  Christians  in  the  Protestant  sects,  there  are  certainly 
none  among  the  Romanists,  none  among  the  Jews,  Turks, 
Pagans;  and  therefore,  no  Christians  in  the  world  except  our- 
selves, or  such  of  us  as  keep,  or  strive  to  keep,  all  the  com- 
mandments of  Jesus.  Therefore,  for  many  centuries  there  has 
been  no  church  of  Christ,  no  Christians  in  the  world;  and  the 
promises  concerning  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  Messiah  have 
failed,  and  the  gates  of  hell  have  prevailed  against  his  church. 
This  cannot  be ;  and  therefore  there  are  Christians  among  the 
sects. 

But  who  is  a  Christian?  I  answer.  Every  one  that  believes 
in  his  heart  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of 
God ;  repents  of  his  sins,  and  obeys  hira  in  all  things  according 
to  his  measure  of  knowledge  of  his  will.  A  perfect  man  in 
Christ,  or  a  perfect  Christian,  is  one  thing ;  and  a  "  babe  in 
Christ,"  a  stripling  in  the  faith,  or  an  imperfect  Christian,  is 
another.  The  New  Testament  recognises  both  the  perfect  man 
and  the  imperfect  man  in  Christ.  The  former,  indeed,  implies 
the  latter.  Paul  commands  the  imperfect  Christians  to  be 
perfect  (II.  Cor.  iii :  11),  and  says  he  wishes  the  perfection  of 
Christians.    "  And  this  also  we  wish "  for  you  saints  in 


348    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Corinth,  '•  even  your  perfection ;  "  and  again  he  says,  "  We 
speak  wisdom  among  the  i^erfect "  (I.  Cor.  ii:  6),  and  he  com- 
mands them  to  be  "perfect  in  understanding"  (I.  Cor. 
xiv:  20)  and  in  many  other  places  implies  or  speaks  the  same 
things.  Now  there  is  a  perfection  of  will,  of  temper,  and  of 
behaviour.  There  is  a  perfect  state  and  a  perfect  character. 
And  hence  it  is  possible  for  Christians  to  be  imperfect  in  some 
respects  without  an  absolute  forfeiture  of  the  Christian  state 
and  character.  Paul  speaks  of  "  carnal "  Christians,  of 
"  weak  "  and  "  strong  "  Christians ;  and  the  Lord  Jesus  admits 
that  some  of  the  good  and  honest-hearted  bring  forth  only 
thirty  fold,  while  others  bring  forth  sixty,  and  some  a  hundred 
fold  increase  of  the  fruits  of  righteousness. 

But  every  one  is  wont  to  condemn  others  in  that  in  which  he 
is  more  intelligent  than  they;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  he  is 
condemned  for  his  Pharisaism  or  his  immodesty  and  rash 
judgment  of  others,  by  those  that  excel  in  the  things  in  which 
he  is  deficient.  I  cannot,  therefore,  make  any  one  duty  the 
standard  of  Christian  state  or  character,  not  even  immersion 
into  the  name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  in  my  heart  regard  all  that  have  been  sprinkled  in 
infancy  without  their  own  knowledge  and  consent,  as  aliens 
from  Christ  and  the  well-gi'ounded  hope  of  heaven.  "  Sal- 
vation was  of  the  Jews,"  acknowledged  the  Messiah ;  and  yet 
he  said  of  a  foreigner,  an  alien  from  the  commonwealth  of 
Israel,  a  Syro-Phenician,  "  I  have  not  found  so  great  faith — 
no,  not  in  Israel." 

Should  I  find  a  Pedo-baptist  more  intelligent  in  the  Chris- 
tian Scriptures,  more  spiritually  minded,  and.  more  devoted  to 
the  Lord  than  a  Baptist,  or  one  immersed  on  a  profession  of 
the  ancient  faith,  I  could  not  hesitate  a  moment  in  giving  the 
preference  of  my  heart  to  him  who  loveth  most.  Did  I  act 
otherwise,  I  would  be  a  pure  sectarian,  a  Pharisee  among 
Christians.  Still  I  will  be  asked.  How  do  I  know  that  any 
one  loves  my  Master  but  by  his  obedience  to  His  command- 
ments? I  answer,  In  no  other  icay.  But  mark,  I  do  not  sub- 
stitute obedience  to  one  commandment,  for  universal  or  even 
for  general  obedience.  And  should  I  see  a  sectarian  Baptist 
or  a  Pedo-baptist  more  spiritually  minded,  more  generally 
conformed  to  the  requisitions  of  the  Messiah,  than  one  who 
precisely  acquiesces  with  me  in  the  theory  or  practice  of  im- 
mersion as  I  teach,  doubtless  the  former  rather  than  the  latter 
would  have  my  cordial  approbation  and  love  as  a  Christian. 
So  I  judge,  and  so  I  feel.  It  is  the  image  of  Christ  the  Chris- 
tian looks  for  and  loves;  and  this  does  not  consist  in  being 
exact  in  a  few  items,  but  in  general  devotion  to  the  whole 
truth  as  far  as  known.  With  me  mistakes  of  the  understand- 
ing and  errors  of  the  affections  are  not  to  be  confounded. 
They  are  as  distant  as  the  poles.  An  angel  may  mistake  the 
meaning  of  a  commandment,  but  he  will  obey  it  in  the  sense 
in  which  he  understands  it.    John  Bunyan  and  John  Newton 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION 


349 


were  very  different  persons,  and  had  very  different  views  of 
baptism,  and  of  some  other  things;  yet  they  were  both  dis- 
posed to  obey,  and  to  the  extent  of  their  knowledge  did  obey 
the  Lord  in  everything. 

There  are  mistakes  with,  and  without  depravity.  There  are 
wilful  errors  which  all  the  world  must  condemn,  and  unavoid- 
able mistakes  which  every  one  will  pity.  The  Apostles  mis- 
took the  l?>aviour  when  he  said  concerning  John,  "  What  if  I 
will  that  John  tarry  till  I  come?"  but  the  Jews  perverted  his 
words  when  they  alleged  that  Abraham  had  died,  in  proof  that 
he  spake  falsely  when  he  said,  "  If  a  man  keep  my  word  he 
shall  never  see  death." 

Many  a  good  man  has  been  mistaken.  Mistakes  are  to  be 
regarded  as  culpable  and  as  declarative  of  a  corrupt  heart 
only  when  they  proceed  from  a  wilful  neglect  of  the  means  of 
knowing  what  is  commanded.  Ignorance  is  always  a  crime 
when  it  is  voluntary;  and  innocent  when  it  is  involuntary. 
Now,  unless  I  could  prove  that  all  who  neglect  the  positive 
institutions  of  Christ  and  have  substituted  for  them  something 
else  of  human  authority,  do  it  knowingly,  or,  if  not  knowingly, 
are  voluntarily  ignorant  of  what  is  written,  I  could  not,  I 
dare  not  say  that  their  mistakes  are  such  as  unChristianise 
all  their  professions. 

True,  indeed,  that  it  is  always  a  misfortune  to  be  ignorant  of 
anything  in  the  Bible,  and  very  generally  it  is  criminal.  But 
how  many  are  there  who  cannot  read ;  and  of  those  who  can 
read,  how  many  are  so  deficient  in  education ;  and  of  those 
educated,  how  many  are  ruled  by  the  authority  of  those  whom 
they  regard  as  superiors  in  knowledge  and  piety  that  they  can 
never  escape  out  of  the  dust  and  smoke  of  their  own  chimney, 
where  they  happened  to  be  born  and  educated !  These  all 
suffer  many  privations  and  many  perplexities,  from  which  the 
more  intelligent  are  exempt. 

The  preachers  of  essentials "  as  well  as  the  preachers  of 
"  non-essentials,"  frequently  err.  The  Essentialist  may  dis- 
parage the  heart,  while  the  non-Essentialist  despises  the  insti- 
tution. The  latter  makes  void  the  institutions  of  Heaven, 
while  the  former  appreciates  not  the  mental  bias  on  which  God 
looketh  most.  My  correspondent  may  belong  to  a  class  who 
think  that  we  detract  from  the  authority  and  value  of  an  insti- 
tution the  moment  we  admit  the  bare  possibility  of  any  one 
being  saved  without  it.  But  we  chose  rather  to  associate  with 
those  who  think  that  they  do  not  undervalue  either  seeing  or 
hearing,  by  affirming  that  neither  of  them,  nor  both  of  them 
together,  are  essential  to  life.  I  would  not  sell  one  of  my 
eyes  for  all  the  gold  on  earth;  yet  I  could  live  without  it. 

There  is  no  occasion,  then,  for  making  immersion,  on  a 
profession  of  the  faith,  absolutely  essential  to  a  Christian — 
though  it  may  be  greatly  essential  to  his  sanctification  and 
comfort.  My  right  hand  and  my  right  eye  are  greatly  essential 
to  my  usefulness  and  happiness,  but  not  to  my  life;  and  as  I 


350    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


could  not  be  a  perfect  man  without  them,  so  I  cannot  be  a 
perfect  Christian  without  a  right  understanding  and  a  cordial 
reception  of  immersion  in  its  true  and  scriptural  meaning  and 
design.  But  he  that  thence  infers  that  none  are  Christians 
but  the  immersed,  as  greatly  errs  as  he  who  affirms  that  none 
are  alive  but  those  of  clear  and  full  vision. 

I  do  not  formally  answer  all  the  queries  proposed,  knowing 
the  one  point  to  which  they  all  aim.  To  that  point  only  I 
direct  these  remarks.  And  while  I  would  unhesitatingly  say, 
that  I  think  that  every  man  who  despises  any  ordinance  of 
Christ,  or  who  is  willingly  ignorant  of  it,  cannot  be  a  Chris- 
tian; still  I  should  sin  against  my  own  convictions,  should  I 
teach  any  one  to  think  that  if  he  mistook  the  meaning  of  any 
institution,  while  in  his  soul  he  desired  to  know  the  whole 
will  of  God,  he  must  perish  forever.  But  to  conclude  for  the 
present — he  that  claims  for  himself  a  license  to  neglect  the 
least  of  all  the  commandments  of  Jesus,  because  it  is  possible 
for  some  to  be  saved,  who,  through  insuperable  ignorance  or 
involuntary  mistake,  do  neglect  or  transgress  it ;  or  he  that 
wilfully  neglects  to  ascertain  the  will  of  the  Lord  to  the  whole 
extent  of  his  means  and  opportunities,  because  some  who  are 
defective  in  that  knowledge  may  be  Christians,  is  not  possessed 
of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  cannot  be  registered  among  the 
Lord's  people.  So  I  reason;  and  I  think  in  so  reasoning  I  am 
sustained  by  all  the  Prophets  and  Apostles  of  both  Testa- 
ments. 

This  whole  letter  is  copied  here  because  of  its  historical 
importance.  No  other  deliverance  of  Mr.  Campbell  so 
thoroughly  reveals  his  real  feelings  toward  the  religious 
denominations  as  this  does.  It  is  really  esoteric  in  its 
character,  and  gives  us  a  view  of  Mr.  Campbell's  heart- 
life  w^hich  must  elevate  him  in  the  estimation  of  even  his 
enemies. 

Nevertheless,  this  deliverance  was  entirely  too  liberal 
for  some  of  the  brethren  who  were  unable  to  occupy  Mr. 
Campbell's  point  of  view.  Carrying  their  notions  of  Scrip- 
tural exactness  to  an  extreme  which  could  only  be  reached 
by  ignoring  all  the  Protestant  movements  of  the  past, 
as  well  as  the  imperfections  of  human  nature,  they  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  under  no  circumstances  could 
men  be  called  Christians  who  failed,  in  any  respect,  to 
meet  all  the  conditions  of  the  Gospel  and  the  institutions 
of  the  Church.  Consequently,  this  deliverance  of  Mr. 
Campbell  brought  on  him  at  once  the  severest  criticism 
from  some  of  the  super-sound  brethren  who  did  not  be- 
lieve that  any  part  of  the  plan  of  salvation  could  be 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION 


351 


omitted  without  unchristianising  those  who  made  tlio 
omission.  In  reply  to  strictures  from  his  brethren,  Mi*. 
Campbell,  in  the  same  year,  animadverts  as  follows : 

1.  We  were  solicited  by  a  sister  to  explain  a  saying  quoted 
from  the  current  volume  of  this  work,  concerning  finding 
"  Christians  in  all  Protestant  Parties."  She  proposed  a  list 
of  questions,  involving,  as  she  supposed,  either  insuperable  dif- 
ficulties or  strong  objections  to  that  saying,  and  because  she 
well  knew  what  answers  I  would  have  given  to  all  her  queries, 
I  answered  them  not;  but  attended  to  the  difficulty  which  I 
imagined  she  felt  in  the  aforesaid  saying. 

2.  But  we  had  still  more  urgent  reasons  than  the  difficulties 
of  this  sister  to  express  such  an  opinion : — Some  of  our  breth- 
ren were  too  much  addicted  to  denouncing  the  sects  and  repre- 
senting them  en  masse  as  wholly  aliens  from  the  possibility  of 
salvation — as  wholly  anti-Christian  and  corrupt.  Now  as  the 
Lord  says  of  Babylon,  "  Come  out  of  her,  my  people/'  1  felt 
constrained  to  rebuke  them  over  the  shoulders  of  this  inquisi- 
tive lady.  These  ver}-  zealous  brethren  gave  countenance  to 
the  popular  clamour  that  we  make  baptism  a  saviour,  or  a 
passport  to  heaven,  disparging  all  the  private  and  social  vir- 
tues of  the  professing  public.  Now  as  they  were  propounding 
opinions  to  others,.  I  intended  to  bring  them  to  the  proper 
medium  by  propounding  an  opinion  to  them  in  terms  as  strong 
and  as  pungent  as  their  own. 

The  case  is  this :  When  I  see  a  person  who  would  die  for 
Christ ;  whose  brotherly  kindness,  sympathy,  and  active  benev- 
olence know  no  bounds  but  his  circumstances;  whose  seat  in 
the  Christian  assembly  is  never  empty;  whose  inward  piety 
and  devotion  are  attested  by  punctual  obedience  to  every 
known  duty;  whose  family  is  educated  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord; 
whose  constant  companion  is  the  Bible;  I  say,  when  I  see  such 
a  one  ranked  amongst  heathen  men  and  publicans,  because  he 
never  happened  to  inquire,  but  always  took  it  for  granted 
that  he  had  been  scripturally  baptised ;  and  that,  too,  by  one 
greatly  destitute  of  all  these  public  and  private  virtues,  whose 
chief  or  exclusive  recommendation  is  that  he  has  been  im- 
mersed, and  that  he  holds  a  Scriptural  theory  of  the  gospel; 
I  feel  no  disposition  to  flatter  such  a  one,  but  rather  to  disabuse 
him  of  his  error.  And  while  I  would  not  lead  the  most  ex- 
cellent professor  in  any  sect  to  disparage  the  least  of  all  the 
commandments  of  Jesus,  I  would  say  to  my  immersed  brother 
as  Paul  said  to  his  Jewish  brother  who  glorified  in  a  system 
which  he  did  not  adorn:  "  Sir,  will  not  his  uncircumcision,  or 
unbaptism,  be  counted  to  him  for  baptism?  and  will  he  not 
condemn  you,  who,  though  having  the  literal  and  true  baptism, 
yet  dost  trangress  or  neglect  the  statutes  of  your  King?  " 

3.  We  have  a  third  reason :  We  have  been  always  accused  of 
aspiring  to  build  up  and  head  a  party,  while  in  truth  we  have 
always  been  forced  to  occupy  the  ground  on  which  we  now 


352    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


stand.  I  have  for  one  or  two  years  past  laboured  to  annul 
this  impression,  which  I  know  is  more  secretly  and  generally 
bandied  about  than  one  in  a  hundred  of  our  brethren  may 
suspect.  On  this  account  I  consented  the  more  readily  to  de- 
fend Protestantism;  and  I  have,  in  ways  more  than  I  shall 
now  state,  endeavoured  to  show  the  Protestant  public  that  it  is 
with  the  greatest  reluctance  we  are  compelled  to  stand  aloof 
from  them — that  they  are  the  cause  of  this  great  "  schism  " 
as  they  call  it,  and  not  we. 

Now,  with  this  exposition  in  mind,  let  us  examine  the  mean- 
ing of  the  alleged  concession.  And  first  let  me  ask,  What 
could  induce  us  to  make  it  at  this  crisis?  or,  I  should  more 
correctly  say,  to  repeat  it  so  strongly? 

No  one  will  say  our  opponents  have  compelled  us  by  force  of 
argument  to  make  it.  Themselves  being  judges,  we  have  lost 
nothing  in  argument.  All  agree  that  the  "  concession "  was 
uncalled  for — a  perfect  free-will  offering. 

Neither  can  they  say  that  we  envy  their  standing,  or  would 
wish  to  occupy  their  ground ;  because  to  say  nothing  of  our 
having  the  pure  original  gospel  institutions  among  us,  regard- 
ing us  merely  as  a  new  sect,  like  themselves,  we  have  no  reason 
to  wish  to  be  with  them,  inasmuch  as  we  have  the  best  proselyt- 
ing system  in  Christendom.  Faith,  repentance,  and  baptism 
for  the  remission  of  sins,  with  all  the  promises  of  the  Christian 
adoption  and  the  heavenly  calling  to  those  who  thus  put  on 
Christ,  is  incomparably  in  advance  of  the  sectarian  altar  and 
the  straw — the  mourning  bench,  the  anxious  seat,  and  all  the 
other  paraphernalia  of  modern  proselytism.  That  it  is  so 
practically  as  well  as  theoretically,  appears  from  the  fact  of  its 
unprecedented  advances  upon  the  most  discerning  and  devout 
portions  of  the  Protestant  parties.  No  existing  party  in  this 
or  in  the  fatherlands  has  so  steadily  and  rapidly  advanced  as 
that  now  advocating  the  religion  of  the  New  Testament.  It 
has  been  successfully  plead  within  a  few  years  in  almost  every 
state  and  territory  in  this  great  confederacy,  and  even  in  for- 
eign countries. 

All  agree,  for  a  thousand  experiments  prove  it,  that  all  that 
is  wanting  is  a  competent  number  of  intelligent  and  consistent 
proclaimers,  to  its  general  if  not  universal  triumph,  over  all 
opposing  systems.  We  have  lost  much,  indeed,  by  the  folly, 
hypocrisy,  and  wickedness  of  many  pretenders,  and  by  the  im- 
prudence and  precipitancy  of  some  good  brethren ;  yet,  from 
year  to  year  it  bears  up  and  advances  with  increasing  pros- 
perity, as  the  present  season  very  satisfactorily  attests. 

Do  we,  then,  seek  to  make  and  lead  a  large  exclusive  sect  or 
party?  Have  we  not  the  means?  Why  then  concede  any- 
thing— even  the  bare  possibility  of  salvation  in  any  other 
party,  if  actuated  by  such  fleshly  and  selfish  considerations? 
With  all  these  facts  and  reasonings  fresh  in  our  view,  I  ask, 
Is  not  such  a  concession — such  a  free  will  offering,  at  such  a 
time,  the  most  satisfactory  and  unanswerable  refutation  that 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION  353 


could  be  given  to  the  calumny  that  we  seek  the  glory  of  build- 
ing a  new  sect  in  religion?  If,  then,  as  some  of  our  opponents 
say,  we  have  made  a  new  and  unexpected  concession  in  their 
favour,  we  have  done  it  at  such  a  time,  in  such  circumstances, 
and  with  such  prospects  before  us,  as  ought  (we  think)  hence- 
forth to  silence  their  imputation  and  reproaches  on  the  ground 
of  selfish  or  partizan  views  and  feelings. 

Some  of  our  fellow-labourers  seem  to  forget  that  approaches 
are  more  in  the  spirit  and  style  of  the  Saviour,  than  reproaches. 
We  have  proved  to  our  entire  satisfaction,  that  having  ob- 
tained a  favourable  hearing,  a  conciliatory,  meek,  and  bene- 
volent attitude  is  not  only  the  most  comely  and  Christian-like, 
but  the  most  successful.  Many  of  the  Protestant  teachers  and 
their  communities  are  much  better  disposed  to  us  than  formerly ; 
and  I  calculate  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  many  of  them 
will  unite  with  us.  They  must  certainly  come  over  to  us 
whenever  they  come  to  the  Bible  alone.  Baptists  and  Pedo- 
Baptists  are  daily  feeling  more  and  more  the  need  of  reform, 
and  our  views  are  certainly  imbuing  the  public  mind  more  and 
more  every  year. 

Now  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Campbell's  view  does  not 
in  any  respect  abridge,  modify,  or  change  any  of  the  con- 
ditions of  salvation,  as  these  are  set  forth  in  the  New 
Testament  Scriptures;  but  he  nevertheless  contends  that 
a  perfect  obedience  is  not  absolutely  necessary  under  cer- 
tain conditions  in  order  to  salvation.  This  was  his  con- 
tention from  the  beginning  of  his  religious  movement  down 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  and  it  certainly  does  relieve  him 
from  the  charge  of  bigotry,  on  one  hand,  while  it  shows 
also  that  he  steadily,  earnestly,  and  with  conspicuous 
ability  contended  for  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to 
the  saints,  on  the  other  hand.  Mr.  Campbell's  great  mind 
took  in  the  whole  situation.  He  saw  all  around  the  peri- 
phery of  the  circle.  The  plea  for  which  he  contended  was 
not  only  a  plea  for  a  return  to  apostolic  faith  and  practice, 
but  it  was  a  plea  also  for  the  use  of  such  methods  as 
would  make  the  plea  practical,  and  therefore  well  adapted 
to  the  age  in  which  he  lived. 

It  was  at  this  very  point  where  some  of  the  men,  asso- 
ciated with  him,  failed  to  live  up  to  his  high  comprehension 
of  the  whole  situation,  and  this  made  his  task,  to  set  in 
order  the  things  that  were  wanting,  a  somewhat  difficult 
one  during  the  latter  part  of  the  decade  between  1832  and 
1842.  Nevertheless,  during  these  years  he  gave  much 
attention  to  primary  matters  relating  to  organisation  and 


354    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


development  rather  than  to  an  emphasis  upon  evangelism, 
which  had  already  come  perilously  near  to  running  away 
with  the  churches. 

Perhaps  one  passage  of  Scripture,  viz..  Matt,  v :  48,  had 
much  to  do  with  the  kind  of  contention  which  some  of  the 
Disciples  waged  during  these  transitional  years.  They 
held  that  all  obedience  should  be  perfect,  in  order  that 
they  themselves  should  be  perfect,  and  this  perfection 
was  as  much  a  command  as  anything  else  in  the  Bible. 
But  this  passage  has  been  forced  into  a  service  where 
it  does  not  legitimately  belong.  Some  have  supposed  that 
it  teaches  the  doctrine  of  a  perfect  life,  in  all  respects 
equal  to  that  of  our  Heavenly  Father.  Others  have 
thought  that  it  simply  indicates  the  highest  ideal,  but  it 
takes  for  granted  that  no  one  will  ever  be  able  to  realise 
that  ideal.  This  view  is  certainly  untenable  from  almost 
any  point  of  view.  God  would  certainly  not  enjoin  upon 
any  of  His  creatures  an  impossibility.  However,  this 
view  has  been  accentuated  through  the  ages  by  a  wrong 
translation.  As  the  verse  stands  in  the  old  version,  it  is 
in  the  nature  of  a  command.  But  this  must  vseem  at  once 
harsh  and  unnecessary  to  all  enlightened  criticism.  The 
very  idea  of  a  command  to  perfectness  is  at  once  repulsive, 
and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  perfectness  can  never 
be  attained  in  that  way. 

But  really  the  whole  passage  has  been  wholly  misunder- 
stood. It  is  a  promise  rather  than  a  command.  It  is 
a  future  end  rather  than  a  present  attainment.  It  is  a 
benediction  conferred,  and  not  an  ideal  to  be  realised 
through  human  effort.  We  do  not  mean  by  this  that 
human  effort  is  not  involved.  The  promises  are  all  con- 
ditional ;  they  depend  upon  the  fulfilment  of  human  obli- 
gation, and  consequently  we  cannot  hope  for  the  perfection 
of  character,  which  is  the  end  of  all  our  struggles,  without 
the  struggles  which  lead  up  to  it. 

Let  us  now  notice  some  special  points  which  are  essen- 
tial to  a  clear  understanding  of  the  passage : 

(1)  The  Greek  verb — esesthe — is  the  future  indicative, 
and  cannot,  therefore,  be  properly  translated,  as  it  is  in 
the  authorised  version,  but  should  have  a  future  significa- 
tion. It  should  also  be  noticed  that  teleioi,  which  is  con- 
strued with  esesthe,  literally  means  an  end,  a  closing  act, 
a  consummation,  fully  accomplished,  brought  to  a  com- 


IDEAL  AND  REALISATION 


355 


pletion;  hence  perfect,  or  without  shortcoming  in  any 
respect  of  a  certain  standard.  Taken  altogether  the  phrase 
esesthe  ouri  hunieis  teleioi  should  be  rendered,  "  Ye,  there- 
fore, shall  become  perfect,  even  as  your  Heavenly  Father 
is  perfect."  The  revised  version  is  almost  identical  with 
this. 

(2)  A  second  consideration  is  very  important.  What 
is  the  subject  under  discussion?  Christ  is  evidently  teach- 
ing His  Disciples  how  they  should  act  with  respect  to 
those  who  are  not  friends.  He  brings  before  them  the 
fact  that  their  Heavenly  Father  makes  the  sun  to  rise 
on  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  sends  rain  on  the  just  and 
the  unjust.  He  then  promises  that  they  shall  be  like 
Him  in  this  respect.  The  promise  does  not  necessarily 
have  a  wider  significance.  It  ought  not  to  be  pressed 
further  than  the  particular  point  to  which  special  atten- 
tion is  called.  The  idea  is  this:  if  the  Disciples  should 
simply  render  evil  for  evil  or  good  for  good  they  would 
do  no  better  than  the  heathen ;  and,  to  encourage  them 
to  a  better  life,  the  Master  assures  them  that,  in  the 
respect  urged,  they  shall  become  like  their  Heavenly 
Father. 

(3)  This  suggests  an  important  attainment  of  char- 
acter. When  Christ  delivered  His  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
His  Disciples  had  made  very  little  progress  in  the  Divine 
life.  They  were  yet  babes,  and  knew  little  or  nothing  of 
the  real  manhood  to  which  they  should  come  in  the  future 
years.  Indeed,  His  Apostles  never  did  manifest  much 
strength  of  character  until  the  Day  of  Pentecost  and  after- 
wards. When  they  received  the  "  enduement  from  on 
high  "  they  ceased  to  be  weaklings,  and  became  courageous, 
flaming  heralds,  bearing  the  message  of  salvation  to  a  lost 
world.  Furthermore,  after  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
they  seemed  to  have  a  new  disposition.  Practically  they 
began  to  live  in  harmony  with  the  promise  which  Christ 
made  in  the  text  under  consideration. 

If  this  view  of  the  passage  is  correct  then  it  is  evident 
that  the  indwelling  Holy  Spirit  is  an  essential  condition 
to  any  proper  manifestation  of  a  perfect  life.  All  our 
efforts  at  self-restraint,  or  the  cultivation  of  the  highest 
graces,  must  necessarily  come  to  naught  unless  we  have 
the  constant  help  of  the  Divine  Paraclete.  Hence,  it  will 
be  seen  that  a  proper  understanding  of  the  passage,  to 


356    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


which  we  have  called  attention,  will  greatly  assist  us  in 
a  proper  conception  of  growth  in  the  Divine  life. 

Taking  this  view  of  the  whole  matter,  it  is  easy  to  see 
how  a  purely  legalistic  construction  of  Christianity  cannot 
be  realised  in  either  theory  or  practice.  Furthermore, 
it  is  clearly  foreshadowed  in  the  imperfections  which  are 
everywhere  about  us,  that  all  high  attainments  in  the 
Christian  life  are  necessarily  gradual  developments.  Even 
revelation  itself  is  a  gradual  unfolding.  The  Church  went 
slowly  down  into  the  apostasy,  and  must  come  back  in 
precisely  the  same  way.  Under  the  different  religious 
movements  much  has  been  achieved.  Neither  one  of  these 
movements  accomplished  everything.  Nor  was  it  possible 
for  any  one  to  do  this.  The  Campbellian  movement  must 
not  be  regarded  as  an  exception.  It  has  had  a  special 
work  to  perform,  and  that  is  to  simplify  the  whole  problem 
of  Christian  Union  by  eliminating  everything  that  is  not 
a  common  ground,  thus  requiring  the  denominations  to 
give  up  all  their  divisive  elements  and  accept  the  New 
Testament  creed,  viz.,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  the  living  God,  as  the  foundation  of  the  Church,  and 
then  require  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  "  for  everything  that 
relates  to  the  Divine  life.  This  was  the  splendid  ideal 
which  the  Disciples  set  for  the  acceptance  of  all  who  would 
aim  to  exemplify  the  teaching  of  Christ  and  His  Apostles, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  invited  the  exercise  of  that 
charity  which  makes  provision  for  the  weakness  of  human 
nature,  and  the  imperfect  environment  through  which 
Christianity  has  to  make  its  way  to  final  triumph. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


PROVIDING   FOR  EDUCATION   AND  WORKING  AT 
CHRISTIAN  UNION 

'HEN  the  year  1840  had  fully  come  the  Restoration 


movement  had  passed  through  the  dawn  and  had 


reached  the  rising  of  the  sun  on  the  new  day  which 
was  beginning  to  be  realised  by  those  who  had  been  work- 
ing through  the  confusion  of  Chaos  to  the  time  of  order 
and  development.  No  one  saw  the  need  for  this  more 
than  did  Mr.  Campbell.  In  the  preface  to  the  Harbinger 
of  that  year  he  says : 

The  cause  of  education  becomes  a  more  and  more  interesting 
object  in  pursuance  of  this  plan.  We  must  begin  at  the 
nursery.  We  must  have  family,  school,  college,  and  church 
education,  adapted  to  the  entire  physical,  intellectual,  moral, 
and  religious  constitution  of  man.  Of  these  the  first  in  time, 
place,  and  importance,  is  the  domestic  aud  familj-  training. 
We  have  been  dreaming  for  ages,  and  are  only  just  now  awak- 
ing to  the  importance  of  education — not  merely  to  its  im- 
portance, but  to  the  rationale — the  philosophy  of  the  thing 
called  Education. 

To  this  subject,  as  essentially  connected  with  the  speed 
and  progress  of  the  current  reformation,  a  more  full  and 
marked  attention  shall  be  paid.  An  uneducated  person  is  not 
competent  to  the  full  display  of  Christian  excellence — to  the 
full  manifestation  of  Christian  character.  No  person  is  well 
educated — is  properly  taught  or  trained,  that  is  not  a  Chris- 
tian. But  we  cannot  fashion  human  nature  but  in  the  soft 
clay  of  its  infancy  and  childhood — "  As  the  twig  is  bent  the 
tree's  inclin'd." 

This  clearly  indicates  a  new  departure  with  respect  to 
education,  but  he  properly  begins  this  education  in  the 
family  circle,  and  during  the  year  he  writes  a  number  of 
articles  on  family  culture,  under  the  title  of  "  Conversa- 
tions at  the  Carlton  House."  These  conversations  are 
among  the  best  things  Mr.  Campbell  ever  wrote,  and  they 
show  very  conclusively  the  importance  which  he  attached 
to  a  religion  that  should  have  its  foundation  and  inspira- 


357 


358    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tion  largely  in  the  home  circle.  This  was  one  of  the  things 
he  felt  the  Disciples  needed.  They  had  been  so  much 
occupied  w  ith  discussions  and  evangelistic  work  that,  to 
some  extent,  family  culture  had  been  neglected,  as  well 
as  the  spiritual  development  of  their  churches.  All  this 
need  was  now  clearly  in  his  vision. 

Nor  was  he  alone  in  this  respect.  Nearly  all  the  period- 
icals of  tills  year  emphasise  the  same  things.  The  Chris- 
tian Messenger,  edited  by  the  saintly  B.  W.  Stone,  lent  its 
great  influence  in  the  same  direction.  Perhaps  no  less 
emphasis  was  placed  upon  the  importance  of  preaching 
the  Gospel,  but  undoubtedly  more  emphasis  was  placed 
upon  living  the  Gospel.  Everywhere  the  Disciples  seemed 
to  be  working  up  to  the  importance  of  holding  the  ground 
which  they  had  gained,  as  well  as  the  great  importance 
of  advancing  into  regions  which  were  yet  unoccupied.  In 
the  autumn  of  1836,  Bacon  College  was  founded  at  George- 
town, Kentucky,  and  Walter  Scott  was  elected  President, 
pro  tern.  At  that  time  he  and  John  T.  Johnson  were 
publishing  the  Christian,  and  this  periodical  gave  earnest 
support  to  the  new  educational  enterprise.  Indeed,  John 
T.  Johnson  was  the  principal  mover  in  founding  this 
College,  and  to  him  more  than  to  any  other  man  may  be 
ascribed  the  honour  also  of  supporting  it. 

The  College  was  removed  to  Harrodsburg,  Kentucky,  in 
1840,  and  James  Shannon  was  elected  president,  Samuel 
Hatch,  Professor  of  Natural  Science,  Samuel  H.  Mullins, 
Professor  of  Ancient  Languages,  Henry  H.  White,  Pro- 
fessor of  Mathematics  and  Civil  Engineering,  George  H. 
Matthews,  Principal  of  Preparatory  School.  About  a  hun- 
dred students  were  enrolled  during  its  first  year  in  its 
new  home. 

President  Shannon  was  a  strong  character.  He  after- 
wards became  President  of  the  University  of  Missouri, 
located  at  Columbia,  and  did  much  to  give  to  that  institu- 
tion the  position  it  occupied  during  his  presidency.  The 
trustees  of  Bacon  College  in  announcing  their  prospectus 
for  1840  and  1841  make  the  following  statement,  with 
respect  to  his  character  and  equipment  : 

For  the  information  of  those  who  may  desire  to  know  some- 
thing in  reference  to  the  literary  and  moral  character  of 
President  Shannon,  the  trustees  would  state  from  ample 
credentials  they  have  in  their  possession,  that  he  was  educated 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  359 


at  the  Belfast  Academical  (now  Royal)  Institution,  Ireland, 
where  he  received  a  medal  as  being  the  best  Latin  scholar  in 
a  large  class  that  entered  with  him,  and  the  first  prize  in 
Greek  the  May  following — took  prizes  in  Mathematics,  Moral 
and  Natural  Philosophy,  and  ranked  among  the  first  in  several 
studies  to  which  no  prizes  were  awarded. 

On  leaving  College  early  in  1820,  he  acted  as  first  assistant 
for  eighteen  months  in  one  of  the  best  private  academies  in 
the  North  of  Ireland,  under  the  conduct  of  Mr.  James  Carley, 
who  certifies  that  "  Mr.  James  Shannon,  in  teaching  Latin, 
Greek,  French,  and  the  various  English  branches,  proved  him- 
self an  excellent  scholar  and  a  very  useful  teacher,  and  was, 
as  to  his  conduct,  perfectly  correct  and  unexceptionable." 

Shortly  afterwards  the  Presbytery  of  Monaghan  gave  him  a 
letter  in  which  they  allude  to  his  character  as  being  fair  and 
unspotted,  and  assert,  that  "  in  his  several  examinations  before 
them,  in  Classics,  Logic,  Moral  and  Natural  Philosophy,  he 
gave  proof  of  superior  talent  and  unwearied  application." 

In  1821  he  removed  by  engagement,  from  Ireland  to  Georgia, 
to  take  charge  of  the  Sunbury  Academy,  where  he  taught  four 
years  and  three  months,  and  of  the  high  estimation  in  which 
he  was  held  there,  a  letter  from  H.  J.  Ripley,  Professor  for  the 
last  fourteen  years  in  the  Theological  Baptist  Institution,  at 
Newton,  Massachusetts,  gives  sufficient  evidence;  he  writes, 
"/  have  never  known  a  teacher  in  whose  ability  and  faithful- 
ness so  much  confidence  might  he  reposed."  After  this  he  of- 
ficiated as  Pastor  of  the  Augusta  Baptist  Church,  for  nearly 
four  years,  teaching  a  private  school  part  of  the  time.  In 
1830  he  was  appointed  professor  of  Ancient  Languages  in 
the  University  of  Georgia,  where  he  I'emained  for  six  years. 
The  Faculty  of  that  Institution  thus  write  of  him :  "  To  long 
experience  in  the  profession  of  teaching,  to  which  he  is 
ardently  attached,  and  superior  abilities  both  natural  and  ac- 
quired, Professor  Shannon  adds  untiring  industry  and  perse- 
verance, unyielding  firmness  and  energy,  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties,  and  unsuspected  integrity  and  probity  of  character." 
Such  testimonials  might  be  multiplied  from  men  of  the  first 
standing  in  Ireland  and  America,  of  all  denominations — such 
as  Prof.  Olin,  now  President  of  the  Wesleyan  University, 
among  them  Judge  Clayton,  a  member  of  Congress — Dr.  Wm. 
Brantly,  now  President  of  the  Charleston  College,  S.  C,  who 
writes  that  "he  (Mr.  Shannon)  will  compare  advantageously 
with  the  best  European  scholar,"  but  these  are  deemed  suf- 
ficient. For  the  last  four  years  he  has  been  President  of  the 
Louisiana  College,  at  Jackson,  which  has  been  raised  to  a 
state  of  great  prosperity  under  his  administration.* 

In  his  inaugural  address,  Mr.  Shannon  sets  forth,  in  a 
very  lucid  manner,  and  with  very  much  strength  of  state- 
ment, his  views  of  education.    After  discussing  the  im- 
*  "  Heretic  Detecter,"  Vol.  IV.,  pp.  334-5. 


360    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


portance  of  both  physical  and  intellectual  development, 
he  uses  the  following  language  as  to  the  necessity  of  a 
religious  education: 

Still,  however,  when  we  have  carried  education,  with  refer- 
ence to  intellect,  to  the  farthest  verge  of  perfection,  if  we  stop 
here,  we  have  neglected  that  which  is  most  important,  and 
without  which  nothing  has  been  done  to  any  valuable  purpose. 
Did  man  possess  no  higher  faculties,  than  those  of  intellect,  he 
would  be  at  best  but  a  reasoning  brute;  and  the  education  of 
his  intellectual  powers  would  only  capacitate  him  to  he  more 
extensively  mischievous  to  the  human  race.  How  appalling 
the  spectacle  to  all  benevolent  minds,  to  behold  lions  and  tigers 
endowed  with  the  godlike  intellect  of  educated  man.  How 
fearful  the  ravages  that  would  naturally  ensue.  And  yet,  it 
is  most  obvious,  that  those  ravages  would  not  be  worse,  nor 
the  desolations  more  fearful,  in  the  grovelling  attitude  of  the 
brute,  than  if  that  attitude  were  exchanged  for  man's  erect 
and  noble  form.  The  education  of  intellect,  then,  may  prove 
a  curse,  rather  than  a  blessing,  both  to  the  possessor,  and  to 
mankind  in  general. 

Who,  that  is  not  utterly  bereft  of  reason,  would  choose  to 
live  the  life,  and  die  the  death  of  Napoleon,  or  Lord  Byron? 
What  rational  parent  could  hold  up  the  character  of  either  of 
them  for  the  admiration  and  imitation  of  his  beloved  children? 
And  yet  they  were  gifted  with  intellect  of  the  highest  order; 
and  that  intellect  was  cultivated  to  a  degree  that  is  rarely 
attained  by  the  most  favoured  of  the  human  family.  Why  is 
it,  then,  that  the  soul  should  instinctively  recoil  at  the  bare 
thought  of  running  the  race,  and  sharing  the  fate  of  these 
highly  gifted,  but  misguided  men?  Oh,  it  is  the  voice  of  Na- 
ture, unambiguously  bearing  testimony  within  us  that  there  is 
in  man  a  something  infinitely  more  noble  than  animal  pas- 
sions; or  even  than  intellect  of  the  highest  order,  and  culti- 
vated to  the  utmost  limit  of  perfection.  That  nobler  some- 
thing consists  in  man's  moral  and  religious  faculties,  by  which 
he  is  allied  to  God,  to  holy  angels,  to  good  men — and,  in  short, 
to  everything  morally  great  and  good  on  earth,  or  in  heaven. 
Yes,  there  is  in  the  most  obscure  peasant,  that  ever  lived  on 
the  face  of  the  earth,  that  which  is  infinitely  more  noble  than 
intellect,  the  most  exalted  that  God  ever  conferred  on  a  created 
being. 

I  hail  it  as  one  of  the  most  auspicious  omens  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  that  it  is  now  generally  admitted  by  all,  who 
understand  the  philosophy  of  mind,  even  by  sceptics  and  in- 
fidels themselves,  that  man  possesses  by  nature  a  religious 
organisation;  that  his  religious  faculties  are  the  highest  and 
most  authoritative  with  which  he  is  endowed ;  and,  conse- 
quently, that  they  should  rule,  guided  by  intellect  properly 
enlightened. 

Were  man  by  nature  destitute  of  moral  and  religious  facul- 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  361 


ties,  he  must  always  remain  in  that  condition.  A  being  with 
one  faculty  more,  or  one  less,  than  man  possesses,  would  not 
be  man,  but  something  else. 

Besides,  if  men  were  not  by  nature  possessed  of  religious 
faculties  revelation  to  them  would  be  of  as  little  use  as  light 
to  a  man  born  blind.  Indeed,  it  would  be  physically  and 
morally  impossible  to  make  to  them  a  revelation  of  a  moral  or 
religious  character,  for  the  plain  reason,  that  they  would  be 
physically  incapable  of  receiving  it;  and  the  idea  of  a  revela- 
tion made  to  such  persons,  would  present  as  palpable  a  con- 
tradiction as  that  of  revelation  unrevealed.  Neither  could 
children  be  religiously  educated,  if  they  were  not  religious  by 
nature.  You  cannot  create  faculties  by  education ;— nor  can 
you  educate  faculties,  which  do  not  exist,  any  more  than  you 
can  improve  tlw  sight  of  a  man  who  has  no  eyes. 

It  may  be  regarded,  then,  as  undeniable,  if  not  self-evident, 
that  man  possesses  by  nature  religious  faculties ;  and  that  the 
perfection  and  glory  of  his  being  consist  in  the  development 
and  supremacy  of  those  faculties,  under  the  guidance  of  en- 
lightened intellect.  Were  we  naturally  destitute  of  a  religious 
organisation,  intellect,  however  exalted,  could  serve  no  other 
purpose,  than  to  pander  ignobly  to  the  base  and  selfish  grati- 
fication of  the  animal  passions. 

Indeed,  it  is  the  religious,  and  not  the  intellectual  organisa- 
tion, that  furnishes  an  infallible  criterion,  by  which  to  dis- 
tinguish the  man  and  the  brute.  It  is  this,  that  exalts  man  to 
an  unmeasurable  distance  above  the  lower  tribes.  The  dis- 
tance intellectually  between  the  highest  specimens  of  the  brute, 
and  the  lowest  of  the  human  family,  is  so  small  as  to  be  im- 
perceptible. Nay,  it  is  even  questionable,  whether  there  may 
not  be  found  some  brutes  possessing  more  intellect  than  some 
men.  But  to  brutes  you  can  never  impart,  by  any  system  of 
education  whatever,  religious  or  moral  feelings,  although  you 
can  educate  their  intellect.  The  plain  and  obvious  reason  is, 
that  you  cannot  educate  faculties  which  do  not  exist. 

But,  as  we  have  already  seen,  the  idea  would  be  most  horrific 
that  brutes  should  possess  the  intellect  of  men ;  and  the  effects 
would  be  no  less  desolating  and  horrific  in  man's  erect  and 
noble  form,  than  in  the  grovelling  attitude  of  the  brute. 
Hence,  when  intellect  alone  is  educated,  and  the  religious 
faculties  wholly  neglected,  or  abused,  a  class  of  beings  is  pro- 
duced, which,  for  the  sake  of  distinction,  may  be  called  human 
brutes — the  Napoleons,  the  Murrells,  the  Dantons,  the  Marats, 
and  the  Robespierres,  of  our  race,  the  scourge  and  curse  of 
mankind — differing  from  the  actual  brute,  from  lions  and 
tigers,  mainly  in  being  accountable,  and  in  possessing  superior 
intellect,  which  capacitates  them  to  commit  ravages  so  much 
the  more  fearful,  and  to  spread  havoc  and  desolation  to  a  more 
alarming  extent.  Whereas,  had  the  moral  organisation  of 
these  men  been  properly  educated,  they  might  have  shone  con- 
spicuously among  the  most  distinguished  benefactors  of  the 


362    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


human  race;  might  have  been  as  immortal  in  honour,  as  they 
are  now  in  infamy;  might  have  lived  unspeakably  blessed 
themselves,  and  the  source  of  imnumbered  blessings  to  their 
fellow-men. 

From  these  reflections,  it  must  be  obvious,  that,  were  there 
no  hereafter,  and  were  our  highest  hopes  and  aspirations  con- 
fined to  the  present  life,  still,  the  grand  point  in  education 
would  be  the  proper  training  of  the  moral  scnti iiients.  Better 
neglect  everything  else  in  education,  than  this.  Nay,  if  this  is 
neglected,  the  less  intellect  men  have,  and  the  less  that  in- 
tellect is  cultivated,  the  better.  However  startling  and  extrava- 
gant, at  first  view,  this  sentiment  may  appear  to  some,  it  is  but 
a  corollary  to  the  proposition,  that  lions  and  tigers  are  less 
mischievous  and  miserable  in  their  own  nature,  than  they 
would  be  WITH  the  superadded  intellect  of  man. 

Let  it  be  noted  here,  that  our  reasoning  hitherto  has  pro- 
ceeded on  purely  philosophical  principles— on  plain  and  un- 
deniable matters  of  fact,  presented  alike  to  the  observation  of 
all,  who  con  and  ivill  think.  Whether,  therefore,  revelation  be 
true,  or  untrue — whether  there  be,  or  be  not  a  future  state  of 
rewards  and  punishments,  such  as  the  Bible  discloses — still  it 
is  undeniably  plain,  that,  in  the  great  business  of  education, 
even  with  an  exclusive  reference  to  human  happiness  in  this 
life,  a  proper  moral  and  religious  training  is  the  grand  and 
all-important  interest,  the  one  thing  needful.  But  it  is  no  less 
plain,  that  the  Bible  in  its  doctrine  and  precepts,  its  hopes  and 
fears,  rewards  and  punishments,  is  the  only  perfect  and  in- 
fallible guide  to  the  attainment  of  this  grand  object.  Con- 
sequently, the  Bible  is  true,  or  God  has  designcdli/  organised 
men  so  that  it  is  essential  to  their  perfection  and  happiness, 
even  in  this  world,  to  believe  a  lie.  Yet,  to  suppose  that  God 
could  have  acted  thus,  would  be  blasphemy  of  the  darkest 
shade.  And,  hence,  if  the  Christian  Scriptures  be  calculated, 
in  the  very  nature  of  things,  to  produce  the  highest  style  of 
man,  ( as  is  admitted  by  all  who  understand  the  philosophy  of 
man's  organisation,  not  excepting  infidels  themselves),  then  it 
does  follow,  clear  as  demonstration,  that  Christianity  is  from 
heaven;  and  that  to  denv  this  proposition,  is  to  blaspheme 
God.* 

This  College  was  finally  removed  from  Harrodsburg, 
and  incorporated  with  Kentucky  University,  at  Lexing- 
ton, and  is  now  denominated  Transylvania  University. 
During  the  year  1840  the  charter  was  obtained  for  Bethany 
College,  and  the  next  year  Alexander  Campbell  was  elected 
President  of  the  College,  and  the  College  was  opened  in 
November  the  first  time  for  the  reception  of  students. 
The  Faculty  of  the  College  at  this  time  consisted  of  the 
following  professors:  A.  F.  Ross,  late  Professor  of  New 

*  Millennial  Harbinger,  1841,  pp.  149-152. 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  363 


Athens  College,  Ohio,  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages 
and  Ancient  History;  Charles  Stewart,  of  Kentucky,  Pro- 
fessor of  Algebra  and  General  Mathematics ;  Dr.  R.  Rich- 
ardson, Professor  of  Chemistry,  Geology,  and  the  kindred 
sciences;  W.  K.  Pendleton,  of  the  University  of  Virginia, 
Professor  of  Natural  Philosophy,  and  such  of  the  Natural 
Sciences  as  came  not  in  the  course  of  Dr.  R.  Richardson. 
Besides  a  general  superintendency  of  the  Institution,  the 
President  was  assigned  Mental  Philosophy,  Evidences  of 
Christianity,  Moral  and  Political  Economy.  A  Professor 
of  English  Literature,  to  whom  should  be  assigned  Gram- 
mar, Logic,  Rhetoric,  Elements  of  Criticism,  etc.,  remained 
to  be  appointed,  with  such  tutors  as  the  exigencies  of  the 
Institution  might  require. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  limited  number  of  professors  that 
Mr.  Campbell's  plan  for  a  College  was  not  very  ambitious 
at  this  time.  Nevertheless,  he  was  building  wiser  than 
he  knew.  This  was  only  a  beginning  with  some  very  able 
men  associated  with  it.  Perhaps  no  College  has  ever  illus- 
trated the  truthfulness  of  the  saying  ascribed  to  General 
Garfield,  that  "  Mark  Hopkins  on  one  end  of  a  log,  and 
a  student  on  the  other,  will  make  a  University,"  more 
than  Bethany  College  did  throughout  its  whole  history 
under  the  Presidency  of  Alexander  Campbell.  Practically, 
he  was  the  College.  The  other  men  associated  with  him 
were  really  able  in  their  respective  departments,  but  it 
was  Mr.  Campbell  who  gave  the  stamp  which  made  Beth- 
any College  a  great  power  for  good.  His  morning  class 
lectures  soon  became  famous.  These  were  a  great  feature 
of  the  College.  His  idea  was  to  make  the  Bible  funda- 
mental as  a  text-book,  and  in  order  to  emphasise  this  fea- 
ture of  instruction  he  spent  a  half -hour  or  more  every 
morning  at  the  close  of  the  Chapel  service  in  lecturing 
on  the  Bible.  He  began  with  Genesis,  and  closed  the 
session  with  lectures  on  the  New  Testament. 

These  lectures  had  a  wide  range.  They  were  not 
specially  critical,  nor  were  they  even  exegetical,  except 
in  a  very  slight  degree.  They  were  discursive,  but  above 
everything  moral  and  religious.  The  object  was  evidently 
to  impress  young  men  with  the  principles  that  enter  into 
the  building  of  character.  From  this  point  of  view  the 
lectures  were  an  eminent  success.  Hundreds  of  men 
would  bear  testimony  to  the  fact  that  their  lives  were 


364  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


strongly  shaped  by  these  lectures.  One  might  not  re- 
member anything  very  special  that  Mr.  Campbell  said  in 
these  lectures,  but  he  would  remember  that  every  time 
he  went  away  from  them  he  felt  he  was  a  bigger  man. 
They  had  the  power  to  develop  growth.  They  were  stimu- 
lating in  a  high  degree  in  their  moral  uplift.  They  broke 
through  the  conventionalities  of  most  College  curriculums, 
and  went  to  the  centre  of  life  at  once.  While  they  did 
not  underestimate  the  value  of  intellectual  development, 
they  emphasised  with  intense  enthusiasm,  and  an  over- 
whelming conviction,  that  heart-life  is  essential  to  any 
worthy  real  manhood. 

No  one  who  heard  these  lectures,  for  even  one  session, 
can  ever  get  aAvaj^  from  their  impression  upon  him.  He 
will  ever  see  that  great  personality,  physically,  as  well  as 
mentally  and  spiritually,  remarkably  developed,  sitting  in 
a  chair  before  him,  and  talking  as  familiarly  about  the 
Bible  and  its  application  in  character  building,  as  if  talk- 
ing about  the  most  common  and  familiar  things  of  life. 
It  was  partly  owing  to  Mr.  Campbell's  easy  manner,  com- 
prehensive sweep,  and  intense  earnestness  that  the  student 
was  so  marvellously  affected.  In  the  pulpit  he  was  equally 
impressive,  and  yet  he  seemed  not  to  be  conscious  that  he 
was  speaking  at  all,  the  task  was  so  easy  for  him.  Stu- 
dents often  thought  they  would  like  to  hear  some  one 
else  in  the  Bethany  pulpit,  but  one  or  two  experiments 
usually  satisfied  them.  There  was  at  once  a  cry  for  the 
"  old  man  eloquent ''  to  take  his  place  again.  No  one 
in  the  Bethany  pulpit  could  satisfy  the  students  except 
the  man  whose  right  it  was  to  speak  there. 

In  founding  Bethany  College  Mr.  Campbell  had  the 
principles  of  his  Restoration  movement  very  distinctly 
in  view.  He  felt  that  the  time  had  come  when  the  Dis- 
ciples must  provide  for  an  educated  ministry.  Most  of 
the  men  who  had  been  associated  with  him  in  the  great 
work  which  had  already  been  accomplished  had  come 
from  the  various  denominations,  and  some  of  these  were 
well  educated,  as,  for  instance,  Walter  Scott,  P.  S.  Fall, 
James  Shannon,  B.  W.  Stone,  John  T.  Johnson,  Dr.  Robert 
Richardson,  Dr.  S.  E.  Shepperd,  and  others  that  might 
be  named;  but  a  large  number  of  the  preachers  of  the 
Restoration  movement  had  little  or  no  academic  training 
at  all.    Nevertheless,  they  were  most  effective  helpers  in 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  365 


the  great  work  which  had  to  be  done.  During  the  period 
through  which  the  movement  had  come  these  men  did  a 
work  which  perhaps  no  other  men  could  have  done  half 
so  well.  The  Gospel  which  they  had  to  preach  was 
specially  characterised  by  simplicity.  This  was  a  funda- 
mental feature  with  respect  to  the  plea  which  they  had  to 
make.  All  abtruse,  metaphysical  theology  was  put  aside, 
and  Christ  and  Him  crucified  furnished  the  staple  material 
for  every  sermon.  To  believe  in  Christ,  as  the  Son  of  the 
living  God,  and  to  obey  His  commandments  was  all  that 
was  necessary,  on  the  human  side,  to  make  Christians  and 
to  keep  them  in  the  way  of  life  everlasting.  In  Scriptural 
phraseology,  "  to  know  God  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  He 
has  sent,  is  life  eternal." 

This  kind  of  preaching  was  a  new  revelation  to  the 
world,  and  the  earnest,  uneducated  men  among  the  pio- 
neers of  the  Restoration  movement  could  deliver  this  mes- 
sage with  a  great  deal  of  power. 

But  Mr.  Campbell  realised  that  the  time  had  come  to 
the  movement  when  this  class  of  men  could  not  be  very 
efficiently  instrumental  in  meeting  the  conditions  which 
had  arisen.  The  movement  was  now  passing  out  of  the 
Chaotic  period  into  Organisation  and  Development.  The 
reconstruction  time  had  come.  Already  the  fiat  "  Let 
there  be  light  "  had  been  spoken.  Even  some  of  these  days 
of  re-creation  were  passed,  and  the  work  already  done. 
The  movement  was  going  on  toward  the  fully  developed, 
thoroughly  equipped,  and  effective  Church,  just  as  the 
days  of  reconstruction  of  the  earth  led  up  to  the  final  end 
in  view,  viz.,  the  creation  of  man.  Mr.  Campbell  plainly 
saw  that  a  better  educated  ministry  would  be  needed  for 
the  coming  days,  and  Bethany  College  was  intended  by 
him  to  become  a  centre  of  educational  influence  for  the 
equipment  of  such  a  ministry  as  would  be  needed  in  the 
future.  It  was  an  entirely  new  idea  to  build  a  College 
practically  on  the  Bible,  to  make  it  the  chief  text-book,  and 
to  emphasise  its  teaching  as  more  important  than  the 
teaching  of  all  other  books  in  the  world. 

It  was  not  accidental  that  the  little  village  of  Bethany 
was  the  place  selected  for  the  location  of  this  College. 
It  is  better  to  say  that  it  was  providential.  No  more 
lovely  spot,  in  view  of  natural  conditions,  could  have  been 
found.    Every  outlook  from  the  College  campus  is  in- 


366    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


spiring  and  health-giving.  The  spot  selected  is  away 
from  the  corrupting  influence  of  the  world.  Everything 
about  Bethany  lends  itself  to  communion  with  the  great 
Creator.  Some  have  thought  that  it  was  a  great  mistake 
for  even  Mr.  Campbell  to  locate  in  such  an  obscure  place, 
but  the  historian  of  the  future  day  will  perhaps  record 
the  fact  that  this  very  location  had  much  to  do  with  the 
success  of  the  movement  which  aimed  at  the  restoration 
of  the  primitive  Gospel  and  Church. 

In  the  founding  of  Bethany  College  we  have  another 
illustration  of  Mr.  Campbell's  supreme  faith  in  the  ulti- 
mate triumph  of  the  cause  to  which  he  had  committed 
everything  he  possessed.  Without  any  suitable  building, 
or  a  penny  of  endowment  fund,  he  launched  the  enterprise. 
Out  of  his  own  private  funds  he  furnished  $15,000  with 
which  to  begin  buildings,  suitable  for  classrooms,  etc. 
He  afterwards  appealed  to  the  brotherhood  for  an  endow- 
ment fund,  and  made  several  excursions  through  different 
parts  of  the  United  States,  with  a  view  of  soliciting  funds 
for  this  purpose.  As  his  brethren  were  generally  poor 
at  this  time,  he  met  with  only  partial  success.  But  un- 
daunted in  courage  and  supreme  in  the  faith  that  this 
was  the  right  thing  to  do,  and  that  the  College  was  an 
imperative  need,  he  began  the  task  which  would  have  de- 
terred any  one  else  who  was  not  controlled  by  the  same 
purpose  which  animated  him.  He  had  written  some  arti- 
cles in  the  Harbinger  for  1839  and  1840  leading  up  to 
the  establishment  of  the  College.  In  these  articles  are 
indicated  the  great  aim  which  was  constantly  before  his 
mind.    In  one  of  these  he  says: 

The  cardinal  thought  in  this  scheme  is  our  6ccm  ideal  of 
education,  viz. — that  the  formation  of  moral  character,  the 
culture  of  the  heart,  is  the  supreme  end  of  education,  or  rather 
is  education  itself.  With  me  education  and  the  formation  of 
moral  character  are  identical  expressions.  An  immoral  man 
is  uneducated.  The  blasphemer,  the  profane  swearer,  the  liar, 
the  calumniator,  the  duellist,  the  braggadocio,  the  peculator, 
etc.,  etc.,  are  vulgar,  barbarous,  and  uneducated  persons.  But 
such  is  not  the  popular  opinion.  Why?  Because,  as  De 
Fellenberg  avers,  the  formation  of  character  by  means  of 
schools — i.e.  by  means  of  systematic  discipline  and  instruction 
— is  a  new  thought.  Schools  were  first  established  for  other 
purposes;  and  when  established,  the  formation  of  character 
was  not  an  element  in  their  system — nor  is  it  so  yet.  This 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION 


367 


statement,  which  certainly  is  true,  deserves  the  gravest  reflec- 
tions of  the  gravest  men;  and  is,  to  my  mind,  a  justifiable 
reason — an  imperious  demand  for  the  new  institution  to  which 
we  are  calling  the  attention  of  Christians  and  philanthropists 
of  every  name.  We  contemplate  a  scheme  in  which  the  forma- 
tion of  the  physical  and  intellectual  man  shall  not  be  neglected, 
but  which  shall  always  be  held  in  subordination  to  the  moral 
man.  In  which,  in  one  word,  the  formation  of  moral  char- 
acter, the  cultivation  of  the  heart,  shall  be  the  Alpha  and  the 
Omega,  the  radical,  regulating,  and  all-controlling  aim  and 
object  in  all  the  literary  and  scientific  studies,  in  all  the 
exercises,  recreations,  and  amusements  of  children  and  youth.* 

It  is  worth  while  to  give  Mr.  Campbell's  own  statement 
of  the  opening  of  the  College,  and  the  outlook  as  he  saw  it. 
He  says: 

This  Institution  commenced  its  career  on  the  day  appointed, 
under  more  favourable  auspices  than  could  have  been  expected. 
The  contemplated  number  of  students  were  not  all  in  at- 
tendance, a  few  having  been  detained  through  personal  or 
family  afflictions,  and  some  other  difficulties,  till  the  ensuing 
Spring.  Seldom  have  so  many  students  from  regions  .so  re- 
mote and  various,  been  assembled  at  the  commencement  of  any 
literary  institution.  The  Professors  also,  according  to  expec- 
tation, were  all  present — one  only,  Mr.  W.  W.  Eaton,  of  St. 
John's,  New  Brunswick,  excepted.  The  appointment  of  this 
gentleman  to  the  chair  of  English  Literature  at  the  October 
meeting  of  the  Board,  was  so  recent  as  to  preclude  his  presence 
at  our  commencement.  Meanwhile,  till  his  arrival,  his  place, 
in  part,  is  filled  by  the  other  Professors,  and  in  part  by  a 
special  teacher  appointed  pro  tempore. 

To  organise,  arrange,  and  classify  a  new  Institution,  com- 
posed of  so  many  youth  of  such  diverse  studies  and  attain- 
ments, from  the  Gra;ca  Majora,  and  various  branches  of  mathe- 
matical and  physical  sciences,  down  to  the  elements  of  litera- 
ture, without  any  previous  knowledge  of  their  habits, 
proficiency,  or  the  methods  of  instruction  under  which  they 
had  been  so  far  educated — is  a  task  and  a  labour  which  none 
but  the  initiated  and  experienced  can  comprehend. 

We  have  already  formed  more  than  twenty  classes.  Of 
these  the  first  meets  at  half-past  six  in  the  morning.  To  form 
and  establish  that  most  healthful  and  useful  habit  of  ri.sing 
early,  I  chose  that  early  hour  for  my  lectures  on  sacred  history, 
for  Bible-readings,  and  worship.  My  residence  being  just 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  College,  gave  me  for  November 
and  December,  a  very  invigorating  exercise  of  riding  or  walk- 
ing that  distance  every  morning  before  daylight.  For  Janu- 
ary and  February,  Professor  Stuart  will  occupy  that  hour, 

•  Millennial  Harbinger,  1840,  pp.  157-158. 


368    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


while  I  occupy  his  from  eight  to  nine.  Our  classes  are  not 
all  disposed  of  till  about  half-past  four  in  the  evening. 

Having  been  no  little  retarded  and  disappointed  in  getting 
some  rooms  of  our  College  edifice  finished  before  this  time,  we 
have  to  contend  with  the  diflBculties  of  having  the  classrooms 
in  the  Steward's  Inn.  Studying,  reciting,  and  boarding  in  one 
edifice,  though  spacious,  is  by  no  means  so  desirable.  A  de- 
gree of  confusion  under  the  best  police  imaginable  is,  in  such 
cases,  inevitable.  This  calls  for  greater  labours  on  the  part  of 
the  Professors,  and  occasions  more  discipline  than  would  likely 
occur  under  our  anticipated  arrangements.  We  expect  to  be 
in  the  College  edifice  early  in  the  Spring.  It  affords,  however, 
this  advantage,  that  a  more  intimate  acquaintance  is  formed 
with  the  manners  and  habits  of  every  pupil  than  is  possible 
in  other  circumstances,  it  being  almost  impossible  to  conceal, 
for  any  length  of  time,  any  impropriety  of  behaviour  from  the 
observation  of  some  of  the  professors. 

We  are  peculiarly  happy,  in  the  main,  in  the  assortment  of 
students  which  has  fallen  to  our  lot.  About  one-third  of  them' 
are  professors  of  religion ;  and  with  a  very  few  exceptions, 
they  are  all  good  students.  I  have  seldom  known  so  many 
diligent  and  orderly  students,  in  the  same  aggregate,  in  any 
Institution.  We  have  had,  indeed,  a  few  cases  of  discipline; 
and,  from  the  evident  good  effect  of  these,  we  are  confirmed 
in  our  opinion  that  a  prompt,  decided,  and  impartial  course, 
will,  notwithstanding  the  great  defects  in  family  culture  and 
discipline,  in  most  cases  succeed  well ;  provided,  only,  that 
corresponding  efforts  are  made  to  increase  the  intelligence  and 
moral  feeling  of  the  subjects  of  such  disciplinary  proceedings. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  however,  that  those  pupils  who  are 
pampered  and  indulged  at  home,  whose  passions  are  gratified, 
and  whose  habits  are  measurably  left  to  the  capriciousness  of 
youthful  impulse,  are  easily  distinguished  from  those  whose 
better  fortune  it  is  to  have  more  prudent  and  strict  parents — 
parents  that  do  not  regard  luxurious  eating,  drinking,  amuse- 
ment, and  all  manner  of  indulgence  as  the  best  tokens  of 
parental  tenderness  and  affection,  and  the  great  end  not  only 
of  education,  but  of  human  life.  Solomon  the  Wise  gives  some 
useful  hints  on  this  subject ;  amongst  which  will  be  found  some 
of  considerable  value  even  yet — such  as,  "  He  that  loveth  his 
son  chastens  him  betimes,"  and  Train  up  a  child  in  the  way 
he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it," 
*'  Folly  is  bound  up  in  the  heart  of  a  child,  but  the  rod  of 
correction     (or  strict  discipline)  "  will  drive  it  far  from  him." 

From  the  indications  before  us,  and  the  experiment  begun, 
we  are  more  sanguine  than  ever  that  if  the  Christian  and  benev- 
olent public  will  second  our  efforts  and  our  enterprise,  as  we 
are  confidently  of  opinion  that  they  ought,  our  begun  Insti- 
tution can  and  will  be  made  a  source  and  foundation  of  exten- 
sive blessings  to  .society,  both  civil  and  religious.  But  from  an 
exhibit  of  all  that  has  been  actually  donated  or  subscribed  to 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  369 


this  institution,  which  we  intend  soon  to  publish,  it  will  appear 
that  we  have  not  been  seconded  with  that  liberality  of  feeling 
and  assistance  which  an  undertaking  of  such  magnitude  and 
promise  would  seem  to  command.  The  times,  we  admit,  are  hard, 
and  form  a  very  plausible  and  handsome  excuse  for  those  who 
believe  more  in  investments  in  the  various  stocks  and  specula- 
tions of  this  day,  promising  ten,  twenty,  or  fifty  per  cent,  per 
annum,  than  in  those  stocks  which,  though  they  promise  ten 
thousand  per  cent,  through  ages  of  ages,  do  not  instantly  fill 
the  pocket  with  the  filthy  rags  or  tinkling  symbols  of  our  com- 
mercial and  political  currency.  But  we  yet  anticipate  the 
liberality  of  the  Christian  and  benevolent  portions  of  our 
country,  and  will  yet  sufifer  our  patience  to  have  her  proper  and 
full  effect.* 

The  next  year,  in  the  July  number  of  the  Harbinger, 
the  first  list  of  donations  to  the  College  was  published, 
and  this  publication  shows  that  |17,688.00  had  been 
pledged,  and  |7,923.00  had  been  paid.  During  this  time 
the  College  building  proper,  four  stories,  83  x  45,  a  Stew- 
ard's Inn,  107  X  36  feet,  four  stories,  had  been  completed, 
and  one  wing  of  a  mansion  house,  17  x  24  feet,  two  stories, 
was  well  on  the  way  to  completion.  Accommodations 
were  ready  for  150  students  at  the  opening  of  the  next 
session. 

The  catalogue  for  the  second  session  show^ed  156  matricu- 
lates, representing  eleven  states,  and  the  College  com- 
mencement July  4,  1843,  the  second  anniversary,  was 
attended  by  about  1,500  people.  Phillip  S.  Fall,  of  Ken- 
tucky, was  present  at  the  second  anniversary,  and  was 
added  to  the  Board  of  Trustees.  Mr.  Fall  was  a  well 
educated  man  himself,  and  for  a  considerable  length  of 
time  conducted  a  female  college  at  Frankfort,  Ky.,  which 
was  one  of  the  best  of  its  kind  in  the  state.  In  the 
Harbinger  for  March,  1843,  another  list  of  donations  was 
published,  amounting  to  $25,370.75  in  subscriptions,  and 
$11,681.66  paid,  so  that  the  whole  amount  subscribed  in 
the  two  years  reached  the  handsome  sum  of  $43,169.00  and 
cash  paid  $21,922.82. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  kind  of  moral  instruction  which 
Mr.  Campbell  gave  to  his  students,  it  is  thought  proper 
to  print  the  whole  of  his  address  at  the  Commencement 
exercises  of  the  College,  July  4,  1843,  entitled  "  Valedic- 
tory Address  to  the  Students  of  Bethany  College." 

*  Millennial  Harbinger,  1842,  pp.  34-36. 


370    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


Alas,  with  all  our  firm  purposes,  and  our  most  sanguine 
hopes  and  wishes,  we  all  shall  never  meet  again  in  this  place; 
and,  indeed,  in  no  other  place  on  earth — perhaps  not  to  all 
eternity  ever  meet  as  members  of  one  and  the  same  community. 

How  very  impressive  and  solemn  the  reflection  that  a  scene 
is  now  transpiring  never  again  to  be  repeated, — that  in  the 
great  drama  of  our  social  existence  this  scene  occurs  but  once 
to  all  etei"nity;  and  yet  its  aspects  and  bearings  upon  our 
future  existence  and  character  may  be  lasting  as  the  infinite 
cycles  of  endless  duration.  This  view  of  this  solemn  crisis 
calls  for  a  few  valedictory  remarks.  Accept,  my  young  friends, 
a  few  reflections,  and  a  word  of  advice  from  one  who  cannot 
but  feel  a  peculiar  interest  in  your  future  course  and  destiny. 

With  most  of  you,  gentlemen,  myself  and  the  other  members 
of  the  Faculty  of  this  College,  have  formed  a  very  pleasing  and 
agreeable  acquaintance.  The  relations  hitherto  subsisting  be- 
tween us  have  been  of  the  most  intimate  and  responsible  char- 
acter on  both  sides.  They  are  such  as  cannot  fail  to  impart  a 
very  intimate  knowledge,  not  indeed  of  our  mere  intellectual 
constitution,  but  of  our  whole  moral  temperament,  habits,  and 
dispositions.  You  know  us  and  we  know  you,  in  ways  and 
manners  in  which  others  know  us  not,  and  in  which  you  can- 
not so  well  know  each  other.  I  repeat  that  our  acquaintance 
with  the  most  of  you, — nay,  indeed,  with  all  of  you, — is  such 
as  to  interest  us  all  more  or  less  in  your  future  destiny. 

In  the  first  place,  then,  your  various  talents,  acquisitions, 
and  habits,  to  say  nothing  of  circumstances,  may  afi'ord  you 
an  opportunity  of  forming  characters  and  of  filling  places  in 
society  of  no  ordinary  importance  to  yourselves  and  to  that 
community  in  which  you  are  to  employ  all  those  faculties  and 
acquisitions  in  the  vai*ious  relative  duties  of  our  social  exist- 
ence. 

Many  of  you  have  not  only  heard  from  us  the  adage  that 
"  educated  mind  governs  the  universe,"  but  are  also  capable  of 
comprehending  its  great  and  solemn  import.  If  this  be  true 
of  the  Supreme  Intelligence  Himself,  it  is  also  true  of  all  the 
great  functionaries  by  which  He  executes  his  purposes  in  the 
government  of  every  department  of  the  world.  I  care  not  how 
loudly  envious  ignorance  may  prate  against  learning,  nor  how 
the  uneducated  portions  of  society  may  seem  to  disparage  its 
possessors,  man  is  so  constituted  and  the  world  so  formed 
that  superior  intelligence,  associated  with  moral  excellence, 
must  give  an  authority  and  power  to  bless,  to  which  inferior 
intelligence  and  excellence  must  bow  in  proper  time  and  place. 

Not  only  will  an  afflicted  patient,  when  seized  by  some  por- 
tentous malady,  seek  for  the  most  skilful  physician ;  an  in- 
jured client,  in  some  pressing  emergency,  employ  the  ablest 
counsel ;  but  society  itself,  whether  political  or  religious,  will, 
in  every  important  crisis,  select  those  whom  nature,  education, 
and  moral  excellence,  have  made  conspicuous  to  fill  those  high 
and  lofty  places  of  important  trust,  or  to  discharge  those 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  371 


weighty  responsibilities  which  involve  the  supreme  interests  of 
a  people  or  embrace  in  the  wide  range  of  their  operations  the 
more  enduring  fortunes  of  posterity.  As  when  a  fierce  tem- 
pest breaks  upon  the  mighty  ocean,  and  bears  upon  the  sum- 
mit of  its  mountain  billows  the  feeble  bark  of  man's  creation, 
the  most  skilful  mariner  is  called  to  the  helm,  and  the  lives 
and  fortunes  of  all  committed  to  his  hands;  or,  as  when  a 
country  is  assailed  by  some  invading  foe,  the  bravest  patriot, 
and  most  distinguished  soldier  is  made  commander-in-chief ; 
so  in  every  great  emergency,  and  in  all  the  other  relations  and 
crises  of  society,  the  man  that  is  best  qualified  for  the  oc- 
casion, whose  education  and  character  best  qualify  him  to 
serve  the  public  in  that  capacity,  will,  in  every  well  regu- 
lated community,  be  called  to  that  place,  despite  of  all 
that  envy,  ignorance,  and  superstition  can  urge  against  his 
claims. 

But,  gentlemen,  when  I  speak  of  educated  mind,  by  that 
epithet  you  know  that  I  include  more  than  mere  intellectual 
development — more  than  mere  literary  and  scientific  attain- 
ments. True,  indeed,  that  the  cultivation  of  the  intellectual 
powers  in  the  habits  of  acquiring  and  communicating  intelli- 
gence, and  the  acquisition  of  just  views  of  nature  and  religion, 
of  literature,  science,  and  art,  and  also  the  expansion  and 
corroboration  of  these  faculties  are  all-important  parts  of  edu- 
cation, are  essential  to  the  full  and  perfect  moral  advancement 
of  our  spiritual  and  social  nature;  still  all  this  falls  essen- 
tially and  radically  short  of  our  conceptions  of  a  good  or 
complete  education. 

With  us  it  is  a  settled  point,  that,  could  any  one  mind 
possess  all  the  intellectual  powers,  acquisitions,  and  resources, 
of  the  three  great  master  spirits  of  modern  science, — Bacon, 
Locke,  and  Newton, — and  with  them  survey  physical,  intel- 
lectual, and  moral  nature — scale  the  heavens — traverse  the 
orbit  of  every  planet  belonging  to  seventy-five  millions  of 
suns; — could  he  compute  all  the  forces,  sum  up  the  series  of 
all  their  various  movements,  and  penetrate  into  -their  peculiar 
mechanism;  and  could  he  analyse  our  own  planet,  detect  its 
peculiar  structure,  explain  all  the  laws  of  its  various  and 
mysterious  strata,  enumerate  and  expound  all  its  subtle 
elements,  their  numerous  and  various  combinations  in  its 
mineral,  vegetable,  and  animal  creations,  and  then  take  to 
himself  the  well  fledged  wings  of  the  strongest  imagination, 
and  fly  off  into  all  the  metaphysical  subtleties  of  matter  and 
spirit — define  their  respective  boundaries — contradistinguish 
their  differential  attributes — compute  their  abstract  and  com- 
bined influences  in  all  the  physical  and  mental  phenomena 
with  which  the  universe  abounds ;  I  say,  could  he  thus  develop 
and  comprehend  all,  and  more  than  ail,  mortals  ever  knew  of 
things  terrestrial  and  celestial — of  things  concrete  and  abstract 
— if  yet  his  spiritual  nature,  his  moral  powers,  and  capacities 
were  a  moral  desolation — his  heart  convulsed  with  the  work- 


372    HISTOEY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ings  of  a  towering  ambition,  an  inordinate  selfishness,  and 
tlie  impulses  of  unbridled  sensuality — his  soul  alienated 
from  God  and  devoted  to  the  pursuit  and  enjoyment  of  the 
forbidden  pleasures  of  sin — he  is  an  uneducated  man,  in  the 
proper  sense  of  that  much  abused  and  greatly  perverted 
term. 

Thus  contemplated,  man,  in  the  zenith  of  all  his  intellect- 
uality, enslaved  to  passion,  is  but  a  splendid  ruin — his  soul  a 
waste  and  howling  desert — without  a  single  oasis,  without  one 
green  or  bright  spot  on  which  hope  can  look  with  any  pleas- 
ing anticipation.  His  cultivated  intellect,  and  his  giant 
powers — his  stores  of  literature  and  science,  make  him  greatly 
capable  of  extending  mischiefs — of  ruining  thousands  or  mil- 
lions. The  moral  atmosphere  around  him  is  filled  with  a 
deadly  contagion — his  breath  is  more  destructive  than  the 
simoom  of  the  desert — his  example  a  pest  more  to  be  dreaded 
than  the  sword  of  the  conqueror — than  the  fires  of  the  In- 
quisition. We  need  not  expatiate  on  the  deeds  of  a  Nero,  a 
Caligula,  a  Danton,  or  a  Robespierre.  A  single  Voltaire,  by  his 
writings  and  his  conversations,  is  a  greater  curse  and  more 
to  be  deprecated  than  two  Napoleons.  A  Napoleon  has  strewed 
the  field  of  war  with  bones  of  slaughtered  legions;  while  a 
Voltaire  has  replenished  hell  with  untold  multitudes  of  in- 
fidels and  debauchees.  The  one  makes  the  earth  to  tremble 
under  his  war  chariots,  his  mounted  and  mail-clad  warriors — 
he  shakes  the  heavens  with  the  clangor  of  his  trumpets  and 
the  thunder  of  his  cannon — he  entails  years  of  lamentation 
and  bitter  sorrows  to  bereaved  parents  and  heart-broken  wid- 
ows; while  the  other  has  caused  the  regions  of  the  lost  to 
resound  with  the  eternal  wailings  of  destroyed  multitudes,  de- 
luded by  the  delicious  poison  of  his  pernicious  eloquence,  and 
made  to  drink  down  eternal  destruction  in  the  medicated  wine 
of  his  delusive  yet  bewitching  reasonings. 

We  have  not  yet  been  taught  the  arithmetic  of  everlast- 
ing ruin ;  and  no  algebraic  process  can  compute  the  mischief 
which  a  single  Hume,  Volney,  Voltaire,  or  Bulwer,  can  se- 
cretly infuse  into  the  hearts  of  a  nation  by  the  fascinations 
of  a  tasteful  and  bewitching  style,  and  a  fancy  capable  of 
the  ingenious  fictions  and  enchanting  plots  of  forbidden 
pleasure. 

But  we  all  can  make  the  contrast  between  an  ambitious 
Ciesar,  deluging  the  earth  with  blood  for  the  sake  of  empire, — 
a  Tamerlane,  desolating  India,  Persia,  Egypt,  and  the  fairest 
portions  of  Asia  at  the  impulse  of  the  accursed  lust  of  power 
and  insatiate  domination, — a  profane  Mahomet,  laying  waste 
the  garden  of  the  world  at  the  bidding  of  his  demon  passions, 
of  fraud  and  friction ;  I  say,  we  can  compare  these  master 
spirits  of  iniquity,  transgression  and  sin,  these  mighty  actors 
in  the  desolations  of  the  world,  with  the  Apostles  of  humanity, 
the  philanthropists  and  public  benefactors  of  our  race,  who 
have,  in  the  chastened  strains  of  heaven-taught  poetry,  or  by 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION 


373 


the  eloquent  pleadings  of  a  divine  benevolence,  or  by  useful 
inventions  in  the  arts  of  human  improvement  and  civilisation, 
advanced  the  cause  of  humanity,  emancipated  the  world  from 
the  bondage  of  ignorance,  superstition,  and  error.  We  can 
point  to  a  Claude  of  Turin,  a  Wickliffe  of  England,  a  Luther 
of  Saxony,  a  Tyndale,  a  Zuinglius,  a  Howard,  a  Clarkson,  a 
Franklin,  a  Washington  bestowing  their  numerous  and  various 
benefactions  on  our  races;  all  tending  to  human  advancement 
in  science,  useful  arts,  morality,  religion,  and  happiness.  For, 
my  young  friends,  all  power  is  less  than  the  power  of  blessing — 

....  Oh,  how  Omnipotence 

Is  lost  in  love!  Thou  great  Philanthropist, 

Father  of  angels,  but  the  friend  of  man, 

hast  taught  us  that  philanthropy,  evangelical  philanthropy,  is 
but  another  name  for  morality,  religion,  and  happiness. 

The  acquisition  and  confirmation  of  virtuous  habits  is,  there- 
fore, young  gentlemen,  an  essential  item,  the  most  funda- 
mental and  all-pervading  element  of  a  rational  education: — 
nay,  it  is  the  very  aim  and  grand  object  of  it  all.  Without 
this,  all  learning,  all  science,  all  art,  is  vain  or  useless,  or 
worse  than  useless  to  the  possessor.  On  this  point,  however, 
we  are  all  agreed — theoretically  at  least,  agreed. 

I  would,  then,  my  young  friends,  at  present  remind  you  of 
but  three  things : — 

First,  there  are  no  holidays  in  the  school  of  virtue.  All  her 
days  are,  indeed,  holy  days;  but  there  is  no  vacation  in  her 
school.  Her  sessions  are  not  for  months  nor  years,  but  for  life. 
In  other  branches  and  schools  of  education  frequent  interludes 
are  necessary;  for  we  have  all  learned,  with  King  Solomon,  that 

much  study  is  a  weariness  of  the  flesh."  This  many  of  jom 
have  fully  proved.  You,  therefore,  occasionally  need  to  un- 
string the  bow  of  your  intellectual  application.  Your  physical 
energies  can  be  expended,  and  therefore  need  to  be  recruited. 
Every  mental  effort  wastes  a  portion  of  our  animal  vigour. 
You  have,  gentlemen,  merited,  and  you  need,  a  respite.  But  I 
would  deeply  impress  it  upon  your  attention  that  there  is  no 
respite  in  the  school  of  moral  culture.  Wherever  you  go, 
whatever  you  think,  say,  or  do.  not  only  are  the  claims  of  virtue 
ever  constant,  imperious,  and  obligatory,  but  your  course  is 
either  backward  or  forward,  upward  or  downward.  On  her 
altars  the  fire  forever  burns.  She  must  be  worshipped  in  every 
impulse,  volition,  action,  passion  of  the  soul.  Her  discipline 
must  be  habitual.  She  must  reign  queen  of  all  your  thoughts, 
words,  and  actions.  It  is,  however,  a  pleasing  reflection,  that, 
when  we  choose  a  virtuous  course  of  action,  habit  not  only 
makes  it  easy,  but  natural  and  delightful.  To  a  mind  intent 
on  truth,  justice,  and  goodness,  the  highest  gratification  is 
correspondent  action.  The  labours  of  the  lyre  and  the  toils 
of  the  piano  are  enchantingly  delightful  to  the  amateurs  of 


374    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


music.  To  the  miser  there  are  no  toils  in  counting  his  gold. 
The  lover  is  never  fatigued  in  revealing  his  passion  to  his 
mistress.  And  hence  it  is  that  *'  wisdom's  ways  are  ways  of 
pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths  are  paths  of  peace.'' 

But  in  the  second  place,  gentlemen,  industry  is  just  as 
necessary  to  forming  and  strengthening  these  habits  as  it  is  to 
acquiring  either  learning  or  wealth.  No  man  can  excel  in 
earth  or  heaven,  in  time  or  to  eternity,  without  industry. 
Talent  and  industry  are  the  two  main  pillars  of  all  human 
greatness.  The  one,  without  the  other,  cannot  excel.  .But  in- 
dustry, without  talent,  will  do  more  than  talent  without  in- 
dustry. A  thousand  become  great  and  good  by  industry  for 
one  who  is  either  great  or  good  by  genius  or  natural  birth. 
Self-denial  is  therefore  as  necessary  in  rising  to  eminence  on 
earth  as  in  heaven — as  necessary  to  becoming  a  scholar  as  a 
saint.  Wherever  labour  is  counted  a  disgrace,  learning,  vir- 
tue, and  religion,  are  at  a  low  ebb.  There  are  no  drones  in 
Virtue's  hive.  Neither  loungers  nor  loafers  are  found  in  the 
porticoes  of  literature,  science,  or  virtue. 

I  congratulate  many  of  you,  my  young  friends,  on  your  in- 
dustrious habits.  Some  of  you  are  models  of  industry  and 
attention  to  business.  You  need  but  to  persevere  to  be  both 
great  and  good :  I  mean,  to  be  honourable  and  useful  men ;  for 
this,  with  me,  is  the  standard  of  human  greatness  and  good- 
ness. I  need  not  tell  you  what  industry  has  done  in  the 
schools  of  human  greatness.  Inquire  for  the  greatest  King  in 
Israel,  the  greatest  prince  in  Greece,  Rome,  England,  Prussia, 
Sweden;  you  will  find  that  they  were  individually  the  most 
industrious  and  laborious  men  of  their  respective  generations. 
Who  of  American  philosophers,  orators,  statesmen,  scholars, 
theologians,  physicians,  etc.,  have  risen  to  the  highest  degree 
of  eminence  in  their  respective  callings?  Like  Newton,  Bacon, 
Locke,  they  were  as  much  distinguished  for  labour  as  for  genius. 
Those  who,  like  the  present  Lord  Brougham,  sleep  five  hours 
and  labour  sixteen ;  or,  like  our  late  lamented  Attorney-General, 
distinguished  alike  for  genius  and  learning,  have  been  the 
architects  of  their  own  fortunes  by  their  superior  industry  and 
great  devotion  to  some  worthy  object.  Industry,  however,  is 
not  pre-eminently  worthy  of  regard  and  cultivation  because  of 
its  indispensability  to  the  acquisition  of  learning,  wealth,  or 
fame;  but  because  no  man  can  be  strictly  moral  without  it  or 
eminently  honourable,  useful,  or  happy,  but  in  the  continued 
practice  of  it. 

I  shall  not,  however,  lecture  you  to  death  on  a  subject  on 
which  most  of  you  have  frequently  heard  me  before;  but  will 
simply  add,  what  I  presume  you  will  admit,  that,  on  this  sub- 
ject at  least,  there  is  no  incongruity  between  my  theory  and 
my  practice.  I  would  then  have  you  to  know  that  whatever 
influence  I  may  have  acquired,  and  whatever  good  I  may  have 
been  the  humble  instrument  of  accomplishing,  T  owe  pre- 
eminently to  this  course.    With  me,  indeed,  it  has  long  since 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION 


375 


been  a  habit,  without  the  necessity  of  a  single  effort.  I  was 
early  taught  the  following  lesson: 

"But  what  truth  prompts,  my  tongue  shall  not  disguise: 

The  steep  ascent  must  be  with  toil  subdued; 

Watchings  and  cares  must  win  the  lofty  prize 

Propos'd  by  heaven — true  bliss  and  real  good. 

Honour  rewards  the  brave  and  bold  alone ; 
She  spurns  the  timorous,  indolent,  and  base; 

Dangers  and  toil  stand  stem  before  her  throne. 

And  guard,  so  Heaven  commands,  the  sacred  place. 

Who  seeks  her  must  the  mighty  cost  sustain, 
And  pay  the  price  of  labour,  care,  and  pain." 

Finally,  gentlemen,  in  bidding  you  a  cordial  and  affectionate 
adieu,  I  would  only  add,  that  we  desire  you  to  remember,  not 
only  on  your  journey  home,  but  when  at  home,  and  where- 
ever  you  may  go,  that  you  either  are,  or  have  been  students 
of  Bethany  College.  If  not  the  first  fruits,  you  are  either 
the  buds  or  blossoms  of  her  future  hopes.  She  is  struggling 
into  life;  and  as  she  is  ambitious  to  be  distinguished  not 
merely  for  her  literary  and  scientific  standing  amongst  the 
American  Colleges,  but  for  her  supreme  regard  to  moral  cul- 
ture and  moral  eminence,  you  will  be  inspected  with  a  jealous 
eye  by  her  friends,  and  also  by  her  enemies,  if  any  such  she 
have.  It  is  as  much  in  your  power  now,  in  her  infancy,  to 
honour  her,  as  it  will  be  in  her  power  hereafter  to  honour  you 
in  your  maturity.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  you  should 
merely  utter  a  good  name  for  her;  for  this  I  believe  all,  or 
almost  all  of  you,  are  both  able  and  willing  to  do.  But  I 
supremely  desire,  and  earnestly  request  that  you  will  honour 
her  by  your  virtues.  This  is  all  we  ask ;  and  in  asking  this, 
we  tender  you  the  best  advice  we  could  give,  since  to  be 
virtuous  is  to  be  useful,  honourable,  and  happy. 

That  you  may  not  only  safely  arrive  at  home,  enjoy  a  pleas- 
ant vacation,  and  return  to  your  studies  with  new  energy ;  but 
that  you  may  pass  honourably  and  usefully  through  life,  be 
useful  citizens  of  the  state,  excellent  and  exemplary  members 
of  the  Church,  and  ultimately  attain  to  the  resurrection  of  the 
just,  is  my  unfeigned  desire,  and  I  believe,  also,  of  every  mem- 
ber of  the  Faculty.* 

We  have  now  seen  the  beginning  of  two  important 
Colleges  that  are  hereafter  to  occupy  a  prominent  position 
in  the  Restoration  movement.  Education  is  henceforth  to 
be  co-ordinated  with  evangelism,  and  when  these  two  are 
made  to  co-operate  with  each  other,  as  was  the  aim  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  Restoration  movement,  then  will  be  realised 
something  of  the  ideal  w^hich  Mr.  Campbell  set  before 
himself  and  those  who  were  associated  with  him.    It  was 

*  Millennial  Harbinger,  1843,  pp.  365  to  end. 


376    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  day  of  small  things  with  regard  to  education,  but  it 
was  the  beginning  of  great  things  which  would  afterwards 
be  realised  in  the  oncoming  days. 

I  have  given  considerable  space  to  the  inauguration 
of  these  two  Colleges  because  they  mark  a  very  distinct 
period  in  the  progress  of  things.  They  both  look  forward 
to  an  educated  ministry,  and  this  would  mean  an  attack 
upon  the  cities  as  well  as  the  country  and  villages  with 
the  great  plea  which  the  Disciples  were  making.  As  has 
already  been  remarked,  their  teaching  eldership  was  an 
important  factor  in  the  success  of  the  country  churches, 
but  it  would  not  work  in  the  cities.  Perhaps  it  was  never 
faithfully  tried  with  such  elders  as  were  properly  in  the 
program  for  which  the  Disciples  contended  in  their  scheme 
of  Church  organisation.  But,  however  this  may  be,  it  is 
certain  that  it  had  not  been  a  success  in  the  city  churches, 
and  as  there  were  very  few  educated  preachers  at  that 
time,  the  city  churches  had  themselves  very  largely  been 
failures,  so  far,  at  least,  as  growth  in  numbers  was  con- 
cerned. Many  of  these  city  churches  had  remained  sta- 
tionary, or  else  had  grown  less  influential  than  they  were 
during  the  first  few  years  of  their  existence.  This  fact 
made  a  strong  impression  upon  Mr.  Campbell's  mind,  as 
well  as  upon  the  minds  of  others  who  thought  about  the 
matter,  and  this  was  doubtless  one  of  the  considerations 
taken  into  account,  in  reaching  the  conclusion  that  Col- 
leges must  become  important  factors  in  the  future  de- 
velopment of  the  Restoration  movement. 

Going  back  to  the  year  1840,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the 
forward  movement  in  educational  matters  had  in  no  way 
lessened  the  evangelistic  zeal  of  the  Disciples.  The  re- 
ports from  the  evangelistic  field  are  very  encouraging. 
Such  evangelists  as  John  Smith,  John  T.  Johnson,  John 
Allen  Gano,  R.  C.  Ricketts,  B.  F.  Hall,  etc.,  were  very 
active  in  Kentucky,  while  in  Indiana  such  men  as  John 
O'Kane,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Elijah  Goodwin,  L.  H.  Jame- 
son, and  John  B.  New,  were  equally  successful  in  winning 
souls  to  Christ.  In  Missouri  great  things  were  also  accom- 
plished under  the  leadership  of  such  men  as  T.  M.  Allen, 
Jacob  Creath,  Jr.,  Samuel  Rogers,  Allen  Wright,  and  a 
number  of  other  efficient  evangelists.  In  Illinois  the  good 
work  was  carried  on  by  B.  W.  Stone  and  a  number  of 
other  earnest  proclaimers  of  the  Ancient  Gospel.    At  the 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION 


377 


same  time  progress  was  made  in  many  other  directions 
under  tlie  leadership  of  evangelists  whose  names  will  be 
mentioned  at  the  proper  time. 

In  looking  over  the  reports  of  these  men,  it  is  evident 
that  at  least  2,000  converts  were  made  every  three  months, 
and  perhaps  many  more,  for  undoubtedly  the  reports  from 
the  field  represent  only  a  small  portion  of  the  work  done, 
as  many  evangelists  did  not  report  accessions  at  all,  and 
in  any  case  only  a  part  of  the  field  is  comprehended  in 
the  reports  made.  While  the  statistics  are  far  from  being 
trustworthy,  as  covering  the  whole  ground,  it  is  fair  to 
estimate  that  not  less  than  20,000  additions  per  annum 
were  made  during  the  next  decade,  beginning  with  1840. 
Of  course  there  were  losses  to  be  subtracted,  both  by  death 
and  otherwise,  so  that  perhaps  the  net  gain  per  annum 
should  be  placed  at  about  15,000,  and  this  would  make  the 
number  of  Disciples,  when  we  reach  the  year  1850,  about 
200,000,  which  estimate  perhaps  is  not  far  from  the  facts 
of  the  case. 

Considering  that  this  success  had  to  be  achieved  in 
the  face  of  the  most  violent  opposition  that  can  be  imag- 
ined, it  is  certainly  a  strong  proof  that  the  plea  which 
the  Disciples  made  had  much  in  it  that  met  the  popular 
demand.  The  people  were  tired  of  the  sights  and  sounds, 
the  mystic  interpretations  of  the  Scriptures;  the  utter 
want  of  definiteness  as  to  the  terms  of  salvation,  the 
uncertainty  as  to  time  and  place,  when  assurance  of  sins 
forgiven  could  be  realised,  and  the  complex  systems  of 
theology,  which  the  preachers  vainly  tried  to  make  the 
people  comprehend,  all  contributed  to  an  environment 
which  invited  Disciple  preachers  to  enter  and  occupy. 
They  had  also  the  courage  of  their  convictions,  and  the 
spirit  of  self-sacrifice  which  enabled  them  to  deny  them- 
selves of  every  comfort,  often  going  without  money  and 
without  price  to  doors  that  were  opened  to  the  knocking 
of  the  simple  (lospel,  as  it  was  proclaimed  by  the  Restora- 
tion preachers.  These  preachers  seldom  would  not  heed 
a  Macedonian  cry,  and  never,  if  it  was  possible  for  them 
to  answer  it. 

Thus  the  glorious  work  went  on,  and  it  is  a  real  in- 
spiration to  read  the  letters  of  these  pioneer  evangelists 
as  they  tell  of  the  struggles  and  triumphs,  the  bitter  oppo- 
sition and  the  victories,  the  suffering  for  Christ's  sake, 


378    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


and  the  joy  of  final  success.  As  all  this  is  depicted  most 
vividly  in  their  short  but  usually  very  comprehensive  com- 
munications, it  is  hoped  that  some  time  some  one  may 
gather  all  these  letters  from  the  beginning  of  the  move- 
ment up  to  the  year  1850,  and  publish  them  in  a  volume. 
It  would  be  a  most  interesting  volume  for  the  preachers 
of  the  present  day  to  read,  and  would  be  full  of  inspiration 
as  well  as  of  much  instruction  that  is  needed  at  the  present 
time. 

The  year  1841  was  made  memorable  on  account  of  a 
union  meeting  which  was  held  in  Lexington  that  year, 
beginning  the  second  day  of  April,  to  attend  which  all 
the  religious  parties  had  been  cordially  invited.  This 
meeting  had  been  proposed  and  advocated  by  John  T. 
Johnson,  who  was  always  in  the  front  rank  of  every  move- 
ment in  favour  of  Christian  union.  He  had  realised  a 
taste  of  it  in  the  union  between  the  "  Reformers  "  and 
^'  Christians,"  and  his  great  heart  fairly  palpitated  with 
joy  in  the  prospect  of  a  still  wider  union  of  the  followers 
of  Jesus  Christ.  His  proposition  met  the  view  of  Mr. 
Campbell,  who  wrote  to  him  in  the  following  language: 

"  Beloved  Brother  Johnson : 

Your  motive  is  an  excellent  one,  and  I  will  travel  one 
hundred  miles  out  of  my  way  to  attend  such  a  meeting  in 
Kentucky,  on  my  return  from  Washington  the  ensuing  Spring. 
Let  us  have  a  real  big  meeting  on  the  subject  of  Union,  on 
Truth,  and  in  Truth."' 

Although  this  invitation  was  extended  to  all  denomina- 
tions, as  a  matter  of  fact,  not  one  representative  partici- 
pated in  the  meeting,  except  Dr.  Fishback,  who  was  al- 
ready practically  in  sympathy  with  the  Disciples,  and 
actually  united  with  the  Church  at  Lexington  shortly  after 
the  meeting.  Truly  has  it  been  asked,  where  were  the 
leaders  among  the  Methodists,  Baptists,  and  Presby- 
terians? 

However,  the  union  meeting  was  held  according  to 
appointment,  and  continued  for  three  days.  In  view  of 
the  importance  of  this  meeting,  it  is  believed  that  a  full 
report  of  what  took  place,  as  well  as  Mr.  Campbell's 
animadversions  upon  the  same,  should  be  carefully  pre- 
served, therefore  we  quote  the  account  as  given  by  the 
Secretaries,  H.  B.  Todd  and  G.  W.  Elley. 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  379 


Agreeably  to  the  above  public  notice  a  very  large  audience 
assembled  in  the  Christian  meeting  house  in  Lexington,  Ky., 
at  eleven  o'clock.  After  praj'er  and  praise,  Brother  J.  T.  John- 
son explained  the  object  of  the  meeting,  and  moved  that 
Brother  Asa  R.  Runyan,  of  May's  Lick,  be  chosen  president, 
and  H.  B.  Todd  and  George  W.  Elley,  secretaries.  Unani- 
mously adopted. 

The  meeting  being  thus  duly  organised,  Brother  Johnson 
offered  the  following  resolution,  which  was  read,  and  after  a 
short  discussion  carried  unanimously  in  the  afldrmative: — 

Resolved,  That  Christian  union  is  practicable. 

It  was  then,  on  motion  of  the  same, 

Resolved  unanimously,  that  Brethren  Fishback  and  Camp- 
bell be  requested  to  address  the  convention  on  the  subject  of 
the  foregoing  resolution,  in  the  order  of  their  names. 

The  Convention  then  adjourned  till  half-past  two  o'clock. 
Met  according  to  adjournment  at  half-past  two  p.m.  Dr. 
Fishback  then  addressed  the  audience  for  about  two  hours. 
An  account  of  the  position  sustained  by  him  in  the  discourse, 
and  the  discussions  growing  out  of  it,  will  be  found  below. 

On  motion  of  Brother  Campbell,  it  was  then 

Resolved,  That  the  discourse  of  Brother  Fishback,  and  those 
to  be  delivered  during  the  meeting,  be  made  the  subject  of  free 
inquiry  and  criticism. 

On  motion  of  the  same. 

Resolved,  That  Brother  Shannon  be  requested  to  deliver,  at 
seven  o'clock  this  evening,  a  discourse  on  the  sin  of  schism. 
Adjourned  till  seven  o'clock. 

In  pursuance  of  the  foregoing  resolution,  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed, Brother  Shannon  delivered  a  discourse;  in  which, 
after  showing  that  all  who  sincerely  love  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  truly  believe  on  Him,  could  be  united  in  one  holy  and 
happy  brotherhood  without  any  sacrifice  of  truth  of  con- 
science, he  proved  from  various  scriptures,  and  especially  from 
the  fifth  chapter  of  Galatians,  that  sects  among  Christians 
were  ranked  by  Paul  among  the  works  of  flesh  (  such  as  drunk- 
enness, etc.)  which  exclude  men  from  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Adjourned  till  half-past  ten  o'clock  next  morning. 

Saturday  morning  met  according  to  adjournment.  Brother 
Campbell  then  addressed  the  meeting  till  half-past  four  p.m. 
(with  exception  of  a  short  intermission  for  dinner),  in  proof 
of  the  following  proposition : — 

Resolved,  That  the  union  of  Christians  can  be  Scripturally 
effected  by  requiring  a  practical  acknowledgment  of  such 
articles  of  belief  and  such  rules  of  piety  and  morality  as  are 
admitted  by  all  Christian  denominations. 

Adjourned  till  seven  p.m.,  after  which  hour  the  Convention 
was  occupied  during  the  evening  in  the  discussion  of  the  first 
discourse. 

Dr.  Fishback,  in  his  address,  and  in  the  discussion  of  it  in 
reference  to  Christian  union,  maintained  that  the  first  object 


380    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ought  to  be  to  give  to  the  Scriptures  in  the  view  of  the  mind 
their  appropriate  divine  origin,  authority,  and  use — not  merely 
as  a  sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  practice  in  religion,  but  also 
as  the  only  means  of  spiritual  ideas,  knowledge,  and  faith; 
and  to  place  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Light  of  the  World,  and  as 
Prince  and  Saviour  upon  his  throne. 

He  maintained  that  religion,  or  the  knowledge  of  God,  be- 
fore the  fall  was  natural  to  the  state  of  man,  but  since  the  fall 
it  has  not  been,  on  account  of  the  change  that  has  taken  place 
in  his  relation  to  God  and  to  spiritual  things  by  sin,  and 
that  it  entered  the  world  by  revelation  after  the  Fall,  and  has 
ever  existed  only  by  its  influence.  He  affirmed  that  natural 
religion,  or  Deism,  is  false,  and  has  in  fact  no  proper  existence 
independent  of  revelation,  and  that  it  is  a  product  of  a  Pagan 
tradition  and  of  false  philosophy  of  the  human  mind,  and  was 
incorporated  with  Christianity  in  an  early  period  of  its  his- 
tory, and  involves  in  it  the  denial  of  the  total  depravity  of 
man  so  far  as  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  spiritual  things  is 
concerned,  and  denies  that  God  and  the  fact  of  the  creation 
of  the  heavens  and  the  earth  out  of  nothing  are  objects  of  faith 
according  to  the  Scriptures,  or  in  the  Scriptural  use  of  the 
term. 

He  maintained  that  the  assumption  of  natural  religion 
without  revelation  supersedes,  nullifies,  and  denies  the  divine 
origin,  instrumentality,  and  the  use  of  the  Word  of  God  as 
the  means  of  obtaining  spiritual  ideas  and  of  communicating 
original  spiritual  knowledge  and  of  converting  the  world,  and 
creates  the  necessity  for  the  doctrine  of  the  immediate  physical 
operation  of  the  Spirit  in  the  production  of  faith,  instead  of 
the  spiritual  moral  influence  by  the  word  in  the  record  God 
hath  given  of  his  Son,  and  makes  the  faith  of  that  word  no 
better  than  the  faith  that  Simon  Magus  had. 

He  alleged  that  the  Spirit  of  God  has  ever  been  essentially 
omnipresent,  but  after  the  sanctiflcation  and  exaltation  of 
Jesus  Christ  he  was  graciously  poured  out  and  continues 
poured  out,  and  is  graciously  omnipresent  to  bless  the  word  of 
the  Gospel  wherever  it  is  faithfully  taught,  and  used  for  the 
conversion  of  sinners  and  for  the  sanctiflcation  of  the  saints. 

He  attributed  the  divisions  among  professedly  Bible  Chris- 
tians, and  the  prevalence  of  sectarianism,  and  the  existence  of 
Roman  Catholicism  to  the  want  of  true  views  of  the  divine 
origin,  authority,  and  use  of  the  word  of  God  in  religion  and 
morality,  and  unscriptural  views  of  Jesus  Christ  as  Prince  and 
Saviour  and  Lord  of  all. 

On  the  subject  of  baptism  he  maintained  that  without  con- 
tending for  the  truth  of  any  particular  view  of  the  mode  or 
subject,  there  is  Scriptural  ground  for  an  honest  difference  of 
opinion  among  the  sincere  Disciples  and  followers  of  Jesus 
Christ,  laid  in  the  weakness  and  imperfection  of  man,  and 
that  they  ought  not  to  disown  one  another  at  the  Lord's  Table 
as  Christians  on  account  of  their  difference. 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION 


381 


Monday  morning  at  nine  o'clock,  the  meeting  was  again 
introduced  by  prayer  and  praise,  and  a  free  and  full  conversa- 
tion continued  by  interrogation,  explanations,  and  general 
remarks  upon  the  points  made  and  defended  by  Brethren 
Shannon  and  Campbell.  A  vote  was  then  taken  upon  the 
resolution  of  Brother  Campbell,  which  was  carried  unani- 
mously in  the  affirmative  by  an  immense  congregation. 

An  invitation  was  also  affectionately  given  to  all  persons  to 
offer  any  objections  which  they  might  have,  in  the  way  either 
of  inquiry  or  discussion. 

The  meeting  then  adjourned  after  passing  the  following 
resolution : — 

Resolved,  That  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone,  is  a  sufficient 
foundation  on  which  all  Christians  may  unite  and  build  to- 
gether, and  that  we  most  affectionately  invite  all  the  religious 
parties  to  the  investigation  of  this  truth.* 

It  is  certainly  very  remarkable  that  Mr.  Campbell  should 
have  addressed  the  meeting  from  half  past  ten  in  the 
morning  until  four  in  the  afternoon,  with  the  exception 
of  a  short  intermission  for  dinner.  The  people  were  there 
for  business,  and  were  evidently  deeply  interested  in  the 
great  subject  which  had  brought  them  together,  and  they 
were  not,  therefore,  influenced  by  the  style  of  to-day  when 
an  address  must  not  exceed  thirty  minutes  if  it  is  listened 
to  with  patience.  It  is  worth  while  also  just  here  to  give 
Mr.  Campbell's  comments  upon  this  meeting,  and  especially 
what  he  says  about  William  F.  Broaddus,  as  this  will 
illustrate,  not  only  Mr.  Campbell's  views  with  respect 
to  Christian  union,  but  also  the  sectarianism  of  those  with 
whom  he  had  to  contend.    He  says: 

If  the  Prince  of  Peace,  his  doctrine,  miracles,  passion,  and 
death,  were  misconceived,  misrepresented,  and  perverted  to 
his  dishonour  and  that  of  his  cause  and  people,  it  is  not  to 
be  regarded  as  an  object  of  wonder  and  astonishment  that  even 
now  the  sons  of  peace,  the  friends  of  Christian  union  and 
holy  co-operation  in  the  Christian  kingdom,  with  their  schemes 
of  benevolence  and  peace  offerings,  should  be  misunderstood, 
calumniated,  and  reprobated  by  many  of  the  partizan  leaders 
of  the  present  disputatious  and  sectarian  age.  Partially  ac- 
quainted with  the  workings  of  this  schismatical  spirit,  its  way- 
wardness, pride,  intolerance,  and  proscription,  I  confess  I  am 
one  of  those  who  were  by  no  means  sanguine  that  a  move  on 
the  subject  of  union  made  by  any  of  us,  would  meet  with  a 
favourable  regard  from  the  thorough  partizan  and  well  pen- 

*  Millennial  Harbinger,  1841,  pp.  258-260. 


382    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


sioned  leaders  of  the  people,  who  owe  to  a  partizan  creed,  to 
a  partizan  conscience,  and  to  the  spirit  of  war,  their  position 
and  influence  in  society.  Still,  I  was  pleased  to  hear  of  a 
union  meeting  however  proposed  and  undertaken,  knowing 
that  the  discussion  of  the  great  questions  involved  in  that  sub- 
ject must  be  auspicious  to  the  cause  of  truth  and  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  those  holy  principles  which  are  destined,  at  no 
very  distant  day,  to  triumph  over  everything  that  now  opposes 
their  onward  and  upward  march. 

True,  indeed,  I  anticipated  that  a  union  meeting,  so  far  at 
least  as  the  Baptists  were  concerned,  proposed  by  our  breth- 
ren in  Kentucky,  would  not  appear  to  them  quite  so  congruous 
as  though  it  had  emanated  from  those  associations  that  did  so 
magnanimously  and  piously  excommunicate  us  from  the  king- 
dom of  God,  and  treat  us  as  aliens  from  their  spiritual  common- 
wealth. 

The  customs  of  society,  political,  and  sectarian,  have  made  it 
courteous  and  just  that  the  stronger  and  proscriptive  party 
should  first  rescind  their  anathemas  and  tender  the  olive 
branch  of  peace  to  the  weaker  and  more  aggrieved  party,  and 
thus  open  up  the  way  for  a  better  understanding,  and  a  more 
liberal  and  just  administration  of  their  affairs,  as  preliminary 
to  a  holy  and  cordial  co-operation  in  the  way  of  truth,  and 
peace,  and  righteoiisness.  But  so  it  was,  that  sundry  indica- 
tions of  an  era  of  better  feelings,  and  some  private  propositions 
of  union  on  the  part  of  the  Baptists,  encouraged  and  embold- 
ened our  brethren  in  Kentucky,  who  have  ever  been  forward 
to  propose  union,  and  to  sacrifice  much  for  it,  dispensed  with 
usual  formalities,  and  issued  an  invitation  to  meet  in  conven- 
tion and  discussion  on  this  all-absorbing  question,  in  reference 
to  which  ten  thousand  prayers  daily  ascend  to  heaven  from  all 
the  pure  hearts  in  all  the  four  quarters  of  the  world. 

I  was  glad  of  the  occasion  on  two  accounts : — First,  because 
while  always  advocating  the  cause  and  peace  and  union  among 
all  the  children  of  God,  I  had,  times  without  number,  been 
assailed  and  calumniated  as  engaged  in  raising  up  and  in  lead- 
ing a  new  sect.  In  refutation  of  this  imputation,  I  have  been, 
perhaps,  alwaj^s  too  ready  to  sacrifice  views  and  feelings — 
everything  but  the  essential  elements  of  life — the  gospel  insti- 
tutions in  their  naked  facts  and  documents ;  and  to  seize  every 
indication  of  repentance  or  a  change  of  views  and  feelings  on 
the  part  of  them  who  have  so  inconsiderately,  so  zealously,  and, 
we  think,  wantonly,  imagined,  and  plotted  our  ecclesiastical 
destruction,  and  to  convert  it  into  a  token  for  good,  a  symptom 
of  returning  reason,  and  to  meet  it  in  the  spirit  of  meekness, 
mildness,  and  forgiveness.  In  the  second  place,  if  the  schism 
now  existing  between  them  and  us  be  a  sin  against  the  Lord 
of  all,  against  the  constitution,  peace,  dignity,  and  prosperity 
of  the  Christian  kingdom,  it  lies  not  at  our  door!  We  have 
given  to  the  world,  to  heaven  and  earth,  a  fresh  pledge  that  we 
are  for  peace,  union,  and  co-operation,  with  all  who  love  the 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  383 


kingdom  and  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  terms  of  union  discussed  were  equal,  and  equally  hon- 
ourable to  all  parties,  requiring  no  greater  concession  from  any 
one  party  in  Christendom  than  from  another.  The  adoption  of 
the  Bible,  the  whole  Bible,  and  nothing  else  but  the  naked  book 
of  God,  as  the  expression  of  our  faith,  the  guide  of  our  wor- 
ship, and  the  code  of  our  morals. — We  agreed  to  ask  no  more 
from  others  than  we  were  willing  to  offer  ourselves— the  con- 
cession, surrender,  and  abandonment  of  every  tradition,  form, 
or  custom,  derived  from  our  fathers,  not  clearly  found  on  the 
pages  of  revelation. 

How  then,  gentle  reader,  think  you  was  the  overture  met? 
An  old  Methodist  preacher,  perhaps  in  his  dotage,  issued  his 
card  denouncing  the  meeting,  and  attempting  to  calumniate 
those  as  of  some  damnable  heresy  who  sought  the  union  of  all 
good  men.  And  still  less  to  have  been  expected,  and  more  to 
have  been  deprecated.  Elder  W.  F.  Broaddus  issued,  under 
date  of  March  25th,  an  order  prohibitory  of  the  Baptists  in 
Kentucky  coming  to  the  meeting  at  all.  Having  learned  that 
our  friend  Broaddus  had  either  volunteered  or  been  invited 
into  Kentucky  to  rally  and  command  the  broken  forces  of  the 
party,  I  could  not  but  admire  with  what  graceful  ease  the 
Reverend  Gentlemen,  as  Metropolitan  of  the  State,  issued  his 
first  bulletin,  and  with  what  promptitude  and  ready  acquies- 
cence the  denomination  venerated  the  signal  and  kept  within 
their  tents.  He,  however,  ventured  within  the  amphitheatre, 
and  dared  to  be  a  silent  spectator  and  attentive  auditor — an 
approach  so  awfully  responsible,  as,  in  his  judgment,  to  be 
jeopardised  by  no  one  but  himself,  with  the  exception  of  Presi- 
dent Malcolm  of  Georgetown  College,  who  presumed  on  one 
occasion  to  appear  amongst  us — not,  however,  without  the 
cautious  preparation  of  paper  and  lead. 

I  was  truly  glad  to  see  them  on  the  ground,  hoping  that,  as  it 
was  in  Goldsmith's  days, — "  some  who  came  to  laugh  remained 
to  pray," — they  might  lend  a  candid  ear  and  discover  how  un- 
reasonable it  is  to  oppose  those  who  have  shown  at  least  an 
equal  devotion  to  the  Bible  and  its  genuine  institutions  as 
those  ancients  from  whom  they  are  vainly  and  falsely  proud 
of  having  descended.  But,  alas,  Elder  Broaddus  came  not 
with  such  intent,  if  the  sequel  may  be  taken  in  evidence,  to- 
gether with  his  previous  inhibition.  He  was  once  and  again 
invited,  as  all  present  were,  to  take  part  in  the  meeting,  to  com- 
mend or  to  oppose,  to  acquiesce  or  to  discuss,  to  set  forth  his 
reasons  and  objections,  and  to  correct  our  mistakes  and  errors 
if  he  supposed  us  wandering  from  the  ways  of  peace  and  truth. 
We  reviewed  in  his  presence  his  address  to  the  Baptists  in- 
hibiting their  attendance;  and  at  considerable  length,  and 
with  the  kindliest  feelings,  exposed  his  numerous  mistakes  and 
consequent  misrepresentations  of  our  views  and  designs.  To 
all  which  he  responded  not  a  word.    When  interrogated  by 


384    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


some  of  his  friends  on  the  singularity  of  his  attitude  and 
course,  he  intimated,  as  I  learned,  his  intentions  (in  Parthian 
style)  to  send  his  arrows  after  us  by  way  of  the  Baptist  Ban- 
ner and  Pioneer.  He  was  to  pioneer  us  in  the  rear.  My  in- 
formant was  either  a  faithful  witness  or  a  true  prophet;  for 
every  ^'  Pioneer "  and  every  "  Banner "  that  has  reached  us 
since  our  return,  contains  a  sheaf  and  arrows  pointless  in 
truth,  though  well  feathered  indeed,  and  baptised  not  in  the 
water  of  brotherly  kindness  and  Christian  benevolence,  but  in 
the  true  marah,  the  bitter  fountain  of  sectarian  pride  and 
intolerance. 

Determined,  too,  on  opening  a  new  campaign,  he  adroitly 
concludes  his  first  missile  by  the  following  kind  words: — 
"  Meanwhile,  let  this  prepare  our  brethren  for  the  onset  shortly 
to  be  made  upon  them  by  these  Unionists."  Yes,  indeed,  let 
this  his  assault  upon  our  meeting  prepare  the  brethren  for  the 
onset.  He  ought  to  have  said,  "  Let  this  my  onset  prepare  the 
Baptist  brethren  for  our  defence."  This  word  "  oHScf,"  or  I 
am  mistaken,  is  a  word  long  to  be  remembered.  The  world 
now  knows  our  friendly  feelings,  our  forgiving  dispositions. 
It  is  now  a  matter  of  history  that  we  have  been  most  wantonly 
assailed,  proscribed,  and  persecuted  for  many  years  by  a  por- 
tion of  the  best  pensioned  of  the  Baptist  clergy.  Amongst  all 
the  thousand  dollars  men,  and  the  fifteen  hundred  dollars  men, 
of  whom  Mi\  Broaddus  is  one,  if  I  am  rightly  informed— (for 
he  has  brought  his  theology  to  a  good  market  in  Lexington,)  — 
there  is  not  one  neutral.  They  have  all  united  against  refor- 
mation. Thousands  of  the  people,  and  many  of  the  most  spirit- 
ually minded  of  the  ministers  (who  fortunately  never  get  such 
high  salaries),  are  either  silent  or  friendly  as  respects  our 
pleadings.  I  say,  that  we  have  been  proscribed  and  persecuted 
so  far  as  calumny  and  misrepresentation  and  the  charge  of 
damnable  heresy  is  concerned  is  a  matter  of  record.  We  pa- 
tiently endured  it  all.  But  now  a  respite  had  come:  peace, 
meek-eyed  peace,  in  dove-like  complaisance,  smiled  upon  us. 
The  Baptist  people  in  some  places  not  only  talked  of  union, 
prayed  for  union,  but  even  proposed  union.  We  seized  the 
first  favourable  movement  and  hailed  the  first  indication  of 
better  times. — The  old  campaign  in  fact  historically  closed  with 
March,  1841.  April  found  us  all  in  terms  of  amity,  in  over- 
tures of  peace,  and  a  union  meeting  was  actually  held.  But 
what  will  the  future  historian  say? — A  Baptist  and  well  pen- 
sioned Metropolitan  Elder,  through  the  Baptist  Banner  and 
Pioneer,  forbids  the  cessation  of  hostilities — oi)ens  a  new  cam- 
paign— and  makes  the  first  ^'  onset " — and  by  an  unequivocal 
signal  calls  upon  the  whole  Baptist  community  to  prepare  for 
a  new  war  against  reformation.  O  Temporal  0  Mores!  Will 
this  not  be  a  memorable  era?  What  singular  incidents  give 
conspicuity  to  very  ordinary  men!  Ah!  when  shall  the  time 
come  when  the  professed  followers  of  the  great  Peacemaker 
will  follow  the  things  that  make  for  peace  and  the  things  by 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION 


385 


which  they  may  edify  one  another !  When  they  will  no  longer 
cry  Peace!  Peace!  with  their  tongues,  while  war  and  destruc- 
tion are  raging  in  their  hearts. 

One  point,  however,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  mist  and  vapour 
thrown  around  it,  which  I  presume  will  long  prevent  union 
with  any  party  in  Chi'istendom,  was  placed  in  bold  relief. 
That  point  confirms  our  dogma — that  sects  never  can  unite. 
It  is  impossible.  We  reserve  the  theoretic  demonstration  for 
another  time.  We  have  now  before  us  a  practical  one.  The 
only  idea  of  union  that  can  enter  the  brain  of  a  true  sectarian 
is.  Amalgamation  with  a  party.  Baptists  themselves  can  rise 
no  higher  in  their  understanding  of  the  term  union,  nor  in 
their  aspirations  after  the  thing,  than  union  or  coalescence 
with  themselves  as  a  sect.  A  vision  as  far  from  my  head  and 
heart  as  the  coalescence  of  oil  and  water,  or  the  union  of  Jew 
and  Mussulman,  or  the  traditions  of  Omar  or  All.  It  is  only 
on  the  Bible,  the  naked  Bible,  that  good  men  in  all  parties  can 
unite.  The  partizan  features  and  attributes  must  be  an- 
nihilated. Everything  that  makes  the  Baptist,  or  the  Presby- 
terian, or  the  Methodist,  must  be  destroyed  ,before  the  people 
now  wearing  these  names  can  unite.  Whatever  makes  the 
Baptist,  the  Methodist,  and  the  Presbyterian,  is  not  of  God, 
but  of  man.  Immersion  is  of  God ;  but  immersion  does  not 
make  a  Baptist.  Method  is  of  God;  but  method  does  not 
make  a  Methodist.  Elderships  and  Presbyters  are  of  God; 
but  we  have  both,  and  are  not  Presbyterians.  There  are  not  a 
few  who  seem  unable  to  learn  this  lesson. 

The  angles  on  professors  make  the  parties.  Angles  will  as 
soon  make  circles,  as  sectarians  unite  in  one  great  communion. 
By  coming  into  closer  intimacies  and  forming  nearer  relations 
the  angles  might  be  worn  off  by  attrition,  and  the  living  stones 
perfectly  fitted  for  the  temple  of  God's  sjjirit,  might  be  laid 
close  together  and  form  one  solid  mass — one  habitation  of  God 
through  the  Spirit. 

I  never  cherished  a  scheme  so  Utopian  as  the  scheme  of  union 
which  floats  in  the  minds  of  some  professors.  Men  unite  not 
as  masses,  but  as  individuals.  We  come  together  one  by  one, 
not  in  nations  nor  organised  masses.  Parties,  like  nations, 
indeed,  may  hold  an  armistice — they  may  agree  on  a  cessation 
of  hostilities — they  may  even  propose  a  reciprocity  of  kind 
offices — they  may  o\)en  their  resj^ective  houses,  pulpits,  and 
communion  tables  to  each  other — they  may  form  a  confedera- 
tion of  communities  to  a  certain  extent;  and  still  reserve  cer- 
tain peculiarities  for  further  discussion.  But  as  voluntary 
associations  farther  they  cannot  go.  Yet  this  would  be  but  an 
ecclesiastic,  not  a  Christian  union;  and  only  a  partial  ec- 
clesiastic union. — Christian  union  is  a  more  intimate,  spiritual, 
celestial  sort  of  thing,  into  which  we  can  enter  only  in  our  in- 
dividual capacity  and  upon  our  own  individual  responsi- 
bility. It  presupposes  closer  acquaintance,  stronger  personal 
confidence,  more  spiritual  attachment,  a  real  oneness  of  spirit, 


386    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


a  full  coalescence  of  souls  in  the  joint  participation  of  the  same 
Holy  Spirit. 

But  to  return  to  our  meeting.  In  the  "  onset "  of  Mr. 
Broaddus  it  is  misrepresented,  grossly  misrepresented — as 
much  misrepresented  as  were  our  views  in  his  inhibiting  ad- 
dress forbidding  the  presence  of  the  B-aptists.  Mr.  Broaddus 
has  already  an  apology  in  advance  of  this  fact.  He  was  in 
some  matters  rather  taken  by  surprise.  He  took  no  notes — 
he  made  no  record.  This,  together  with  his  occasional  agita- 
tion of  spirit,  which  overwhelmed  him  in  silence  and  embargoed 
his  tongue,  may  have  originated  those  phantasies  in  his  brain, 
reported  in  his  notices  of  the  meeting.  The  following  synopsis 
of  our  speeches  on  union  are  neither  just  nor  true: — 

"  The  great  body  of  them  desired  union  with  those  only  who 
will  adopt  their  distinguishing  peculiarity,  which,  after  all  that 
can  be  said  about  it,  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  this — that 
if  a  man  will  confess  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  be  immersed,  he 
is  entitled  to  citizenship  in  the  Christian  kingdom,  no  matter 
what  erroneous  opinions  he  may  entertain  upon  the  whole  sub- 
ject of  religion."  The  falsehood  and  misrepresentation  of 
which  synopsis  Mr.  Broaddus  clearly  develops  by  giving  the 
resolution  which  I  had  the  honour  to  offer,  to  support,  and  to 
see  carried  unanimously  by  a  large  assemblage  of  Christians, 
viz., — Resolved,  That  union  among  Christians  can  be  scrip- 
turally  effected  by  practically  acknoivlcd(fing  such  articles  of 
belief  and  such  rules  of  piety  and  morality  as  are  admitted  hy 
all  Christian  denominations." — -Now  among  all  pious  and  con- 
scientious persons,  it  must  be  a  question,  How  any  one  of  or- 
dinai-y  sense,  in  one  and  the  same  paragraph,  could  exhibit  two 
views  of  the  grounds  of  union  so  perfectly  antagonistic  and 
contradictory.  He  represents  the  whole  drift  of  the  discussion 
to  be  about  mere  confession  and  baptism,  "  no  matter  what 
erroneous  opinions  any  one  may  entertain  upon  the  whole 
subject  of  religion  ",•  and  then  affirms  that  we  require  a  "  prac- 
tical acknotvledgment  of  such  articles  of  belief  and  such  rules 
of  piety  and  morality  as  are  admitted  by  all  Christian  denomi- 
nations." Let  any  candid  man  reconcile  these  two  versions  of 
the  discussion,  if  he  can !  Mr.  Broaddus  had  condemned  the 
meeting  before  it  existed — he  came  into  the  house  determined 
to  condemn — and  he  could  not  help  pronouncing  sentence  of 
condemnation  on  the  whole  matter. 

A  second  misrepresentation,  equally  palpable,  though  less  in- 
jurious is, — "One  of  the  proclaimers  told  us  with  great  ap- 
parent delight,  that  after  being  baptised  for  the  remission  of 
his  sins,  he  continued  to  preach  the  restoration  of  all,  having 
been  previously  a  Universalist."  This  I  affirm  is  positively 
false.  The  preacher  said  that  he  never  preached  these  senti- 
ments afterwards ;  nay,  he  ceased  to  think  of  them,  and  Anally 
forgot  the  very  arguments  which  he  used  to  support  them. 
This  was  alleged  in  proof  that  if  mere  opinions,  though  false, 
were  not  opposed  and  made  matters  of  essential  importance, 


PROVIDING  FOR  EDUCATION  387 


they  would  naturally  die  in  the  minds  of  those  who  cherished 
them.  Brother  Raines,  the  proclaimer  alluded  to,  wrote  some- 
thing to  the  same  effect,  which  was  published  in  the  Millennial 
Harbinger  some  years  since.  Bigots  and  prejudiced  persons 
are  not  good  witnesses  in  any  case.    They  never  hear  right. 

This  misrepresentation  is  introduced  to  prove  a  false  repre- 
sentation which  I  instance  as  a  third  calumny: — "Provided  a 
man  believes,  confesses,  and  is  immersed,  he  may  place  any 
construction  he  pleases  on  the  Bible;  and  as  long  as  he  will 
cry  out,  Down  with  your  creeds,  and  come  to  the  Book  I  he 
ranks  a  good  and  acceptable  member  of  the  Christian 
fraternity.  If  he  should  embrace  the  doctrine  of  the  real 
presence — of  the  annihilation  of  unbelievers,  no  matter." 

A  fourth  misrepresentation: — "  Mr.  C.  and  others  frequently, 
during  the  meeting,  intimated  that  the  Baptists  could  unite 
with  them  without  sacrificing  anything."  This  is  not  true.  I 
never  said  so — I  never  thought  so.  "  Without  sacrificing  any- 
thing!" Preposterous!  They  must  sacrifice  everything  that 
is  incompatible  with  taking  the  Book,  the  whole  Book,  and 
nothing  but  the  Book  of  God  for  their  creed,  discipline,  and  be- 
haviour. On  this  ground  only  did  any  sensible  Christian  ever 
dream  of  a  union  with  any  Baptist  community. 

Fifth: — ''Sometimes  during  the  meeting  we  (the  Baptists) 
were  classed  with  drunkards,  revellers,  and  murderers."  This 
is  positively  false,  as  far  as  I  was  present,  and  I  believe  I  was 
never  absent  one  moment  in  which  Mr.  Broaddus  was  present. 

There  are  other  and  various  misrepresentations  of  myself 
and  brethren  in  this  "onset"  and  assault  upon  the  meeting, 
on  which,  at  present,  I  have  not  room  to  dilate.  Dr.  Fishback, 
though  a  Baptist,  took  much  interest  in  the  meeting,  and  de- 
livered one  of  the  best  discourses — naj,  indeed,  I  believe  the 
best  discourse  I  ever  heard  from  a  Baptist  preacher  in  my  life. 
I  could  wish  to  have  had  it  printed  and  sent  to  all  the  sectarian 
world.  He  was  obliged  to  assume,  in  some  of  his  numerous 
speeches,  principles  which  he  did  not  believe — because,  as  he 
told  us,  he  seemed  to  have  to  speak  for  or  represent  all  the 
Protestant  parties,  as  they  were  either  afraid  or  ashamed  to 
appear  in  the  meeting.  I  do  not  pretend  to  quote  his  words  in 
this  particular;  but  one  thing  I  can  say,  he  represented  very 
ably  and  eloquently  the  Pedo-Baptist  world  on  their  great 
peculiarity. 

I  intend  to  prosecute  this  expose,  as  I  have  only  examined 
one  of  Mr.  Broaddus'  addresses,  and  even  that  but  partially. 
I  do  hope  our  brethren  will  not  respond  to  Mr.  Broaddus  in  the 
spirit  and  style  of  his  "  onset,"  nor  attribute  to  the  Baptist 
denomination  the  doings  or  sayings  of  one  man,  and  especially 
of  one  of  no  higher  standing  among  them  for  talents,  education, 
and  general  biblical  knowledge  and  attainments,  than  Elder 
Wm.  F.  Broaddus.  I  should  exceedingly  regret  that  the  good 
feelings  existing  between  a  multitude  of  that  denomination  and 
our  brethren  should  be  interrupted,  or  that  a  new  defensive 


388    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


war  should  be  commenced  because  of  the  follies  and  wayward- 
ness of  an  individual.* 

This  meeting  made  it  evident  to  the  Disciples  in  attend- 
ance that  they  could  expect  no  sympathy  from  the  leaders 
of  the  denominations  with  their  plea  for  Christian  union. 
It  was  no  longer  doubtful  with  Mr.  Campbell,  at  least, 
that  Christian  union  could  come  only  by  overthrowing 
the  denominations  as  such,  or,  at  least,  overthrowing 
everything  that  made  them  denominations.  This  had  been 
his  contention  for  several  years,  but  it  was  now  a  settled 
conviction  with  him  that  the  fight  would  have  to  be  con- 
tinued until  the  divisive  elements  which  had  come  into 
the  Christian  profession  should  be  entirely  eliminated, 
and  then,  and  then  only,  would  Christian  union  be  an 
accomplished  fact.  The  disappointment  of  John  T.  John- 
son was  very  great.  He  had  hoped  for  a  very  different 
result.  His  great  heart  had  fairly  palpitated  with  joy 
at  the  prospect  of  such  a  conference  as  had  been  planned. 
But  he  was  not  the  man  to  be  utterly  cast  down  at  any 
disappointment.  The  conviction  that  this  overture  was 
in  the  right  direction  sustained  him  in  the  hour  when  dis- 
appointment came.  He  was  further  sustained  by  the  fact 
that  he  was  now  assured  that  their  victory  in  Kentucky, 
at  least,  would  depend  entirely  upon  the  efforts  of  the 
Disciples  themselves,  and  the  assurance  also  that  this 
very  failure  of  the  denominations  to  be  represented  in  the 
meeting  would  unite  the  forces  of  the  Disciples  more 
closely  than  ever,  while  at  the  same  time  it  would  increase 
their  zeal  and  energy  in  pushing  forward  their  plea. 

*  Millennial  Earlinger,  1841,  pp.  260-267. 


CHAPTER  XV 


BEREAVEMENT,  AND  PROGRESS  BY  DISCUSSION 

IN  the  Fall  of  1842  Mr.  Campbell  made  an  excursion 
into  East  Virginia,  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  and  New 
York,  specially  in  the  interests  of  Bethany  College, 
but  at  the  same  time  with  a  view  to  helping  the  Disciple 
movement  in  these  particular  localities.  The  movement 
had  not  made  very  great  progress  in  any  of  these  sections, 
though  to  some  extent  it  had  taken  hold  in  East  Virginia. 
Mr.  Campbell  had  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the 
cause  in  his  own  state,  but  had  not  travelled  very  much 
in  the  state  to  promote  it.  In  the  winter  of  1829-30  he 
was  a  member  of  the  convention  to  amend  the  state  con- 
stitution. During  this  time  he  became  personally  ac- 
quainted with  such  men  as  ex-President  Madison,  Chief 
Justice  Marshall,  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  and  others, 
and  his  ability  and  statesmanship  being  very  emphatically 
recognised,  his  fame  extended  to  various  parts  of  the  state. 
He  had  also  some  controversy  with  a  Dr.  Thomas  who 
created  trouble  among  the  Disciples  in  Eastern  Virginia, 
on  account  of  certain  views  he  was  advocating  concerning 
the  state  of  the  dead.  According  to  a  rule  which  the  Dis- 
ciples had  followed  from  the  beginning,  they  would  not 
refuse  to  fellowship  Dr.  Thomas  on  account  of  the  views 
which  he  held.  However,  Dr.  Thomas  was  not  willing 
to  hold  these  views  as  private  property,  but  began  to 
advocate  them  as  a  very  distinct  and  important  article 
of  his  faith.  He  finally  entered  into  covenant  not  to  press 
his  ideas  any  further  publicly,  but  he  did  not  live  up 
to  this  agreement,  and  consequently  his  advocacy  made 
some  trouble  for  a  little  time.  Mr.  Campbell's  presence 
in  East  Virginia,  in  1842,  was  timely,  and  had  the  effect 
to  practically  destroy  what  little  influence  Dr.  Thomas 
had  exerted  as  a  factionist. 

In  the  Spring  of  1843  the  venerable  B.  W.  Stone  visited 
Indiana,  Ohio,  and  Kentucky.    Two  years  before  this  he 

889 


390    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


liad  received  a  paral3'tic  stroke  whicli  somewhat  disabled 
bim,  but  at  the  time  he  began  bis  farewell  visits  to  the 
states  mentioned,  he  was  able  to  walk,  and  also  to  occupy 
the  pulpit.  It  is  said  by  those  who  heard  him  that,  while 
his  speech  was  somewhat  impaired  by  paralysis,  his  mind 
appeared  to  work  more  vigorously  than  it  had  done  for 
many  years.  He  actually  spoke  and  wrote  with  the  old- 
time  energy  of  his  best  days.  He  met  with  an  ovation 
everywhere,  for  he  was  everywhere  loved  and  venerated. 
His  biographer,  John  Rogers,  gives  a  full  account  of  this 
visit,  and  it  is  only  necessary  to  record  here  his  reception 
at  Old  Cane  Ridge,  Bourbon  County,  Kentucky.  During 
his  stay  in  Kentucky  he  twice  visited  this  scene  of  his 
early  ministry.  The  meeting  with  his  old  friends  was 
very  affecting,  and  there  was  no  place  where  he  was 
remembered  with  more  tenderness  than  at  Cane  Ridge. 
On  his  return  from  this  visit  he  writes  in  his  Christian 
Messenger,  for  September,  1843,  as  follows: 

The  Senior  editor,  B.  W.  Stone,  has  just  returned  to  his 
post,  after  an  absence  of  several  months  in  Indiana,  Ohio,  and 
Kentucky.  His  health  is  greatly  improved.  He  designs  to 
continue  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  editorial  labours  in 
the  future.  He  was  greatly  pleased  to  meet  with  many  of  his 
old  Christian  brethren;  some  like  himself,  pressed  down  with 
the  weight  of  years,  and  attendant  infirmities,  and  standing  on 
the  eve  of  time,  soon  to  hear  the  summons,  "  Come  up  hither." 
He  is  happy  to  state  that  bigotry  and  party  spirit  are  fast  re- 
ceding and  dying  in  the  hearts  of  Christians  of  all  denomina- 
tions. In  their  brotherly  embraces  I  was  cordially  received  as 
a  brother,  and  as  cordially  did  we  unite  in  worship  without 
one  hard  speech,  act,  or  thought.  O,  that  this  temj>er  and  con- 
duct might  universally  prevail  among  Christians!  It  would  be 
a  blessing  indeed  to  themselves,  and  to  mankind — it  would 
recommend  religion  to  the  acceptance  of  the  world,  and  hurl 
the  soul-destroying  monster,  sin,  from  his  long  usurped  throne 
in  the  human  heart.  God  and  his  truth  would  be  glorified, 
heaven  would  descend  on  earth,  and  shame,  infidelity  and 
scepticism,  and  smile  them  from  existence.  What  but  bigotry 
and  party  spirit  prevent  these  glorious  events?  * 

There  were  a  number  of  things  which  were  specially 
noticed  with  respect  to  the  movement  in  Kentucky,  and 
as  these  impressions  are  valuable,  as  indicating  the  prog- 
ress that  had  been  made  by  the  movement  since  he  left 
Kentucky,  it  is  instructive  to  quote  what  he  says: 

•  "  Life  B.  W.  stone,"  p.  93. 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS  391 


Religion  where  I  have  been  is  onward  in  its  march,  but  not 
so  triumphant  as  I  fondly  anticipated  to  tind  it,  from  the  vast 
numbers  who  had  recently  professed  the  faith  of  Christ  in 
these  countries.  Several  things  of  a  serious  nature,  conspired 
to  check  its  progress,  in  my  opinion.  These  1  will  expose  in 
brotherly  love,  hoping  that  the  exposure  may  be  profitable  to 
all. 

I.  There  has  been  more  labour  expended  in  reaping  down 
the  harvest,  than  in  preserving  it  when  reaped — tliere  has 
been  more  care  to  lengthen  the  cords,  than  to  strengthen  the 
stakes  (of  Zion) — more  zeal  to  proselyte,  than  to  build  up  in 
the  faith  and  hope  of  the  Gospel.  This  is  most  certainly  and 
lamentably  true.  And  the  correction  of  this  evil  demands  our 
special  attention.  But  as  an  apology  for  this  state  of  things,  it 
may  be  remarked,  that  in  the  commencement  of  our  plea  for 
reformation,  in  regard  to  the  terms  of  pardon,  it  was  all-im- 
portant these  matters  should  be  made  prominent ;  especially 
the  design  of  baptism.  For  here  we  differed  with  all  the  sects ; 
and  in  reference  to  the  doctrine  of  baptism  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  we  were  much  misunderstood  and  misrepresented  by 
them.  It  behooved  us,  therefore,  to  make  this  point  prominent. 
Besides,  the  importance  of  this  item,  to  a  proper  understanding 
of  the  gospel  scheme,  and  to  a  rational  reception  of  Christ,  as 
our  Saviour,  required  that  it  should  be  thoroughly  investigated. 
We  perceived  that  the  various  denominations  were  making 
frames  and  feelings  the  evidence  of  pardon — that  they  taught 
penitents  to  expect  some  immediate  revelation  of  their  par- 
don— by  the  removal  of  their  burden  of  sin.  And  we  saw  most 
plainly,  in  the  light  of  the  Word,  and  of  common  sense,  that 
pardon,  being  an  act  of  God,  is  not  a  matter  of  feeling,  and 
can  only  be  known  by  divine  testimony.  As  I  can  never  know 
by  my  feelings  that  a  sin  which  I  have  committed  against  my 
neighbour  is  pardoned,  nor  in  other  way  than  from  that  neigh- 
bour himself;  so  I  can  only  know  that  the  sins  I  have  com- 
mitted against  my  heavenly  father,  are  pardoned,  by  a  revela- 
tion in  words  from  himself.  We  perceived,  too,  most  plainly, 
that  the  opposite  view  leads  to  enthusiasm  and  fanaticism  of 
every  grade.  We  felt  it  therefore  to  be  our  duty  to  expose 
this  error,  and  hold  up  the  truth  in  regard  to  this  important 
question.  But  now  that  the  battle  has  been  fought  and  the 
victory,  to  a  great  extent,  won — that  thousands  upon  thousands 
of  converts  have  been  made,  many  of  whom  are  dying  for  want 
of  the  wholesome  and  strengtliening  provisions  of  the  gospel — 
our  teachers  still  harp  upon  first  principles.  The  young 
preachers  who  came  in  among  us  in  the  midst  of  this  conflict, 
entered  with  great  spirit  and  ardour  into  the  war,  and  having 
distinguished  themselves  in  this  warfare,  in  regard  to  first  prin- 
ciples, and  knowing  little  else,  they  seem  unprepared  and  quite 
indisposed  to  change  their  course.  But  it  is  my  deliberate 
judgment,  if  we  would  not  convert  our  great  victory  into  the 
most  overwhelming  defeat,  we  must  leave,  measurably,  the 


392    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


first  principles,  and  "  go  on  to  perfection."  We  must  build 
ourselves  up  on  our  most  holy  faith,  perfecting  holiness  in  the 
fear  of  God.  In  the  strength  of  the  Lord  we  have  gained  much 
ground,  but  if  we  would  not  lose  our  reward  we  must  carefully 
and  diligently  cultivate  it.  Let  us  study  practical  Christian- 
ity, under  Christ,  as  we  have  studied  lirst  principles — let  us 
pray  for  greater  measures  of  the  Spirit,  to  help  us,  and  the 
stakes  of  Zion  will  be  as  strong  as  her  cords  are  long.* 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  two  extracts  that  Mr.  Stone 
was  taking  the  same  view  of  the  movement  which  we  have 
seen  Mr.  Campbell  had  about  this  time.  These  great  men 
w^ere  both  impressed  with  the  fact  that  the  doctrinal  side 
of  the  movement  had  perhaps  not  received  too  much  em- 
phasis, but  undoubtedly  the  practical  side  had  been  some- 
what neglected.  Evidently  they  both  realised  that  the  time 
had  come  when  it  was  necessary  to  bring  up  the  practical 
side,  if  the  movement  was  to  be  a  decided  success. 

Mr.  Stone  further  enlarged  upou  the  needs  of  the  cause 
in  Kentucky,  as  follows: 

II.  Another  thing  which  checks  the  work  of  religion  every- 
where, but  especially  in  Kentucky,  is  extravagance  in  worldly 
things.  Thousands  of  brethren  there  are  wasting  the  Lord's 
goods.  They  seem  to  have  forgotten,  or  never  have  been  taught, 
that  they  themselves  are  living  sacrifices  to  God.  If  they  are 
Christians,  their  whole  soul,  body,  and  spirit,  are  his,  and  all 
the  substance  they  possess.  They  are  but  the  Lord's  stewards, 
to  manage  to  his  interest  and  glory  what  he  has  entrusted  to 
them  and  to  render  a  just  account  to  him  in  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. Dare  we  then  waste  it,  or  spend  it  in  the  pride  of  life, 
and  to  please  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  eye?  O,  what 
an  awful  reckoning  there  will  be  at  the  last  day  I  There  must 
be  a  reformation  here,  else  all  our  labours  will  be  lost,  and  the 
work  put  into  more  faithful  hands.  .  .  . 

III.  Another  thing  that  has,  without  doubt,  checked  the 
growth  of  religion  is,  that  brethren  have  too  greedily  followed 
in  the  w^ake  of  the  world,  by  conforming  to  its  spirit  and  prac- 
tice. By  this  means  many  have  involved  themselves  and 
friends  in  debt,  and  have  failed  to  pay  their  lawful  contracts, 
to  the  ruin  of  themselves  and  others.  This  is  a  source  of  great 
distress  in  societies,  and  has  almost  destroyed  confidence  in 
one  another.f 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  second  and  third  points  which 
he  makes  are  after  all  common  to  every  movement  and  to 
every  age.    Human  selfishness  and  worldly-mindedness 

•  "  Life  of  Stone."  pp.  94-95. 
^Ibid.,  pp.  96-97. 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS  393 


are  things  that  have  hindered  the  progress  of  Christianity 
from  the  Day  of  Pentecost  until  the  present  hour.  Never- 
theless, it  is  well  to  reproduce  these  early  statements  of 
the  saintly  Stone  that  his  brethren,  through  all  genera- 
tions, may  know  his  estimate  of  these  ungainly  things 
which  stand  in  the  way  of  the  progress  of  Christ's  great 
cause. 

After  the  return  of  this  venerable  man  of  God  to  his 
home,  in  Jacksonville,  111.,  he  continued  his  editorial 
duties  until  a  very  short  time  before  his  death.  The  last 
article  he  wrote  for  the  press  was  addressed  to  a  young 
man  who  had  graduated  at  the  University  of  Missouri, 
and  who  asked  Mr.  Stone's  advice  as  to  the  best  course 
to  pursue  in  order  to  prepare  himself  for  a  useful  ministry 
of  the  Gospel.    The  following  is  Mr.  Stone's  reply : 

"  My  Son  : — You  have  just  graduated  at  the  University  of 
Missouri,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  You  had  previously  de- 
voted yourself  to  the  Lord,  and  identified  yourself  with  his 
people ;  now  you  inquire  of  me  what  course  I  would  recom- 
mend to  you,  in  order  that  you  may  be  a  profitable  preacher 
of  the  gospel ;  for  in  this  you  have  determined  to  spend  your 
days.  You  say  what  we  know  experimentally  to  be  true,  that 
your  collegiate  studies  have  occupied  the  most  of  your  time, 
and  left  but  little  to  the  study  of  the  Bible ;  of  this  you  are  in 
a  great  degree  ignorant.  The  subject  of  your  inquiry  is  of 
vast  importance  to  you,  and  to  the  cause  you  have  determined 
to  advocate;  and  I  will,  at  your  urgent  request,  give  you  the 
best  advice  I  know. 

I.  Retire  to  your  study  in  your  father's  house,  and  make 
that  room  a  proseuche,  or  place  of  prayer.  Take  with  you 
there  a  large  polyglot  English  Bible,  with  the  Septuagint 
translation,  and  Griesbach's  Greek  Testament,  Dr.  Parkhurst's 
and  Greenfield's  Lexicons ;  and  Greenfield's  Greek  Concordance. 
Read  the  Old  Testament  regularly  from  the  beginning,  with 
the  Septuagint  before  you,  by  which  you  will  be  better  able  to 
understand  the  writer.  Should  you  find  anything  dark  or  un- 
intelligible, note  it  dowTi  on  a  small  blank  book  and  take  it  to 
your  near  neighbour,  Elder  T.  M.  A.,  [T.  M.  Allen]  who  will 
gladly  assist  you  to  the  right  understanding  of  the  passage. 
When  you  read  the  New  Testament,  have  Griesbach's  Greek 
Testament  open  before  you.  Should  difficulties  occur,  examine 
the  translation  by  Parkhurst's  or  Greenfield's  Lexicon,  and  more 
especially  by  the  Greek  Concordance.  This  is  the  safest  and 
most  certain  method  of  finding  the  true  meaning  of  the  words. 
Take  short  notes  of  all  the  important  things  you  may  find  in 
your  reading.  Forget  not  to  mingle  prayer  to  your  God  for 
direction  into  all  truth,  and  that  the  wisdom  from  above  may 
be  afforded  you. 


394    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


II.  In  the  intervals  of  your  Bible  studies,  read  Church  his- 
tory; Mosheim's  I  recommend  you  to  read  first;  then  D'Au- 
bigne  on  the  Reformation ;  then  Dr.  Neander  on  the  first  three 
centuries.  Take  short  notes  of  all  important  facts.  Forget 
not  meditation  and  prayer — pray  always — pray  without  ceas- 
ing— Keep  yourself  in  the  love  of  God.  Vain  will  be  your 
studies  without  these. 

III.  When  you  have  read  your  Bible  through  carefully,  not 
hurriedly,  turn  back  and  read  it  again,  with  the  commentary 
of  Henry,  and  others,  lately  collated  for  the  Baptist  Society. 
Have  by  you  also  Dr.  McKnight  on  the  Epistles;  and  consult 
these  commentaries  on  all  difiicult  passages.  I  do  not  recom- 
mend a  general  reading  of  them ;  as  this  would  consume  much 
time  to  little  profit.  Commentators  generally  labour  to  make 
the  Scriptures  bend  to  their  peculiar  systems,  and  to  speak 
the  language  of  Ashdod,  or  some  other  barbarous  dialect. 
Hence  the  danger  of  becoming  too  conversant  with  them.  Yet 
continue  in  prayer. 

IV.  During  your  studies,  let  your  seat  be  always  filled  in 
the  house  of  God  every  Lord's  Day  and  other  days  appointed 
for  divine  worship.  Pray  and  exhort  publicly  among  the 
brethren.  This  will  prepare  you  for  future  operaticms.  Many 
fill  their  heads  with  studied  divinity,  and  when  they  go  forth 
to  preach,  know  not  how  to  speak,  and  have  to  supply  the  lack 
by  reading  a  discour.se  written,  or  committed  to  memory. 
Remember,  my  son,  reading  is  not  preaching. 

V.  Keep  yourself,  as  much  as  practicable,  from  too  much 
company  and  irrelevant  conversation.  These  too  often  in- 
trude upon  your  studies  and  devotions. 

VI.  When  you  are  by  your  brethren  sent  forth  to  preach, 
confine  your  ministration  to  practical  subjects.  Young 
preachers  are  too  fond  of  polemic  divinity,  and  abstruse  sub- 
jects. Vanity  is  at  the  bottom,  and  will  ruin  them,  if  not 
checked  by  an  humble  spirit. 

VII.  Let  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls  be  your 
polar  star;  then  will  your  labours  be  blest  in  the  world;  and 
a  crown  of  righteousness  be  given  you  at  the  coming  of  the 
Lord. 

VIII.  You  are  blessed  with  a  wealthy,  pious  father,  who  is 
able  and  willing  to  support  you  without  the  aid  of  the 
churches.  Go  then  to  the  destitute,  and  build  on  no  man's 
foundation,  taking  nothing  for  your  services.  Many  poor 
preachers  have  to  confine  themselves  to  the  churches,  or  get 
no  help.  You  will  not  be  under  this  necessity.  May  the 
Lord  go  with  you,  and  be  to  you  a  father  and  helper  in  every 
time  of  trouble.    Be  humble."  * 

In  October,  1844,  Mr.  Stone,  with  his  wife  and  youngest 
son  started  on  his  last  preaching  tour.  Of  this  tour  and 
the  death  of  this  saintly  man,  T.  M.  Allen,  who  knew  him 

•  "  Life  of  stone,"  pp.  97-100. 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS  395 


long  and  intimately,  and  loved  him  most  ardently,  writes 
as  follows: 

In  the  month  of  October,  1844,  Elder  Stone  made  his  last 
visit  to  his  children,  relatives,  and  friends,  in  Missouri.  On 
the  19th  (Saturday)  of  that  month,  he  reached  Bear  Creek, 
Boone  County,  where  the  brethren  were  assembled  in  annual 
meeting.  Here  he  had  the  pleasure  of  being  greeted  by  many 
of  his  old  Kentucky  brethren  and  friends.  He  was  quite  de- 
bilitated, and  being  in  feeble  health,  he  soon  left  the  meeting 
house,  and  did  not  return  until  Monday,  the  21st.  He  was 
labouring  under  his  paralytic  affection,  and  was  otherwise 
very  feeble;  but  he  took  the  pulpit  and  made  his  last  public 
effort  in  the  cause  of  God  and  man.  It  was  like  all  his  efforts, 
able  and  interesting.  But  apjjearing  firmly  impressed  with 
the  belief  that  it  was  an  effort  that  would  close  his  public 
career,  he  was  unusually  solemn  and  impressive.  He  spoke  as 
if  tottering  over  the  grave.  His  comfort  and  instruction  to 
Christians — his  advice  and  warning  to  sinners,  will  never  be 
forgotten.  All  were  weeping  around,  and  hung  with  breath- 
less silence  and  profound  interest  on  the  solemn  and  interest- 
ing words  that  fell  from  this  venerable  man  of  God,  now 
almost  worn  out  in  the  best  of  all  causes.  His  great  age,  his 
whitened  locks,  his  feeble  frame,  his  deep  and  ardent  piety,  his 
pure  morality  and  unblemished  character,  together  with  his 
great  ability  as  a  Christian  teacher — the  presence  of  many  of 
his  friends,  who  had  known  him  almost  from  the  beginning — 
all  conspired  to  make  his  last  sermon  unusually  solemn. 
Thirteen  additions  were  obtained,  mostly  on  that  day.  The 
congregation,  with  weeping  eyes,  and  hearts  of  love  for  Elder 
Stone,  gave  him  "  the  parting  hand  "  and  bade  him  a  long 
farewell.  Thus  usefully  and  interestingly  closed  the  eventful 
public  career  of  this  excellent  man  of  God.  He  spent  a  day 
or  two  with  his  son,  Dr.  Stone,  and  left  quite  unwell  for  his 
home  in  Illinois.  He  could  get  no  further  than  Hannibal, 
on  the  Mississippi  River,  where  he  breathed  his  last  in  peace, 
at  his  son-in-law's.  Captain  S.  A.  Bowen's.* 

In  a  preceding  chapter  of  this  volume,  some  account 
of  Mr.  Stone's  life  and  character  is  given.  It  is  only 
needful  to  say  here  that  he  died  as  he  had  lived,  in  the 
hope  of  a  blessed  immortality,  and  with  the  strong  per- 
suasion that  the  principles  he  had  advocated  were  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God,  and  would  ultimately  triumph. 
He  had  been  misrepresented  again  and  again  with  respect 
to  his  views  of  the  atonement.  It  is  true  that  for  a  time 
he  seemed  to  be  somewhat  confused  as  to  that  great  matter, 
but  after  he  and  Mr.  Campbell  had  compared  views  in  a 

•"Life  of  Stone,"  pp.  100-101. 


396    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

series  of  articles  published  in  both  of  their  magazines,  Mr. 
Stone  tinall}'  settled  the  whole  matter  by  accepting  heartily 
what  was  practically  orthodox  ground,  though  at  the  same 
time  rejecting  speculative  views  of  the  Trinity  and  the 
atonement  as  tests  of  Christian  fellowship.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  he  never  did  hold  to  anything  like  the  Unitarian 
position,  and  from  the  start  he  was  misunderstood  largely 
because  he  did  not  accept  the  shibboleth  of  others  with 
respect  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  He  believed  in  call- 
ing Bible  things  by  Bible  names,  and  his  very  soul  ab- 
horred the  notion  that  salvation  depended  upon  the  echo- 
ing of  doctrinal  statements  which  cannot  be  understood 
by  the  common  people.  At  the  same  time,  no  one  has 
held  more  firmly,  or  advocated  more  earnestly  the  divinity 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  or  believed  more  implicitly  in 
the  fact  that  the  preaching  of  the  Cross  is  both  the  wisdom 
of  God  and  the  power  of  God  to  the  salvation  of  souls. 

Owing  to  this  charge  of  Unitarianism  against  Mr.  Stone, 
and  also  a  certain  reference  that  was  made  to  the  matter 
in  the  "  Campbell  and  Rice  debate,"  in  justice  to  Mr. 
Stone,  and  for  the  purpose  of  settling  the  question  beyond 
all  controversy,  it  is  thought  proper  to  publish  the  follow- 
ing correspondence  which  took  place  only  a  short  time 
before  Mr.  Stone's  death.  It  will  be  seen  by  this  corre- 
spondence that,  while  Mr.  Stone  was  never  a  Trinitarian, 
in  the  theological  import  of  that  term,  he  surely  cannot 
be  charged  with  holding  to  Unitarianism,  as  that  term  is 
understood  in  popular  theology.  The  correspondence  is 
as  follows: 

May's  Lick,  Ky.,  Dec.  14,  1843. 

Elder  B.  W.  Stone: 

Dear  Brother — In  the  late  discussion  between  N.  L.  Rice, 
(The  Presbyterian  Champion)  and  Alexander  Campbell,  Mr. 
Rice,  argued,  or  said,  that  his  opponent  held  in  fellowship  in 
his  Church,  Unitarians  who  made  our  Saviour  a  mere  man,  a 
created  being,  and  who  openly  denied  the  divinity  of  Christ. 
He  seemed  willing  to  drive  Brother  Campbell  from  the  fellow- 
ship of  Christians  and  of  course  from  heaven,  because  he 
would  not  drive  you  from  the  church  on  earth,  and  of  course 
to  hell — as  he  always  gave  your  name  in  truth.  Now,  niy 
dear  brother,  it  is  a  fact  of  great  solemnity,  that  the  Presby- 
terians held  you  in  their  bosoms  when  your  faith  and  piety 
were  no  better  than  they  are  now — and  that  now  they  are 
willing  to  denounce  you,  refuse  the  cup  of  blessing  to  you,  and 
even  consign  you  to  endless  torment,  in  order  to  asperse 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS  397 


Brother  Campbell,  and  destroy  the  influence  of  our  pious 
teaching.  But  it  seems  to  me  they  are  not  satisfied  with  this, 
but  willing  to  resort  to  wilful  falsehood  and  slander.  I  there- 
fore hope  you  will  state  once  more,  before  you  leave  the  state 
of  action,  though  it  be  the  thousandth  time,  that  you  never 
taught  any  such  sentiments,  and  call  on  Mr.  Rice  to  take  back 
the  slander.  I  hope  you  will  publish  your  statement  in  the 
Christian  Messenger,  and  send  it  to  Mr.  Rice  at  Paris,  Ken- 
tucky. Then  we  shall  know  that  he  wilfully  falsifies  when  he 
thus  represents  you,  as  he  has  been  doing  through  this  state. 
I  do  think  it  is  due  to  j'Ourself  and  to  the  cause  you  have  so 
nobly  and  so  successfully  plead. 

May  the  Lord  preserve  you  for  your  posthumous  influence 
from  the  aspersions  of  wicked  and  unreasonable  men ! 

A.  Kendbick. 

REPLY 

Dear  Brother  Kendrick  : — Brother  Campbell  has  to  suffer 
on  my  acount,  what  I  have  had  long  to  suffer  for  him.  He  is 
malevolently  assailed  for  holding  me  in  fellowship,  for  the 
reasons  you  have  stated ;  and  I  have  been  equally  malevolently 
assailed  for  holding  him  in  fellowship,  because  of  his  supposed 
errors.  I  have  feared  the  real  object  of  our  opposers  is,  to 
divide  and  conquer,  and  not  because  they  love  the  truth,  as  it 
is  in  Jesus.  The  most  zealous  against  us  I  generally  find  to 
be  those  who  possess  the  least  of  the  spirit  of  Christianity. 
Would  our  opposers  love  Brother  Campbell  more,  and  will- 
ingly hold  him  in  fellowship,  were  he  to  repudiate  me?  No 
such  thing.  They  care  as  little  for  him  as  they  do  for  me. 
Though  they  fear  him  more,  they  do  not  love  him  better. 

I  am  now  on  the  eve  of  time,  busily  arranging  my  affairs 
for  eternity.  The  vessel  which  is  to  bear  me  to  my  eternal 
destination  across  the  ocean  is  now  in  view.  Soon  I  shall  bid 
farewell  to  earth,  and  be  borne  to  another  world.  What  I 
say  may  be  considered  as  the  words  of  a  dying  man,  for  which 
a  speedy  account  must  be  rendered. 

Mr.  Rice  is  now  in  the  acme  of  life;  and  in  the  confidence 
of  his  learning  and  natural  endowments,  feels  his  importance, 
and  vaunts  aloud  in  the  presence  of  men.  He  takes  the  liberty 
to  detract  from  others  what  he  never  gave,  and  to  build  for 
himself  an  indestructible  monument  of  fame.  Should  he  live 
to  my  age,  it  is  hoped  his  mind  will  be  so  mellowed  by  years 
that  he  will  remember  with  sorrow  his  present  course.  But  to 
the  point : — 

You  inform  me  that  Mr.  Rice  publicly  charged  me  with  being 
a  Unitarian,  who  made  our  Saviour  a  mere  man — a  created 
being,  and  who  openly  denied  the  divinity  of  Christ. 

Now  I  reply,  for  the  last  time,  (so  I  now  think)  that  at  no 
time  of  my  long  life  did  I  ever  believe  these  doctrines.  I 
neither  taught  them  either  publicly  or  privately,  from  the 
pulpit  or  the  press.    I  am  bold  to  say,  no  man  ever  heard  them 


398    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


from  ine,  or  read  them  in  any  of  the  essays  I  have  written 
and  published  on  the  doctrine  of  Christ.  How  Mr.  Rice  ob- 
tained his  information  I  can  only  conjecture.  He  must  have 
been  very  confident  of  its  correctness,  or,  as  a  Christian  or 
gentleman,  he  would  not  have  dared  thus  to  charge  me  before 
so  numerous  a  crowd  of  people,  and  I  not  present.  It  looks 
like  slander  and  back-biting,  of  which,  one  would  suppose, 
Mr.  Rice — the  high-minded  Mr.  Rice,  was  incapable. 

His  evidence  for  believing  and  publishing  these  things  of 
me  may  be  fama  clamosa;  (but  what  man  of  brains  will  admit 
her  testimony,  as  often  false  as  true?)  or  he  may  have  be- 
lieved them  by  detaching  an  expression  from  my  essays  writ- 
ten and  published.  For  example,  he  may  have  seen  in  my 
writings  this  quotation,  "  There  is  one  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  the  man  Jesus  Christ."  Ah  I  exultingly  he  may  have 
said,  I  have  now  caught  him ;  he  is  verily  a  Unitarian,  for  he 
calls  the  Son  of  God  a  man — the  man  Jesus  Christ — he  must 
then  believe  him  to  be  a  created  being.  If  Mr.  Rice  knows  no 
better,  we  inform  him  that  these  are  the  words  of  inspired 
Paul.  If  by  them  I  am  condemned  a  heretic,  so  is  Paul ;  but 
Paul  never  believed  that  Christ  was  a  mere  man — a  created 
being;  and  by  him  have  I  been  taught  to  believe  the  same. 

It  is  well  known  to  all  that  know  me,  that  I  differed  from 
the  Presbyterians  on  their  speculations  in  their  Confession  of 
Faith  on  the  Trinity,  when  I  was  a  Presbyterian.  Yet  I  was 
unanimously  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  and  held  in  com- 
munion by  them.  I  was  never  charged  with  these  things  until 
I  withdrew  from  them. 

A  person  by  reading  the  Scriptures  may,  by  detaching  texts 
and  inferences,  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Unitarianism  and 
all  its  doctrines  are  taught  in  that  Book.  This  thousands  of 
very  intelligent  men  have  done.  It  cannot  be  strange  if  Mr. 
Rice,  with  his  ingenuity  and  prejudice  against  an  humble  un- 
inspired man.  should  by  the  same  means  come  to  the  con- 
clusions he  has  publicly  stated  against  me.  I  should  not  won- 
der if  he,  by  the  same  means,  should  prove  any  Trinitarian 
writer  ( those  who  wrote  the  Confession  of  Faith  not  excepted ) 
to  be  a  Unitarian.  Even  Professor  Stuart  can  see  but  a  light 
shade  of  difference  between  the  notion  of  a  derived  being,  ( as 
the  orthodox  view  the  Son  of  God  to  be),  and  of  a  created 
being,  as  the  Arians  assert  he  is.  To  quibbling  there  is  no 
end.  I  have  long  since  viewed  the  practice  as  useless  and 
dangerous,  and  leave  it  to  those  who  are  fond  of  trifles. 

I  do  not  expect  to  change  the  mind  of  Mr.  Rice  by  anything 
I  have  said  or  can  say ;  for  he  boasted,  as  I  am  informed,  that 
he  was  dyed  in  the  wool,  and  therefore  unchangeable.  He  will 
still  aflQrm  what  he  said  against  me,  maugre  all  evidence.  A 
noted  physician  of  Spain  had  introduced  a  system  of  physic, 
upon  which  he  had  practised  and  taught  through  life.  When 
he  became  old,  one  of  his  former  students  advised  him  before 
he  died  to  make  a  recantation  of  the  system,  as  it  was  now 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS 


399 


found  to  be  wronj?.  and  injurious  to  the  community.  "  Sir," 
said  the  old  doctor.  "  let  all  Spain  perish  first ;  for  I  have 
written  and  published  it."  So  may  Mr.  Rice  say,  Let  Stone's 
name  be  forever  blasted,  and  infamy  be  forever  attached  to 
his  character,  before  I  retract,  for  I  have  said  and  published 
it  to  the  world. 

For  the  sake  of  others,  I  will  briefly  state  my  belief  on 
those  doctrines  with  which  I  am  charged: — 

1.  "  With  us  there  is  but  one  God,  the  Father,  of  whom  are 
all  things,  and  we  in  him,"  {eis  auton,  for  him).  I.  Cor. 
viii :  6. 

2.  And  (there  is)  one  Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  are  all 
things,  and  we  by  him,  {di'  autou).    I.  Cor.  viii:  7. 

From  these  texts  I  have  concluded  that  the  Father  is  the 
hut  one  God — called  by  Jesus  himself  "  the  only  true  God." 
John  xvii :  3.  This  one  God  the  Father  is  distinguished  from 
all  other  beings  in  the  universe  by  this  attribute,  "  of  him  are 
all  things."  In  the  Greek  it  is  cx  hou,  of,  or  out  of  whom 
are  all  things.  This  is  conceded  by  all  to  mean  that  he  was 
the  efficient  or  prime  cause  of  all  things  in  the  universe.  In 
the  following  verse  Jesus  Christ  is  called  the  one  Lord,  besides 
whom  there  is  not  another  in  the  universe  possessing  the  same 
attributes  here  ascribed  to  him,  as  "  by  whom  all  things,  and 
we  by  him."  In  the  Greek  it  reads  di'  Jiou,  by  whom.  This 
attribute  dia,  with  the  genitive,  is  nowhere  ascribed  to  the 
Father,  the  one  God ;  for  it  means  the  instrumental  cause,  as 
every  Grecian  will  admit,  and,  therefore,  cannot  apply  to  the 
Father,  the  prime  and  efficient  cause  of  all  things. 

3.  According  to  this  common  sense  exegesis,  I  believe  that 
"God  created  all  things  by  [dia)  Jesus  Christ."  Heb.  i:12. 
"  That  he  created  the  worlds  and  heavens,  with  all  the  inhabi- 
tants of  heaven,  whether  they  be  angels,  principalities,  or 
powers — all  were  made  by  him,"  {di'  autou,)  the  instrumental 
cause,  not  up'  autou,  the  prime  cause;  this  xipo  can  only  apply 
to  the  Father  in  the  case;  and  all  the.se  things  were  made  for 
him,  {eis  auton,)  as  being  the  heir  of  all  things. 

By  the  son  the  Father  rules  the  universe;  for  the  Apostle 
adds,  "By  him  {dV  autou)  all  things  consist"  i.e.,  are  kept 
in  being  and  order,  by  him,  the  Lord  and  maker  of  all. 

By  the  Son,  or  Word,  the  Father  spake  to  the  world  all  the 
words  of  salvation ;  for  "  God  in  these  days  has  spoken  unto 
us  by  {dia)  his  Son;  "  by  whom  {di'  autou)  he  saves,  and  will 
at  last  "judge  the  world  in  righteousness";  and  {dia)  by 
whom  he  wrought  miracles,  wonders,  and  signs,  for  the  con- 
firmation of  truth. 

These  undisputed  truths,  so  clearly  revealed,  naturally  were 
linked  with  another  important  truth;  seeing  all  things  were 
made  by  him,  therefore,  "  he  was  before  all  things."  He  that 
descended  is  the  same  also  that  ascended  up  where  he  was  be- 
fore, above  all  angels,  principalities,  and  powers  unto  heaven 
itself.    Just  before  he  ascended,  the  Son  prayed  to  the  Father 


400    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


to  glorify  him  with  himself,  with  the  glory  he  had  with  him 
before  the  world  was.  This  with  many  other  texts  proves 
that  the  Son,  or  Logos,  existed  in  Glory  with  the  Father  be- 
fore the  world  was — before  all  created  things  in  the  universe; 
without  him  was  not  one  thing  made  that  is  made. 

This  glorious  being  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  therefore  Divine 
— the  children  of  men  are  human,  because  begotten  and  born 
of  human  parents — so  is  the  Son  of  God  divine,  because  be- 
gotten of  the  divine  Father. 

I  have  rejected  the  speculations  respecting  Jesus  by  many, 
which  rejection  is  the  sum  or  foundation  of  the  heresy  at- 
tached to  me  by  the  self-styled  orthodox.  The  Jews  concluded 
that  Christ  had  made  himself  God  and  equal  to  God.  because 
he  said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God.  Though  our  Lord  refuted  the 
inference  of  duality  of  Gods  in  very  plain  language,  yet  the 
Jews  would  not  open  their  eyes  to  conviction;  but  accused 
him  of  blasphemy,  for  saying  he  was  the  Son  of  God ;  for  which 
he  was  put  to  death.  Christians  have  adopted  their  specula- 
tion that  he  is  the  one  God,  equal  to  the  Father,  because  he 
called  himself  the  Son  of  God. 

Some  say  that  he  is  the  eternal  Son  of  God.  This  unscrip- 
tural  and  contradictory  phrase  I  have  also  rejected  as  a  mere 
speculation,  and  so  have  many  of  the  orthodox  and  evangelists. 
Why  are  not  they  charged  with  Unitarianism  too !  These 
latter  say  he  was  never  the  Son  of  God  till  born  of  Mary — 

that  holy  thing  which  is  born  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son 
of  God."  From  this  text  they  argue  that  he  was  never  the  Son 
before;  but  that  holy  thing,  when  born,  shall  be  called,  in  fu- 
ture, the  Son  of  God;  and  was,  therefore,  never  Son  before. 
This  reasoning  will  prove  fatal  to  their  whole  system.  Isaiah 
ix:  6.  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given; 
and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful.  Counsellor,  the  Mighty 
God.  the  Everlasting  Father.''  From  the  argument  above,  it 
follows  that  he  never  was  such  till  born ;  for  then,  in  future,  he 
shall  be  called  such.  Would  it  not  be  better  to  omit  these 
speculations,  and  confine  ourselves  to  the  language  of  Scrip- 
ture on  this  doctrine?  So  I  think;  and  have  but  little  interest 
in  them. 

4.  I  believe  the  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of 
the  World,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  might  not  perish, 
but  bave  everlasting  life.  I  believe  that  all  power  and  au- 
thority in  heaven  and  earth  are  given  unto  him,  and  that  he  is 
able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  that  come  to  God  by  him; 
that  in  him  are  all  the  measures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge; 
that  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell 
— the  fulness  of  the  godhead,  the  fulness  of  the  Spirit,  the 
fulness  of  grace  and  salvation.  When  we  see  him  we  see 
the  Father — his  image,  his  character,  his  glory,  and  perfection. 
Let  me  lose  life  before  I  would  detract  from  my  Lord  one  ray 
of  his  glory.  To  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  and  to  the 
Lamb  be  everlasting  praise  I    Amen!  B.  W.  Stonb. 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS  401 


The  loss  of  Stone  to  the  movement  was  deeply  and 
widely  felt.  He  was  the  very  embodiment  of  all  that  is 
noble  and  saintly  in  character.  Even  those  who  opposed 
his  religious  views  most  bitterly,  willingly  acknowledge  his 
splendid  character.  His  death  came,  too,  at  a  time  when 
his  counsel  was  greatly  needed.  There  had  not  been  much 
reaction  from  a  tendency  which  has  already  been  noticed, 
viz.,  doctrinal  rightness,  rather  than  practical  efficiency. 
The  result  of  this  tendency  was  to  foster  debates.  Nearly 
everywhere  these  were  encouraged,  and  while  perhaps  the 
Disciples  did  not  specially  lead  in  this  encouragement, 
they  certainly  were  more  than  willing  to  accept  any  reason- 
able challenge  that  might  be  made  to  them.  The  very 
atmosphere  was  full  of  the  spirit  of  discussion. 

It  is  perhaps  true  that  this  state  of  things  could  not 
be  well  avoided.  The  Disciple  plea  was  necessarily  ag- 
gressive. It  struck  at  the  very  foundation  of  sectarianism. 
It  unequivocally  denied  the  right  of  the  sects  to  exist, 
and  it  was  the  implacable  enemy  to  everything  that  divided 
the  people  of  God.  On  the  principle  that  self-preservation 
is  the  first  law  of  nature,  the  denominations  put  themselves 
in  battle  array  against  this  dangerous  foe.  They  very 
largely  ceased  fighting  each  other  for  the  time  being,  and 
unitedly  made  war  upon  the  common  enemy.  Thus  the 
conflict  began  and  continued  for  a  number  of  years.  It 
was  at  its  highest  point  of  development  in  1843. 

Stone  was  a  man  of  peace.  He  avoided  conflict 
wherever  it  could  be  done  without  endangering  the  truth. 
He  was,  however,  courageous,  and  feared  not  any  man 
when  his  convictions  led  him  to  defend  the  truth.  But 
he  saw  the  danger  of  the  tendency  to  run  the  movement 
on  purely  intellectual  lines,  and  consequently,  during  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  he  was  constantly  urging  the  prac- 
tical side  of  the  Christian  life,  rather  than  the  doctrinal. 
Indeed,  from  the  beginning,  he  had  not  felt  much  interest 
in  the  discussion  of  points  of  difference.  He  rather 
favoured  the  policy  of  letting  these  alone,  and  emphasising 
the  points  of  agreement,  believing  that  differences  would 
cease  to  exist,  or  at  least  cease  to  be  noticed,  when  we 
were  high  enough  in  the  Divine  life  to  see  over  the  top 
of  these.  He  realised  that  the  valleys  that  lie  between 
the  mountains  are  noticed  only  when  we  are  low  down 
where  these  valleys  exist,  but  when  we  have  reached  a 


402    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


higher  position  we  see  only  the  mountain  tops,  and  the 
valleys  practically  disappear. 

Mr.  Stone's  influence  on  the  Restoration  movement  has 
never  been  fairly  estimated.  He  was  so  overshadowed 
by  the  great  men  at  Bethany  that  his  real  worth  has  not 
received  the  attention  it  deserves.  It  is  true  he  was  not 
a  leader  like  Mr.  Campbell  was.  Indeed,  in  this  respect, 
there  was  no  other  man  anything  like  the  equal  of  Camp- 
bell. He  was  a  born  leader,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for 
his  wise  counsel,  his  almost  infinite  courage,  and  his 
indomitable  energy,  it  is  practically  certain  that  the  move- 
ment would  have  been  wrecked  long  before  it  reached  the 
time  now  under  consideration.  Mr.  Campbell  was  not 
at  first  favourable  to  debates  himself,  but  feeling  the 
strength  of  his  position,  and  also  the  importance  of 
bringing  it  in  a  popular  way  before  the  people,  he 
was  not  disinclined  to  discussion  where  and  when  he 
felt  this  would  be  to  the  advantage  of  the  cause  he  was 
pleading. 

The  Presbyterians  in  Kentucky  had  been  considering 
for  some  time  the  propriety  of  meeting  Mr.  Campbell  in 
public  debate  with  one  of  their  champions.  They  finally 
selected  Mr.  N.  L.  Rice,  who  at  that  time  was  well  known 
as  one  of  their  strongest  men,  and  particularly  well 
equipped  for  a  discussion  with  such  a  man  as  Mr.  Camp- 
bell. Accordingly,  in  1843,  arrangements  were  made  for 
a  debate,  in  harmony  with  the  following  programme: 

1.  The  debate  shall  commence  on  Wednesday,  15th  Novem- 
ber. 

2.  To  be  held  in  the  Reform  Church. 

3.  Judge  Robertson,  selected  by  Mr.  Rice,  as  moderator. 
Col.  Speed  Smith,  selected  by  Mr.  Campbell.  And  agreed  that 
these  two  shall  select  a  president-moderator.  In  case  of  either 
of  the  above  named  gentlemen  declining  to  act.  Judge  Breck 
was  selected  by  Mr.  Rice,  as  alternate  to  Judge  Robertson — 
and  Col.  Caperton  as  alternate  to  Col.  Speed  Smith. 

4.  In  the  opening  of  each  new  subject,  the  affirmant  shall 
occupy  one  hour,  and  the  respondent,  the  same  time ;  and  each 
thereafter  half  hour  alternately  to  the  termination  of  each 
subject.  The  debate  shall  commence  at  ten  o'clock  a.  m.,  and 
continue  until  two  o'clock  p.  m.,  unless  hereafter  changed. 

5.  On  the  final  negative  no  new  matter  shall  be  introduced. 

6.  The  propositions  for  discussion  are  the  following: 

I.  The  immersion  in  water  of  a  proper  subject  into  the  name 
of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  the  one,  only 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS  403 


Apostolic,  or  Christian  baptism.  Mr.  Campbell  aflSrms — Mr. 
Rice  denies. 

II.  Tlie  infant  of  a  believing  parent  is  a  scriptural  subject 
of  baptism.    Mr.  Rice  affirms — Mr.  Campbell  denies. 

III.  Christian  baptism  is  for  the  remission  of  past  sins. 
Mr.  Campbell  affirms — Mr.  Rice  denies. 

IV.  Baptism  is  to  be  administered  only  by  a  bishop  or 
ordained  presbyter.    Mr.  Rice  affirms — Mr.  Campbell  denies. 

V.  In  conversion  and  sanctiflcation,  the  Spirit  of  God  op- 
erates on  persons  only  through  the  word  of  truth.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell affirms — Mr.  Rice  denies. 

VI.  Human  creeds,  as  bonds  of  union  and  communion,  are 
necessarily  heretical  and  schismatical.  Mr.  Campbell  affirms 
— Mr.  Rice  denies. 

7.  No  question  shall  be  discussed  more  than  three  days,  un- 
less by  agreement  of  parties. 

Each  debatant  shall  furnish  a  stenographer. 

9.  It  shall  be  the  privilege  of  the  debaters  to  make  any 
verbal  or  grammatical  changes  in  the  stenographer's  report, 
that  shall  not  alter  the  state  of  the  argument,  or  change  any 
fact. 

10.  The  net  available  amount,  resulting  from  the  publica- 
tion, shall  be  equally  divided  between  the  two  American  Bible 
societies. 

11.  This  discussion  shall  be  conducted  in  the  presence  of  Dr. 
Fishback,  President  Shannon,  John  Smith,  and  A.  Raines,  on 
the  part  of  the  Reformation;  and  President  Young,  James  K. 
Burch,  J.  F.  Price,  and  John  H.  Brown,  on  the  part  of  Presby- 
terianism. 

12.  The  debatants  agree  to  adopt  as  "  rules  of  decorum " 
those  found  in  Hedges'  Logic,  p.  159,  to  wit: 

Rule  I.  The  terms  in  which  the  question  in  debate  is  ex- 
pressed, and  the  point  at  issue,  should  be  clearly  defined,  that 
there  could  be  no  misunderstanding  respecting  them. 

Rule  II.  The  parties  should  mutually  consider  each  other 
as  standing  on  a  footing  of  equality,  in  respect  to  the  subject 
in  debate.  Each  should  regard  the  other  as  possessing  equal 
talents,  knowledge,  and  a  desire  for  truth  with  himself;  and 
that  it  is  possible,  therefore,  that  he  may  be  in  the  wrong,  and 
his  adversary  in  the  right. 

Rule  III.  All  expressions  which  are  unmeaning  or  without 
effect  in  regard  to  the  subject  in  debate,  should  be  strictly 
avoided. 

Rule  IV.  Personal  reflections  on  an  adversary  should,  in  no 
instance,  be  indulged. 

Rule  V.  The  consequences  of  any  doctrine  are  not  to  be 
charged  on  him  who  maintains  It,  unless  he  expressly  avows 
them. 

Rule  VI.  As  truth,  and  not  victory,  is  the  professed  object 
of  controversy,  whatever  proofs  may  be  advanced,  on  either 
side,  should  be  examined  with  fairness  and  candour;  and  any 


404    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


attempt  to  answer  an  adversary  by  arts  of  sophistry,  or  to 
lessen  the  force  of  his  reasoning  by  wit,  cavilling,  or  ridicule, 
is  a  violation  of  the  rules  of  honourable  controversy. 

On  the  day  appointed,  the  debate  commenced  with  Hon- 
ourable Henry  Clay,  Chief  Moderator.  It  is  not  necessary 
here  to  give  an  extended  account  of  this  debate.  The  dis- 
putants were  as  different  as  two  men  could  possibly  be. 
Mr.  Campbell  dealt  mainly  in  generalisation,  looking  at 
the  Christian  system  in  its  comprehensiveness,  and  show- 
ing with  admirable  clearness  how  every  part  of  the  system 
fits  exactly  the  place  assigned  to  it  in  the  Book  of  God's 
revelation.  Mr.  Rice,  however,  seemed  not  to  care  for 
comprehensive  matters  at  all,  but  seemed  most  concerned 
with  the  exceptions  to  these,  and  as  it  has  been  said  truly, 
there  are  no  rules  without  exceptions,  Mr.  Rice  made  as 
much  as  he  possibly  could  make  out  of  the  exceptions  which 
he  found  to  Mr.  Campbell's  comprehensive  statements.  Of 
course  this  method  had  a  certain  advantage  before  a  pop- 
ular audience,  as  there  are  few  people  who  can  keep  the 
whole  system  of  truth  in  their  minds  while  that  system 
is  under  consideration,  but  they  can  always  see  a  special 
opening  that  has  been  made  in  the  compact  lines  of  a 
consistent  argument.  Mr.  Campbell  was  a  comprehensive 
general,  marshalling  his  forces  in  regular  military  order, 
and  conducting  the  battle  according  to  the  most  approved 
rules  of  military  tactics;  while  Mr.  Rice  was  practically 
a  guerrilla  captain,  always  on  the  lookout  for  a  special 
opportunity  to  strike  a  blow  at  some  unguarded  point, 
and  whose  victories  were  always  won,  if  won  at  all,  by 
suddenly  entering  the  lines  of  his  opponent  at  these  ap- 
parently weak  places.  He  never  gave  battle  where  the 
terms  were  equal,  nor  were  his  tactics  generally  in  har- 
mony with  the  accepted  rules  of  honourable  discussion. 
Mr.  Rice's  method  in  this  respect  seemed  to  be  actually 
constitutional.  He  seemed  to  have  no  conception  of  Chris- 
tianity as  a  great  whole,  but  saw  only  certain  parts  of 
it  at  a  time,  and  these  he  tried  to  co-ordinate  with  his 
specific  system  of  theology,  without  any  apparent  regard 
to  the  consequence  that  might  accrue  to  the  harmony 
which  exists  in  God's  revelation  to  man. 

It  is  impossible  to  follow  this  debate  to  the  end,  but  it 
may  be  well  to  give  a  specimen  of  the  respective  styles  of 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS  405 


the  disputants.  While  discussing  the  first  proposition, 
Mr.  Campbell  said : 

The  question  now  before  us  concerns  the  action — the  thing 
commanded  to  be  done.  This  is,  of  course  the  most  important 
point — the  significant  and  all-absorbing  point.  Paul  gives  it 
high  rank  and  consequence  when  he  says,  '*  There  is  one  Lord, 
one  faith,  one  baptism."  There  are  not  two  modes  of  any  one 
of  these.  When  we  have  ascertained  that  one  action  called 
Ijaptism,  there  can  be  no  other.  I  said  yesterday,  and  1  repeat 
it  this  morning,  that  it  is  wholly  sophistical  to  talk  of  two 
modes  of  baptism,  unless,  indeed,  it  be  two  ways  of  im- 
mersing a  person.  In  this  sense  there  may  be  a  plurality  of 
modes.  A  person  may  be  immersed  backwards  or  forwards, 
kneeling  or  standing.  Other  modes  than  these  there  cannot 
be.  Sprinkling  is  not  a  mode  of  immersing;  neither  is  im- 
mersion a  mode  of  sprinkling.  If  sprinkling,  pouring,  and  im- 
mersion be  modes  of  baptism,  then  I  ask,  what  is  the  thing 
called  baptism?  Who  can  explain  this?  Of  what  are  these 
three  specificially  different  actions,  the  mode?  If  sprinkling 
be  a  mode,  and  pouring  a  mode,  and  immersing  a  mode,  then 
baptism  is  something  incognito — something  which  no  philolo- 
gist or  lexicographer  can  explain.  I  pronounce  these  modes 
an  unmeaning,  sophistical  jargon,  which  no  one  can  compre- 
hend. 

Baptism  is  not  a  mode — it  is  an  action.  The  word  that  rep- 
resents it  is  improperly,  by  Mr.  Carson,  called  a  word  of 
mode.  It  is  a  specific  action;  and  the  verb  that  represents  it 
is  a  verb  of  specific  import;  else  there  is  no  such  verb  in 
Hebrew,  Greek,  or  Latin.* 

In  reply  to  this  argument  of  Mr.  Campbell  with  respect 
to  the  specific  definiteness  of  haptidzo,  Mr.  Rice  contended 
that  haptidzo  expresses  the  thing  done,  the  application  of 
water  to  a  person  or  thing,  but  does  not  express  the  mode 
of  doing  it. 

Now,  if  Mr.  Campbell  had  been  specially  concerned  in 
answering  his  opponent  according  to  his  folly,  he  could 
have  said,  "  If  the  baptism  is  the  thing  that  is  done,  then 
undoubtedly  Mr.  Rice  would  find  his  argument  a  boom- 
erang reacting  upon  himself.  Suppose  the  matter  is 
tested  by  an  imaginary  baptism.  We  have  present  three 
candidates:  one  wishes  to  be  immersed,  another  to  be 
sprinkled,  and  another  poured.  Let  us  now  look  carefully 
at  what  is  done.  In  the  first  case  the  candidate  is  im- 
mersed. What  is  the  baptism?  Surely  not  the  person 
who  is  baptised,  for  he  is  the  subject;  not  the  water,  for 

•"Campbell  and  Rice  Debate,"  pp.  95-96. 


406    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


that  is  the  element  in  which  the  baptism  takes  place,  not 
the  administrator,  for  he  performs  the  baptism;  not  the 
ceremony,  for  that  is  what  proclaims  it  Christian  baptism ; 
but  it  is  what  is  done,  according  to  Mr.  Rice,  and  what 
is  done  in  this  first  case  is  immersion.  Now  what  is  the 
thing  done  in  the  second  case?  Evidently  it  is  sprinkling. 
If  you  ask  the  same  questions  as  we  have  in  the  first  case, 
it  will  be  found  that  the  thinr/  done  is  the  baptism,  and 
not  the  accessories  which  belong  to  it.  But  the  thing 
done  in  this  case  is  sprinkling,  and  not  immersion.  If  we 
test  the  third  case  the  same  way,  we  shall  find  that  the 
thing  done  in  this  case  is  also  the  baptism.  Now  what 
was  the  thing  done  in  the  first  case?  The  answer  is,  im- 
mersion. What  was  the  thing  done  in  the  second?  The 
answer  is,  sprinkling.  What  was  the  thing  done  in  the 
third  case?  The  answer  is,  pouring.  Now,  is  not  im- 
mersion a  distinct  action  from  sprinkling,  and  pouring  a 
distinct  action  from  either  immersion  or  sprinkling? 
If  so,  it  follows  that  we  have  three  distinct  things  done; 
and  if  the  thing  done  in  each  case  is  the  baptism,  then 
it  follows  that  we  have  three  distinct  baptisms,  and  not 
three  distinct  modes  of  doing  the  same  thing — three  dif- 
ferent things  performed.  But  as  Paul  says  there  is  one 
baptism,  it  is  evident  that  Mr.  Rice  does  not  agree  with 
Paul,  so  that  seeking  to  get  away  from  the  force  of  Mr. 
Campbell's  argument,  he  "jumped  out  of  the  frying  pan 
into  the  fire." 

But  from  another  point  of  view,  Mr.  Rice's  argument 
is  extremely  weak  and  self-contradictory.  If  the  Greek 
verb  haptidzo  means  to  immerse,  to  sprinkle,  and  to  pour, 
or,  to  put  it  in  another  way,  if  this  verb  contains  all  three 
of  these  things  done,  then  undoubtedly  no  one  can  be 
properly  baptised  until  he  is  immersed,  sprinkled,  and 
poured. 

But  Mr.  Campbell  did  not  follow  Mr.  Rice  in  the  fashion 
that  would  have  been  effective  before  a  popular  audience, 
and  if  he  had  done  so,  he  would  have  scarcely  met  the  case 
from  a  broad,  comprehensive  point  of  view. 

The  debate  was  published  in  1844,  and  has  had  a  large 
circulation.  Taken  altogether,  it  presents  a  very  able  dis- 
cussion of  the  propositions  that  were  under  consideration ; 
but  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  influence  of  the  debate 
helped  the  cause  of  Christian  union.    It  probably  widened 


BEREAVEMENT  AND  PROGRESS  407 


the  breach  between  the  Presbyterians  and  the  Disciples. 
Doubtless,  in  many  individual  cases  Mr.  Campbell's  great 
arguments  brought  conviction,  but  the  general  influence 
of  this  debate,  as  well  as  others  held  during  these  days 
of  discussion,  did  little  more  than  draw  the  lines  clearly 
between  the  Campbellian  movement  and  the  religious 
denominations.  But  this  was  a  debating  period,  and  it 
is  probable  that  upon  the  whole  these  debates  helped  to 
clear  the  atmosphere,  and  to  definitely  define  the  great 
principles  for  which  the  Disciples  contended,  although  in 
defining  these  principles  the  spirit  of  the  movement,  as 
a  union  movement,  was  to  some  extent  undoubtedly 
changed  from  what  it  was  at  the  beginning.  But  we 
must  not  forget  that  the  movement  had  reached  the  period 
of  reconstruction  and  development,  and  that  this  period 
necessarily  required  a  separation  of  things  that  differed, 
as  well  as  the  co-ordination  of  things  that  legitimately 
belong  to  the  Christian  system. 

Notwithstanding  some  benefits  were  derived  from  de- 
bates, it  must  be  conceded  that  there  were  evils  also  which 
grew  out  of  this  debating  period  which  probably  over- 
balanced the  good  that  resulted  from  them.  A  few  of 
these  evils  may  be  enumerated  as  follows : 

(1)  The  debates  were  often  about  things  that  the  Dis- 
ciples did  not  make  conditions  of  fellowship.  The  whole 
movement  centralised  on  essentials.  Doubtless  some  of 
the  questions  that  were  discussed  were  important,  such 
as  the  "  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  conversion,"  "  the 
design  of  baptism,"  "  the  doctrine  of  foreordination  and 
election,"  etc.,  etc.  But  as  these  were  questions  of  phi- 
losophy rather  than  fact,  they  could  not  be  decided  very 
certainly,  and  as  they  related  to  methods  of  the  Divine 
government  rather  than  the  principles,  the  frequent  dis- 
cussion of  them  was  perhaps  not  very  profitable.  The 
"  how  "  of  these  things  belonged  to  the  sphere  of  opinion- 
ism,  which  the  Disciples  completely  repudiated  in  their 
plan  for  Christian  union. 

(2)  These  debates  tended  to  create  a  spirit  of  legalism, 
by  making  the  letter  much  and  the  spirit  little.  The  con- 
stant appeal  to  the  exact  statements  of  Scripture,  while 
right  in  itself,  may  be  abused  when  transferred  to  the 
forum.  Exactness  of  Scriptural  quotations  was  a  thing 
to  be  highly  commended,  but  an  undue  emphasis  with  re- 


410    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


failure  to  reach  the  highest  good,  or  the  summum  honum, 
that  grieved  both  Mr.  Campbell  and  Mr.  Stone,  during 
the  period  under  consideration.  They  both  felt  that  many 
Disciples  were  studying  the  Scriptures  with  a  view  to 
proving  their  system  of  religion  was  right,  but  they  did 
not  study  the  Scriptures  with  a  supreme  anxiety  to  know 
how  to  build  up  Christian  character. 

After  all,  the  Disciples  ought  not  to  be  judged  severely 
because  of  the  tendency  which  has  been  indicated.  They 
were  in  a  period  when  the  course  they  pursued  was  per- 
haps the  inevitable  result  of  the  environment  in  which 
they  were  living.  It  has  already  been  suggested  that 
their  main  contest  was  with  sectarianism,  and  this  ugly 
thing  had  to  be  treated  sometimes  with  considerable  sever- 
ity, and  nearly  always  with  a  courage  that  often  de- 
generated into  a  counter-partisan  spirit.  Doubtless 
courage  was  necessary,  but  it  ought  to  have  gone  on  to 
the  top  of  Peter's  great  pyramid  of  character,  viz.,  love,  or 
as  Paul  puts  it  in  his  triad,  "  Now  abides  Faith,  Hope,  and 
Love,  but  the  greatest  of  these  is  Love." 

But  the  Disciples  were  learning  some  things  with  re- 
spect to  themselves.  Doubtless  they  had  to  pass  through 
the  experience  of  the  debating  period  in  order  to  fully 
understand  that  Love  is  greater  than  either  Faith  or  Hope. 
In  the  later  days  they  are  beginning  to  realise  this  great 
fact,  and  as  they  look  backward  to  the  days  of  conflict, 
with  the  various  religious  denominations,  they  are  some- 
times uncharitable  toward  the  heroes  of  that  day.  The 
work  that  had  to  be  done  during  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  was  very  different  from  the  work  that  has 
to  be  done  in  the  twentieth  century.  It  ought,  further- 
more, to  be  remembered  that  the  Disciple  movement  in 
the  nineteenth  century  did  much  to  make  the  environment 
for  the  twentieth  century,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
vigorous  contest  which  was  waged  by  the  pioneers  of  the 
movement  it  is  probable  that  we  would  have  to  fight  over 
the  very  battles  in  the  twentieth  century  which  they  fought 
for  us  in  the  nineteenth  century. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH 

DURING  the  next  two  or  three  years  the  movement 
was  characterised  by  at  least  three  things : 

1.  The  interest  in  education  continued  to  grow. 
The  various  periodicals  published  by  the  Disciples  at  this 
time  all  advocated  the  founding  and  support  of  colleges, 
and  these  began  to  multiply,  even  faster  perhaps  than 
was  wise  at  that  particular  period.  Nevertheless,  it  has 
always  been  true  that  whatever  is  in  the  air  may  become 
epidemic.  The  profound  interest  which  had  been  de- 
veloped in  education  became  almost  epidemic  with  the 
Disciples  in  the  establishment  of  colleges,  so  that  it  was 
not  long  until  a  number  of  these  had  been  started  with- 
out any  adequate  support.  Very  few  people  will  be  in- 
fluenced by  the  experience  of  others.  Each  man  must 
have  his  own  experience  before  he  will  believe  in  a  par- 
ticular course  of  action.  Even  children  will  not  believe 
their  parents  with  respect  to  certain  things;  but  these 
children  must  pass  through  an  experience  for  themselves 
before  they  can  be  persuaded  that  what  their  parents  have 
already  told  them  is  undoubtedly  true.  All  this  is  very 
discouraging ;  and  yet,  if  it  were  not  true  this  world  would 
be  a  paradise  in  a  very  little  time.  If  we  all  profited 
by  the  experience  of  others,  to  the  extent  that  we  ought, 
of  course  none  of  the  mistakes  made  by  our  ancestors 
would  be  repeated  in  our  own  case,  and  this  would  soon 
give  to  the  world  a  civilisation  without  a  single  fault. 
The  mistake  the  Disciples  made,  with  respect  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  too  many  colleges,  or  rather  the  attempt  to 
establish  them,  was  a  very  natural  one  under  the  circum- 
stances. It  was  zeal  without  knowledge,  and  this  is  not 
the  only  case  to  be  recorded  with  respect  to  such  zeal 
in  the  history  of  the  race. 

2.  The  same  tendency  was  manifested  with  respect  to 
the  planting  of  churches.    These  began  to  multiply  far 

411 


412   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

bejond  the  possibility  of  providing  them  with  proper  over- 
seers and  means  of  spiritual  development.  But  there  was 
really  no  help  for  this.  The  evangelists  in  the  field  were 
doing  a  splendid  work.  Everywhere  they  were  gaining 
victories  for  the  simple  Gospel,  as  they  preached  it.  The 
news  from  the  evangelistic  field,  at  this  time,  presents  a 
succession  of  triumphs  in  nearly  all  of  the  western  and 
southwestern  states.  Not  to  plant  churches  was  to  give 
up  the  conquest  of  the  country,  and  no  one  thought  of 
that.  Those  who  have  criticised  the  early  pioneers  at 
this  particular  point  have  not  reckoned  properly  with  the 
facts.  There  was  nothing  else  for  them  to  do  as  evangel- 
ists (and  nearly  every  preacher  was  an  evangelist)  ;  they 
were  compelled  to  take  the  course  they  did.  To  stop  with 
those  who  had  been  gathered  together  and  build  them  up 
in  faith,  hope,  and  love,  was  an  impossibility,  and  even 
if  it  had  been  possible,  it  would  have  perhaps  been  unwise 
at  this  particular  time.  Of  course  there  would  be  waste. 
There  always  is  some  w'aste  in  the  building  of  anything. 
It  is  a  most  unreasonable  criticism  that  has  been  made  on 
the  fathers  of  the  movement  by  some  of  our  wise  pastors 
who  stay  strictly  at  home,  draw  large  salaries,  and  enjoy 
the  social  life  of  a  church,  which  perhaps  owes  its  exist- 
ence to  the  very  enthusiasm  of  the  pioneers.  When  a 
house  is  built  all  the  material  gathered  is  not  usually 
used  up  in  the  construction  of  the  building,  and  yet  the 
very  things  that  are  thrown  away  are  essential,  in  order 
that  the  workmen  may  have  scope  for  the  development 
of  the  general  plan. 

3.  The  growth  of  the  organisation  idea  has  already  been 
referred  to.  This  now  began  to  take  form  in  the  co- 
operation of  churches.  In  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Missouri, 
Indiana,  and  Iowa,  as  well  as  in  Virginia,  and  a  few  other 
states,  there  was  a  profound  feeling  that,  in  order  to  do 
the  work  that  was  needed  to  be  done,  a  very  definite  and 
earnest  co-operation  of  churches  must  be  provided  for. 
In  Kentucky  this  movement  was  led  by  John  T.  Johnson, 
who  was  always  active  in  every  good  work.  At  that 
time  he  and  B.  F.  Hall  were  editing  a  Church  journal 
from  Georgetown,  Ky.,  and  this  journal  gave  no  mis- 
takable  sound  as  to  the  importance  of  co-operation,  and 
also  with  respect  to  a  sound  financial  system.  John- 
son reckoned  the  moneyed  concerns  of  the  Church  to  em- 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH 


413 


brace  four  general  items,  and  it  is  worth  while  to  give 
these  items  and  the  development  of  his  financial  scheme 
in  his  own  words: 

1.  The  expenses  of  the  church,  in  respect  to  her  internal 
concerns. 

2.  The  relief  of  the  poor  and  destitute. 

3.  The  spread  of  the  Gospel  by  means  of  evangelists,  and 
otherwise. 

4.  All  other  calls  of  necessity. 

Now  the  first  question  that  arises  is  this:  How  much  shall 
be  raised?  In  order  to  answer  this,  the  field  to  be  occupied 
and  cultivated  must  be  viewed  and  the  means  of  the  church 
considered.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  object  to  be  ac- 
complished calls  for  the  utmost  stretch  of  our  benevolence. 
Let  us,  then,  endeavour  to  ascertain  the  Scriptural  demand,  if 
any  has  been  made.  This  being  done,  it  is  presumed  that  no 
citizen  of  the  kingdom  would  hesitate  as  to  duty.  It  is  re- 
quired of  a  man  according  to  what  he  has.  And  as  the  Lord 
loves  a  cheerful  giver,  so  he  has  required  of  us  to  give  cheer- 
fully, as  he  has  proposed  or  given  to  us.  We  are  his  stewards 
and  must  improve  the  talent  he  has  given  us.  We  are  most 
positively  forbidden  to  amass  treasure  upon  the  earth.  We 
are,  therefore,  to  keep  what  we  have  in  actual  employment  in 
doing  good. 

What  proportion  of  the  means  with  which  we  are  blessed 
shall  be  devoted  to  the  cause?  We  may  not  be  able  to  de- 
termine this  point  with  mathematical  certainty;  but  every 
lover  of  the  cause  whose  soul  is  imbued  with  a  desire  for  the 
conversion  of  the  world,  and  whose  mind  is  properly  instructed 
in  these  matters;  in  a  word,  whose  affections  are  supremely 
set  upon  heavenly  things,  may  come  to  a  safe  conclusion.  If 
I  am  worth  |1,000,  would  it  be  oppressive  to  give  $3.00  per 
annum  for  the  advancement  of  the  eternal  interests  of  man- 
kind? Would  it  be  too  much  for  the  member  worth  |5,000  to 
give  115.00?  Or  for  a  member  worth  $10,000  to  give  flo.OO? 
In  the  general,  such  a  donation  to  the  cause  would  not  be  felt, 
or  if  felt,  it  would  be  to  the  generous  contributor  as  the  savor 
of  life  unto  life.  Such  a  system  as  this,  if  practised,  would 
soon  bear  the  gospel  over  America  and  Europe.  The  present 
poor,  pitiful  state  of  things  is  enough  to  make  a  Christian 
blush  and  hide  his  head.  Look  at  the  noble,  generous  hearted 
Christians  at  Jerusalem.  They  gave  all  into  the  Apostle's 
hands.  They  distributed  to  all  as  they  needed.  When  this 
became  too  burdensome  to  the  apostles,  the  church  chose  seven 
men,  whose  office  it  was  to  attend  to  those  temporalities. 
Ananias  and  Sapphira  concealed  a  part  of  theirs  and  were 
struck  dead.  Let  us  take  care  how  we  conceal,  or  draw  back 
from  duty.  But  what  general  system  would  embrace  the 
principles  laid  down  by  the  apostles?  I  will  suggest  one  to 
which  I  am  willing  to  yield : 


414    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


1.  Let  the  elders  and  deacons  chosen  by  the  congregation, 
be  a  committee  to  raise  and  disburse  the  funds. 

2.  Let  the  names  of  the  members  be  arranged  in  the  alpha- 
betical order. 

3.  Let  each  member  promptly  furnish  the  committee  the 
value  of  his  or  her  estate. 

4.  Let  the  congregation  determine  by  themselves  as  a  body, 
or  by  their  committee,  what  sum  shall  be  raised  (annually)  to 
accomplish  the  objects  set  forth,  as  far  as  practicable. 

5.  Let  the  committee  ascertain,  at  an  equal  rate,  what  each 
member  has  to  pay,  and  affix  it  to  his  or  her  name. 

6.  Let  the  members  be  furnished,  each,  with  his  or  her 
quoto,  in  writing. 

7.  Let  the  payments  be  made  in  monthly  proportions. 

8.  Let  the  payments  be  made  to  the  treasurer  of  the  Com- 
mittee, without  a  collector. 

9.  Let  the  Committee  disburse  all  the  funds,  as  they  are 
demanded  by  the  exigencies  as  they  arise. 

10.  Let  the  reports  of  the  Committee  be  made,  in  writing,  to 
the  Church  quarterly. 

11.  Let  those  who  cannot  perceive  the  propriety  of  the  meas- 
ure, bear  with  those  who  prefer  its  adoption. 

12.  Let  those  who  prefer  to  aid  by  subscription,  or  other- 
wise, do  so.* 

In  an  article  of  his  in  the  Christian  Journal,  of  March 
28,  1846,  under  the  head  of  "  Triumphs  and  Defence  of 
the  Reformation,''  he  gives  a  very  full  and  informative 
view  of  the  work  that  had  been  done,  as  well  as  some  of 
the  things  that  are  still  wanting.  In  this  luminous  article 
he  refers  especially  to  the  progress  that  had  been  made 
among  the  Baptists  themselves  with  respect  to  the  things 
that  were  decidedly  wrong  at  the  beginning  of  the  Re- 
formatory movement.  The  spirit  of  this  Address  may 
be  gathered  from  the  following  extract : 

Within  a  few  years  past,  the  different  religious  parties  have 
manifested  toward  each  other  and  the  reformation,  a  fore- 
bearing,  tolerant,  and  kind  spirit,  which  has  been  calculated 
to  cheer  the  heart  of  the  Christian  philanthropist.  Such  have 
been  the  demonstrations  on  the  part  of  our  Baptist  friends, 
the  hope  has  been  inspired  that,  at  no  distant  day,  a  union 
with  us  would  be  proposed  by  them  upon  the  Bible  alone,  freed 
from  the  speculations,  opinions,  traditions,  and  philosophy  of 
men.    Such  a  union  would  shake  the  religious  world  to  the 

•  "  Life  of  J.  T.  Johnson,"  pp.  210-210. 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH  415 


centre  and  accomplish  a  revolution,  the  extent  and  blessings 
of  which  would  overwhelm  the  most  enthusiastic  with 
astonishment.  But  these  inspiring  hopes  are  frequently 
blasted  by  the  firebrands  which  are  occasionally  hurled  at  us 
in  the  most  contemptuous  and  indignant  manner,  by  the  war- 
spirits  of  the  party.  On  such  occasions,  we  are  strongly 
tempted  to  apply  the  rod  of  castigation;  but  regret  and  con- 
cern for  the  person — a  supreme  regard  for  the  authority  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  the  most  ardent  desire  for  the  conversion  of 
the  world,  subdue  our  resentment,  and  urge  us  to  be  kind  and 
conciliatory.  The  religious  world  is  too  fiery  already;  and,  so 
far  from  pandering  to  the  angry  passions,  we  should  pour  oil 
upon  the  troubled  waters.  It  is  much  more  pleasant  to  praise 
than  to  censure;  and  on  many  occasions  it  is  not  only  allow- 
able, but  justifiable,  to  cast  the  mantle  of  oblivion  over  the 
past. 

But  there  are  times  when  truth,  justice,  and  propriety,  de- 
mand a  faithful  exposure,  that  posterity  may  profit  by  the 
past.  Every  reformation,  since  the  great  apostasy,  has  been 
most  bitterly  and  shamefully  opposed.  The  basest  intrigues 
and  combinations,  and  the  grossest  misrepresentations  have 
been  resorted  to ;  but  the  truth  has  finally  triumphed. 

The  present  reformation  has  not  escaped.  It  has  been  the 
subject  of  the  most  unprovoked,  ungodly  assaults;  and  its 
progress  has  been  opposed  by  the  most  pernicious  influences. 
We  have  been  objects  of  bitter  malignity  and  unmeasured 
abuse;  and  if,  at  any  time,  we  indulged  in  exposing  the  reck- 
lessness and  wickedness  of  such  conduct,  it  has  furnished  an 
additional  stimulant  for  unbounded  ridicule  and  vulgar  abuse. 
Our  motives  have  been  adjudged  dishonest;  our  religious  pro- 
fession has  been  scofl'ed  at;  and  the  doctrine  advocated  by  us, 
has  been  treated  as  the  result  of  human  philosophy — ^as  the 
offspring  of  deluded  human  ambition.  If  we  have  committed 
blunders  under  such  circumstances,  it  is  not  a  matter  of  won- 
der. It  is  rather  astonishing  that  so  few  errors  have  been 
committed — more  especially,  as  we  have  been  infested  (as  is 
the  case  more  or  less  with  every  party)  with  spies  and  traitors 
in  the  army.  My  beloved  brethren:  The  circumstances  which 
surround  us  most  imperiously  demand  that  we  should  be  "  pru- 
dent as  serpents  and  harmless  as  doves";  that  we  should  be 
guarded  in  all  that  we  say  and  do,  lest  an  injury  be  inflicted 
which  can  never  be  repaired.  We  have  had  to  battle  for  vic- 
tory against  fearful  odds.  We  have  had  to  contend  and  toil 
hard  for  every  inch  of  ground  we  have  gained ;  and  we  have 
been  most  unfeelingly  reproached  because  we  have  gained  no 
more.  The  conquest,  however,  has  been  unparalleled,  except  in 
the  primitive  age.  Victory  has  crowned  our  efforts  thus  far. 
And  many  of  our  opponents  have  judged  it  safest  to  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  our  preaching.  They  have  witnessed  the  mighty 
power  of  the  ancient  gospel.  They  have  seen  it  sweep  the  land 
like  a  tornado.    A  community  of  200.000  or  more,  banded 


416    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


together  in  the  holiest  ties  of  brotherhood,  in  less  than  eighteen 
years,  furnishes  unequivocal  demonstration  of  its  power;  and 
even  the  locking  of  doors  has  not  proved  a  safeguard 
against  it. 

In  such  a  case  we  have  no  use  for  cowards  or  drones.  We 
have  no  compromise  to  make.  The  divine  system,  as  laid  down 
in  the  New  Testament,  must  be  received  and  submitted  to 
most  unreservedly.  The  unity  of  the  Church — not  only  in 
name  but  in  fact — and  the  conversion  of  the  world,  must  be 
recognised  and  laboured  for.  To  accomplish  objects  so  desir- 
able— so  transcendently  important,  there  are  needed  true,  loyal, 
iron-hearted  soldiers  of  the  cross,  the  ruling  passion  of  whose 
souls  is  the  love  of  God  and  love  to  man.  The  merely  am- 
bitious, envious,  sectarian  spirit  must  be  crushed,  as  of 
Satanic  origin. 

It  can  be  said  in  truth,  and  it  has  been  most  abundantly 
and  joyfully  realised  by  thousands  of  choice  spirits  of  the 
parties  of  the  day,  that  the  present  reformation,  as  regards 
the  ancient  gospel  and  ancient  order  of  things,  with  their  ac- 
companying blessings,  privileges,  and  enjoyments,  is  far  in  ad- 
vance of  anything  that  has  been  plead  since  the  great  apos- 
tasy. It  is  emphatically  a  return  to  primitive  Christianity, 
as  impressed  upon  the  pages  of  the  Divine  Volume. 

The  Ancient  Apostolic  Gospel  has  been  restored  in  all  its 
purity.  Men  are  addressed  by  it  as  rational,  intelligent,  and 
accountable  beings;  and  immediate  confession  and  obedience 
to  the  Saviour  demanded.  This  discovery  and  practical  presen- 
tation of  the  gospel  is  suflScient  of  itself  to  constitute  a  man 
the  benefactor  of  his  race.  This  has  not  only  been  done,  but 
professors  of  religion  are  now  left  without  apology  for  their 
scandalous  and  ruinous  divisions.  The  sinner  is  pointed  to 
obedience  as  with  the  light  of  the  sun;  and  the  Christian  is 
led  infallibly  to  the  true  Church.  The  Saviour,  as  with  the 
voice  of  thunder  and  a  scathing  blast  of  lightning,  has  de- 
nounced the  unauthorised,  ungodly  schisms  which  exist  under 
the  pretended  sanction  of  his  Name;  as  if  he  ever  gave  coun- 
tenance to  their  names  or  creeds — or  ever  sanctioned  their 
abuses  of  the  Gospel  I 

Our  efforts  may  be  derided;  we  may  be  insulted,  mocked, 
and  scoffed  at ;  the  most  vulgar  epithets  may  be  applied  to  us ; 
the  pen  of  detraction  and  slander  may  subject  us  to  the  hatred 
and  odium  of  many ;  but  the  impartial  historian  will  award 
ample  justice  in  transmitting  to  posterity  a  faithful  narrative. 
These  divine  principles,  acted  out  by  our  children,  will  redeem 
our  names  and  motives  from  temporary  obloquy;  and  the  ad- 
vocates of  this  reformation  will  be  hailed  as  the  benefactors 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  But  the  most  delightful  reflection 
of  all  is,  that  the  Saviour  will  award  the  plaudit,  *'  Well  done," 
at  the  great  day,  before  an  assembled  universe. 

Those  of  every  party  and  of  every  name,  who  have  experi- 
enced the  superlative  bliss  of  intelligent  submission  to  this 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH 


417 


divine  system,  have  felt  and  acknowledged  their  gratitude  to 
God,  that  their  lives  were  spared  to  realise  it;  and  they  have 
felt  and  expressed  their  great  obligations  to  those  who  were 
the  agents  in  the  divine  administration,  in  bringing  them  into 
the  glorious  liberty  and  light  of  its  gospel.* 

In  Ohio,  also,  there  were  very  marked  advances  made 
with  respect  to  co-operation.  When  the  Baptist  Associa- 
tions came  over  to  the  Reformatory  movement,  simply 
"  yearly  meetings  "  were  substituted  for  the  meetings  of 
the  Associations.  These  yearly  meetings  began  to  de- 
velop toward  meetings  for  business,  as  well  as  for  preach- 
ing the  Gospel.  Several  churches  began  to  work  together 
in  sending  out  an  evangelist,  and  also  co-operated  with 
respect  to  other  things.  But  every  step  of  this  kind  taken 
was  more  or  less  opposed  by  men  who  thought  they  saw 
in  this  tendency  a  shadow  of  an  ecclesiasticism,  a  thing 
they  dreaded  more  than  almost  any  other  calamity  that 
might  befall  them.  Mr.  Campbell  himself  was  constantly 
quoted  by  these  hesitating  brethren.  His  articles  in  the 
Christian  Baptist  against  the  clergy  and  against  ecclesias- 
ticism were  eagerly  brought  forward  as  proof  that  he  him- 
self was  opposed  to  the  entering  wedge  which  Christian 
co-operation  w^as  supposed  to  be.  But  Mr,  Campbell,  in 
the  Millennial  Harbinger^  frequently  repudiated  this  in- 
terpretation placed  upon  his  earlier  writings.  He  claimed 
that  his  articles  in  the  Christian  Baptist  were  aimed  at 
abuses  rather  than  legitimate  uses.  He  earnestly  advo- 
cated in  the  Earhinger  the  co-operation  of  churches,  and 
insisted  that  this  was  absolutely  necessary  in  order  that 
the  Restoration  movement  might  be  a  great  success.  In- 
deed, some  of  the  strongest  articles  ever  written  by  him 
were  written  in  the  40's,  in  support  of  organised  work, 
both  in  individual  churches  and  also  in  a  co-operative 
system  that  would  enable  many  churches  to  work 
together. 

Walter  Scott  also  strongly  sustained  the  movement  in 
favor  of  co-operation.  He  had  been  for  several  years  lo- 
cated at  Carthage,  Ohio,  near  Cincinnati,  and  had  done 
much  both  with  pen  and  tongue  to  forward  the  movement 
in  southern  Ohio.  But  in  1844  he  left  Carthage  and 
located  in  Pittsburg,  where  he  preached  for  both  the  church 

•"Life  of  Johnson,"  pp.  242-245. 


418    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


in  Pittsburg  and  the  one  in  Allegheny  City;  and  at  the 
same  time  he  edited  a  paper,  entitled  the  "  Protestant 
Unionist,^'  which  did  most  excellent  service  for  Protestant- 
ism as  a  whole,  as  well  as  for  the  Restoration  movement 
to  which  he  was  specially  committed.  From  this  point 
he  made  excursions  into  various  parts  of  the  country, 
where  he  was  always  received  with  enthusiasm  by  the 
people,  as  he  had  at  this  time  reached  his  most  mature 
manhood. 

In  Missouri  the  co-operation  movement  had  made  con- 
siderable advance  by  the  middle  of  this  decade.  Under  the 
leadership  of  T.  M.  Allen  several  churches  in  several  parts 
of  the  state  were  accustomed  to  co-operate  and  hold  yearly 
meetings.  Almost  the  only  reliable  statistics  that  can 
be  found  about  this  time  are  given  by  Mr.  Allen  in  his 
reports  to  these  co-operative  meetings.  For  several  years 
he  made  annual  reports  of  the  progress  of  the  cause,  and 
from  these  reports,  as  well  as  from  a  few  other  sources, 
it  is  evident  that  before  the  year  1850  the  Disciples  num- 
bered in  Missouri  not  less  than  50,000,  and  it  is  also 
evident  that  not  the  least  influential  factor  in  bringing 
this  great  result  was  the  co-operation  of  the  churches, 
even  in  the  somewhat  limited  way  which  prevailed  at  that 
time. 

In  Iowa  and  Indiana,  the  same  tendency  was  distinctly 
manifested.  In  both  of  these  states  the  cause  was  greatly 
benefited  by  the  union  of  forces  in  sending  out  the  Gospel 
and  in  providing  for  the  care  of  the  weaker  churches  that 
were  unable  to  support  themselves.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1845,  the  first  really  general  co-operative  so- 
ciety was  formed.  This  movement  was  led  by  D.  S.  Bur- 
nett, of  Cincinnati,  and  the  headquarters  of  the  Society 
were  located  at  that  city.  The  following  preamble  and 
constitution,  with  the  officers,  will  sufficiently  indicate  the 
scope  of  this  society,  as  well  as  the  lofty  aim  which  its 
founders  had  in  view : 

"  Whereas,  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  the  Hebrew  of  the  Old 
Testament,  and  the  Greek  of  the  New,  are  the  only  authorita- 
tive divine  standard,  containing  the  only  revelations  of  God 
to  the  human  race  extant;  and. 

Whereas,  it  is  the  duty  of  Christians,  who  are  called  "  the 
light  of  the  world,"  to  acquaint  the  human  family  with  those 
revelations,  by  faithfully  and  thoroughly  translating  and  cir- 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH 


419 


culating  them ;  We,  whose  names  are  undersigned,  resolve  to 
unite  our  labours  under  the  following 

CONSTITUTION 

Article  I.  The  name  of  this  Association  shall  be  the  Ameri- 
can Christian  Bible  Society. 

Article  II.  It  shall  be  the  object  of  this  Society  to  aid  in 
the  distribution  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  without  note  or 
comment,  among  all  nations. 

Article  III.  Each  contributor  of  one  dollar  annually,  shall 
be  a  member. 

Article  IV.  Each  contributor  of  twenty-five  dollars  at  one 
time,  shall  be  a  life  member. 

Article  V.  Each  contributor  of  one  hundred  dollars  shall  be 
a  life  director. 

Article  VI.  All  Bible  Co-operations,  or  Societies,  agreeing 
to  place  their  surplus  funds  in  the  Treasury  of  this  Society, 
shall  be  auxiliaries,  and  shall  have  the  right  to  appoint  one 
director;  and  for  every  fifty  members,  they  shall  be  entitled 
to  another  director.  The  Parent  Society,  located  in  Cincin- 
nati, shall  be  entitled  to  one  director,  and  another  director  for 
every  twentj'-five  members ;  all  which  directors  shall  assemble 
at  the  time  and  place  of  the  annual  meeting. 

Article  VII.  A  Board,  consisting  of  a  President,  nine  Vice- 
Presidents,  Corresponding  and  Recording  Secretaries  and 
Treasurer,  together  with  twenty-five  Managers,  shall  be  ap- 
pointed annually  to  conduct  the  business  of  the  Society.  The 
President,  two  Vice-Presidents,  Secretaries,  Treasurer,  and 
.sixteen  of  the  Managers,  shall  reside  in  Cincinnati,  or  its  vi- 
cinity. The  members  of  the  Board  shall  continue  in  office 
until  superseded  by  a  new  election  and  shall  have  power  to 
fill  such  vacancies  as  may  occur  in  their  number. 

Article  VIII.  The  Board  of  Managers,  and  their  officers, 
shall  meet  monthly,  or  oftener,  if  necessary,  at  such  time  and 
place  as  they  shall  adjourn  to;  seven  of  whom  shall  be  a 
quorum. 

Article  IX.  The  Board  of  Managers  shall  have  power  to  ap- 
point such  persons  as  may  have  rendered  essential  services  to 
the  Society,  members  for  life,  or  life  directors. 

Article  X.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Society,  and  of  the  Board 
of  Managers  and  Directors,  the  President,  or  in  his  absence 
the  Vice-President  first  upon  the  list  then  present,  and  in  the 
absence  of  all  the  Vice-Presidents,  the  Treasurer,  and  in  his 
absence  such  member  as  shall  be  chosen  for  that  purpose,  shall 
preside. 

Article  XI.  The  annual  meeting  of  the  Society,  and  Direc- 
tors, shall  be  held  in  Cincinnati,  on  the  day  before  the  last 
Wednesday  in  April,  in  each  year,  or  at  any  other  time,  at 
the  option  of  the  Society;  when  the  accounts  of  the  Treas- 
urer shall  be  presented,  and  a  President,  Vice-Presidents,  Sec- 
retaries, Treasurer,  and  such  other  officers  as  they  may  deem 


420    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


necessary,  together  with  a  Board  of  Managers,  shall  be  chosen 
the  ensuing  year,  by  the  Directors  entitled  to  vote  on  the 
Treasurer's  books,  at  the  beginning  of  the  said  month. 

Article  XII.  The  President  shall,  at  the  written  request  of 
six  members  of  the  Board,  call  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board 
of  Managers,  causing  at  least  three  days'  notice  of  such 
meeting  to  be  given. 

Article  XIII.  The  whole  of  the  minutes  of  every  meeting, 
shall  be  signed  by  the  Chairman  and  Secretary. 

Article  XIV.  No  alteration  shall  be  made  in  this  Consti- 
tution, except  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  Society  and  Di- 
rectors present  at  an  annual  meeting. 

President. 
D.  S.  Burnett,  Cincinnati. 

Vice-Presidents. 

J.  J.  Moss,  Cincinnati;  B.  S.  Lawson.  M.D.,  Cincinnati;  Alex. 
Campbell,  President  Bethany  College;  Walter  Scott, 
Pittsburg;  John  T.  Johnson,  Kentucky;  John  O'Kane, 
Indiana;  H.  P.  Gatchell,  Iowa;  Ephraim  A.  Smith, 
Georgia;  Eleazer  Parmly,  M.D.,  New  York  City. 

Corresponding  Secretary. 
James  Challen,  Cincinnati. 

Recording  Secretary. 
George  R.  Hand,  Cincinnati. 

Treasurer. 
Thurston  Crane,  Cincinnati, 

Managers. 

J.  Ray,  M.D.,  Cincinnati;  Owen  Owens,  Cincinnati;  S.  S. 
Clark,  Cincinnati ;  W.  P.  Stratton,  Cincinnati ;  George 
Tait,  Cincinnati ;  Geo.  W.  Rice,  Cincinnati ;  A.  Trowbridge, 
Cincinnati ;  G.  Vanausdal,  Cincinnati ;  James  Hopple,  Cin- 
cinnati;  Thomas  Emery,  Cincinnati;  N.  S.  Hubbell,  Cin- 
cinnati; J.  Getzendier,  Cincinnati ;  Jas.  Leslie,  Cincinnati ; 
Wm.  Lockwood,  Cincinnati;  Geo.  S.  Jenkins,  Cincinnati; 
JosiAH  FoBES,  Cincinnati;  Thomas  Taylor,  Philadelphia; 
T.  Fanning,  Tennessee;  T.  M.  Allen,  Missouri;  John  T. 
Jones,  Illinois;  A.  Crihfield,  Kentucky;  S.  Church,  Penn- 
sylvania; W.  Hayden,  W.  Reserve,  Ohio;  Wm.  Clark,  Jack- 
son, Mississippi;  Francis  K.  Dungan,  Baltimore. 

While  this  Society  was  opposed  by  some  reactionary 
men,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  a  society  and  not  a  church, 
it  evidently  marks  the  beginning  of  better  things  for  the 
Disciples  of  Christ,  It  was  thought  by  some  that  even 
Alexander  Campbell  did  not  specially  approve  of  the  So- 
ciety, but  in  the  Earhinger  for  1845  he  distinctly  affirms 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH  421 


that  his  main  objection  was  grounded  upon  the  fact  that 
the  movement  had  not  received  the  general  concurrence 
and  support  of  the  whole  brotherhood,  and  furthermore 
there  was  no  particular  need  for  a  separate  organisation 
of  this  sort,  for  the  reason  that  the  same  work  proposed 
was  being  already  done  hy  other  religious  parties,  and 
especiallj  by  the  Baptists.  Nevertheless,  he  was  extremely 
friendly  to  the  men  Avho  had  undertaken  the  matter,  and 
was  hopeful  that  the  Society  might  do  much  good. 

This  Society  did  not  count  for  very  much  as  an  effective 
organisation,  but  it  was  most  valuable  as  indicating  that 
the  time  had  come  when  the  Disciples,  as  a  whole,  must 
work  together  in  some  effective  organisation ;  and  as  they 
claimed  to  take  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone  for  their  rule 
of  faith  and  practice,  it  was  thought  by  Mr.  Burnett  and 
those  associated  with  him,  that  a  Bible  Society  was  the 
very  thing  to  give  expression  to  the  faith  of  the  Disciples 
which  they  professed  to  have  in  the  book  which  they  pro- 
posed to  follow.  We  shall  see  shortly  how  this  Society 
led  to  another,  when  the  Disciples  practically  began  their 
general  co-operative  work. 

Meantime  other  things  were  taking  place  in  1845.  The 
Trustees  of  Bethany  College  this  year  elected  W.  K.  Pen- 
dleton Vice-President  of  the  College.  He  had  married 
Mr.  Campbell's  daughter,  Lavinia,  October  14,  1840.  He 
had  also  been  serving  in  the  College  as  one  of  its  pro- 
fessors, and  in  1846,  his  name  appears  on  the  title  page 
of  the  January  number  of  the  Millennial  Harbinger  as 
associate  editor  with  Alexander  Campbell. 

Mr.  Pendleton  had  been  educated  at  the  University  of 
Virginia,  and  was  connected  with  the  Pendleton  family 
of  East  Virginia ;  and  as  he  became  intimately  associated, 
not  only  Avith  Mr.  Campbell,  but  also  with  the  religious 
movement  from  this  time  until  his  death,  it  is  well  to  give 
a  somewhat  detailed  account  of  his  life  and  character, 
especially  as  he  deserves  a  very  high  place  among  the  men 
who  made  the  movement  what  it  is: 

Dr.  Pendleton  was  perhaps  the  best  representative  man 
among  the  better  educated  class  of  the  Disciples.  He 
was  intellectual  and  scholarly;  but  this  does  not  express 
that  which  characterised  him  most  of  all.  He  possessed 
that  indescribable  charm  which  comes  only  of  good  breed- 
ing, and  which  cannot  be  produced  by  any  of  the  ordinary 


422    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

methods  of  collegiate  education.  It  has  its  roots  in  mother- 
culture,  and  always  dates  back  to  the  home  circle.  A 
true  man  is,  therefore,  practically  made  before  he  enters 
the  college  or  university.  The  latter  may  be  important 
in  the  full  development  of  a  strong  manhood,  but  without 
the  foundation  furnished  in  the  right  kind  of  home  life, 
the  after -glow  will  always  be  obscured  by  occasional  clouds 
of  ominous  hue.  This  fact  emphasises  the  great  value  of 
a  true  family  life  in  order  to  the  production  of  characters 
that  will  live  in  history. 

William  Kimbrough  Pendleton  was  born  in  Louisa 
County,  Virginia,  September  8,  1817,  and  died  September 
1,  1899;  consequently  he  was  eighty-two  years  old,  lack- 
ing one  week,  when  the  end  came.  Having  lived  over 
three-quarters  of  a  century,  through  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable periods  in  the  world's  history,  and  having  con- 
tributed no  small  portion  of  interest  to  that  period,  he 
went  peacefully  to  rest,  amid  the  scenes  where  most  of  his 
active  life  had  been  spent. 

He  was  of  English  descent,  and  his  ancestors,  both 
paternal  and  maternal,  from  the  earliest  history  of  this 
country,  occupied  distinguished  positions  in  the  state  and 
the  church.  His  mother  was  brought  up  under  Episcopal 
influence,  but  his  father,  Colonel  Edmond  Pendleton,  did 
not  become  a  member  of  any  church  until  the  son  was 
sixteen  years  of  age.  However,  having  become  an  earnest 
reader  of  the  Christian  Baptist  and  Millennial  Harbinger, 
he  was  finally  baptised  and  became  an  earnest  advocate 
of  the  religious  movement  inaugurated  by  Alexander 
Campbell  and  others. 

At  that  time  the  new  religious  movement  was  freely 
discussed  in  nearly  every  family  in  Virginia.  Colonel 
Pendleton's  home  was  no  exception  to  this  rule.  Every 
position  of  the  "  Reformation,"  as  it  was  then  called, 
received  the  fullest  and  severest  investigation;  and  while 
listening  to  these  discussions,  the  son  had  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  become  acquainted  with  the  principles  of  the 
great  religious  movement,  which  he,  in  after  years,  advo- 
cated with  such  distinguished  ability. 

From  his  earliest  boyhood  his  education  was  carefully 
provided  for.  After  attending  for  several  years  the  best 
schools  in  that  part  of  the  state,  he  entered  the  University 
of  Virginia,  where,  besides  the  academical  school,  he 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH  423 


studied  the  law  two  years  and  was  licensed  to  practise. 
During  most  of  this  time  he  had  been  a  regular  reader 
of  the  Christian  Baptist  and  Millennial  Harbinger,  and 
a  constant  and  earnest  student  of  the  Word  of  God.  He 
acted  also  as  amanuensis  for  his  father  in  conducting  some 
epistolary  discussions  with  a  Baptist  preacher  and  others ; 
heard  Elder  S.  Higgason  and  James  Bagley  preach  for 
years,  besides  hearing  occasionally  many  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished preachers  among  the  Disciples;  was  constantly 
in  company  with  Disciples  at  his  father's  house ;  and  above 
all,  and  before  all,  was  carefully  trained  from  his  infancy 
by  a  pious  mother — "  a  woman  possessing  the  gentleness 
and  mildness  of  a  child,  combined  with  the  firmness  and 
courage  of  a  Spartan  mother — extremely  modest  and  un- 
obtrusive, yet  when  drawn  into  conversation,  showing 
great  depth  of  thought  and  clearness  of  perception  and  a 
mind  well  stored  with  information."  Such  was  the  char- 
acter of  the  religious  influences  brought  to  bear  upon 
him,  and  under  these,  having  come  to  a  full  understanding 
of  his  duty,  he  was  in  June,  1840,  immersed  by  Alexander 
Campbell,  at  the  Mt.  Gilboa  Church,  Louisa  County,  Vir- 
ginia, being  at  the  time  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  his 
age.  In  the  fall  of  1840  he  was  married  to  Lavinia  M., 
daughter  of  Alexander  Campbell,  a  lady  of  brilliant  in- 
tellect and  beautiful  Christian  character,  who  died  in  the 
spring  of  1846. 

In  August,  1848,  he  was  again  married — this  time  to  . 
Clarinda,  also  a  daughter  of  Alexander  Campbell.  Mr. 
Campbell's  celebrated  letters  from  Europe  were  addressed 
to  this  daughter.  She  was  greatly  beloved  by  all  who 
knew  her,  and  was  thoroughly  devoted  to  the  cause  of 
Christ.  She  died  in  January,  1851,  rich  in  good  works, 
and  "  meet  to  be  a  partaker  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints 
in  light."  In  the  autumn  of  1855,  he  was  again  married — 
to  Catherine  H.,  daughter  of  Judge  Leceister  King,  of 
Warren,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio. 

In  all  the  positions  which  Mr.  Pendleton  filled  he  gained 
distinguished  honour  for  himself.  He  finally  resigned 
the  presidency  of  Bethany  College  and  settled  at  Eustis, 
Fla.,  where  he  bought  him  a  beautiful  home  on  the  lake 
of  the  same  name.  It  was  here  in  this  Florida  home, 
among  the  orange  trees,  in  company  with  his  books  and 
magazines,  that  he  spent  the  latter  years  of  his  life. 


424    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Through  his  influence  a  church  was  organised  at  Eustis 
and  a  comfortable  building  erected.  He  was  on  a  visit 
to  Bethany,  W.  Va.,  when  he  died.  There  was  perhaps 
no  spot  on  earth  that  was  more  sacred  to  him  than  Beth- 
any, and  it  was  no  doubt  in  harmony  with  his  own  wishes 
that  his  earthly  life  should  close  there. 

In  closing  this  altogether  too  brief  notice,  only  a  few 
characteristics,  which  seem  to  have  been  prominently  as- 
sociated with  Dr.  Pendleton,  can  be  mentioned. 

(1)  He  was  a  gentleman.  Much  is  meant  by  this  char- 
acterisation. There  is  the  width  of  the  poles  in  difference 
between  a  gentleman  and  a  genteelmsm.  The  latter  often 
makes  a  favourable  impression  upon  society,  when,  in  fact, 
he  does  not  carry  with  him  a  single  mark  of  a  gentleman. 

Christianity  does  much  for  the  most  rugged  natures, 
but  it  does  not  always  make  a  gentleman.  However,  it 
is  well  to  distinguish  between  the  Christianity  of  Christ 
and  that  which  is  labelled  Christianity,  but  which  very 
inadequately  represents  the  mind  of  the  Master.  But 
even  the  best  form  of  Christianity  has  uphill  work  with 
some  men  to  make  them  gentlemen.  It  is  just  here  that 
environment  tells  with  great  force.  But  there  is  some- 
thing else  besides  environment.  Heredity  is  a  controlling 
factor.  In  making  a  gentleman  there  is  nothing  more 
important  than  stock.  Perhaps  a  man  is  influenced  most 
by  his  mother  in  the  matter  under  consideration.  Her 
softening,  refining  influence  often  tells  with  overpowering 
effect  in  developing  gentlemanly  characteristics.  This  was 
one  of  the  important  factors  in  Dr.  Pendleton's  life.  His 
mother  was  a  most  remarkable  woman,  and  to  her  he 
was  most  indebted  for  those  special  qualities  which  made 
him  the  gentleman  he  was. 

(2)  Dr.  Pendleton  was  not  only  a  gentleman,  but  a 
gentleman  of  the  old  school.  This  means  much  with  those 
who  lament  the  fact  that  the  gentlemen  of  this  school 
are  rapidly  passing  away.  There  are  only  a  few  of  them 
left.  Dr.  Pendleton  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
of  this  class.  It  is  a  class,  too,  which  cannot  be  very 
well  described.  They  are  men  whose  presence  you  feel, 
but  you  cannot  analyse  the  force  which  touches  you.  You 
are  swayed  by  courtesy,  suavity,  and  delicacy,  but  you  can- 
not tell  exactly  how  these  are  combined  or  what  the 
method  precisely  is  which  brings  them  to  bear  upon  your 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH 


425 


own  personality.  You  bow  with  respect  to  the  man  who 
stands  in  your  presence,  realising  his  supreme  manhood 
and  yet  not  knowing  how  that  manhood  really  affects 
you.  Dr.  Pendleton  was  a  master  in  this  unconscious 
art.  He  never  seemed  to  know  he  was  graceful,  but  his 
every  movement  in  the  social  circle  personified  the  old 
Latin  "  otium  cum  dignitate."  I  have  never  known  a 
man  who  could  make  himself  more  at  ease,  more  interest- 
ing, or  more  impressive  whenever  he  chose  to  do  so.  He 
was  not  the  least  obtrusive.  He  gave  one  a  sense  of  his 
humility  more  than  anything  else.  He  was  modest  to 
a  high  degree,  but  at  the  same  time  he  moved  with  a  con- 
sciousness of  power,  which  gave  every  action  its  normal 
proportion  and  made  his  whole  conduct  symmetrical  and 
dignified. 

(3)  He  was  not  so  much  technically  a  scholar  as  he 
was  an  educated  man.  This  is  a  distinction  which  needs 
to  be  emphasised.  It  is  possible  for  a  man  to  be  a  scholar 
without  education,  and  it  is  equally  possible  for  a  man 
to  be  highly  educated  without  possessing  much  scholar- 
ship. Dr.  Pendleton  was  not  specially  a  scholar.  There 
were  some  things  in  which  he  excelled.  He  was  well  up 
in  philosophical  studies.  He  was  also  no  mean  linguist. 
But  he  made  no  special  claim  to  an  extended  technical 
scholarship  of  any  kind.  Nevertheless,  he  was  perhaps 
the  most  widely  read  man  in  the  ranks  of  the  Disciples. 
He  read  all  the  choice  books  of  even  modern  literature, 
while  the  old  masters  were  as  familiar  to  him  as  his  house- 
hold gods.  His  literary  faculty  was  of  the  finest  quality. 
His  soul  seemed  to  respond  with  the  liveliest  appreciation 
to  every  touch  of  genius.  He  was  fond  of  music,  and 
was  a  most  excellent  judge  of  paintings  and  sculpture. 
He  had  an  eye  for  the  beautiful  in  both  nature  and  art, 
and  few  men  have  ever  excelled  him  in  verbal  criticisms 
with  respect  to  such  matters,  though  he  never  seemed  to 
regard  it  worth  while  to  place  his  animadversions  upon 
paper.  He  lived  too  much  in  the  seclusion  of  his  own 
home.  He  had  little  or  no  ambition,  as  the  world  under- 
stands that  term.  He  seemed  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
kingdom  of  the  family,  and  in  his  associations  with  home 
life  he  found  his  chief  enjoyment. 

(4)  It  has  already  been  stated  that  Christianity,  when 
properly  understood  and  practised,  does  much  for  culture. 


426    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


It  is  easy  to  see  how  this  must  be  so.  Christianity  has 
largely  to  do  with  the  heart.  Perhaps  nothing  distin- 
guishes the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  more  than  its  appeal 
to  the  affections;  and  as  there  can  be  no  true  culture  un- 
til the  heart  is  touched,  it  is  not  surprising  that  a  char- 
acter strongly  dominated  by  the  Gospel  will  necessarily 
become  transformed  by  the  Gospel's  influence.  Dr.  Pen- 
dleton was  first  of  all  a  Christian.  Christ  within  him, 
the  hope  of  glory,  dominated  all  his  faculties.  He  never 
made  his  religion  demonstrative.  He  was  not  boisterous 
about  anything.  He  simply  moved  along,  in  the  easy 
tenor  of  his  way;  and  though  constantly  engaged  in  either 
study  or  work  he  performed  everything  without  noise  or 
friction,  and  consequently  the  world  around  him  often 
forgot  that  a  great  man  was  hid  away  from  the  multitude 
in  the  heart  of  his  family,  where  his  wife  and  children  only 
knew  how  great  a  character  he  was. 

(5)  His  life  was  a  constant  demonstration  of  the  truth- 
fulness of  the  Scriptural  saying,  "  In  quietness  and  con- 
fidence shall  be  your  strength."  It  has  already  been 
stated  that  he  was  not  demonstrative.  He  never  pushed 
himself  to  the  front.  He  positively  shrank  from  public 
notoriety.  He  was  not  indifferent  to  public  approbation ; 
but  he  certainly  did  not  do  what  he  did  to  be  seen  of 
men.  Perhaps  he  carried  this  tendency  of  his  nature  to 
excess.  It  is  probable  he  would  have  been  more  useful 
to  the  general  public  if  he  had  been  more  self-seeking. 
He  lived  in  an  aggressive  age.  During  the  past  fifty  years 
there  has  been  no  time  when  any  man  could  wait  on  the 
coming  of  success.  The  Micawberian  policy  will  not  work 
in  this  age  of  the  world.  We  must  not  wait  for  some- 
thing to  turn  up,  but  we  must  turn  it  up  ourselves,  in 
order  to  be  sure  that  our  task  is  accomplished.  Dr. 
Pendleton  was  too  reserved  for  the  active,  turbulent,  strug- 
gling age  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  sometimes  accused 
of  indolence  by  those  who  thought  he  ought  to  have  occu- 
pied a  more  prominent  place  than  he  did.  But  he  was 
not  indolent.  He  was  a  hard  student  and  an  indefatigable 
worker.  But  he  studied  and  worked  in  circles  that  were 
not  open  to  the  inspection  of  the  public.  It  is  no  doubt 
perfectly  true  that  he  could  have  become  a  much  more 
effective  power  for  the  public  good,  if  he  had  allowed  him- 
self to  even  fill  the  public  places  that  were  always  ready 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH  427 


for  him.  But  he  could  neither  seek  public  position  nor 
fill  it  at  the  expense  of  that  quietness  which  seemed  so 
essential  to  the  development  of  his  better  manhood.  What, 
therefore,  appeared  to  be  indifference  to  public  endeavour 
was  only  an  excessive  timidity,  or  reserve,  which  did  not 
permit  him  to  come  before  the  public  with  his  methods 
of  work.  Perhaps  it  is  true,  after  all,  that  men  who  are 
keyed  like  he  was  are  unfitted  for  the  rugged  and  demon- 
strative duties  of  public  life.  Still,  we  must  not  forget 
that  the  world  needs  men  of  different  temperaments.  It 
took  both  Aristides  and  Themistocles  (though  very  differ- 
ent in  almost  every  respect)  to  save  Greece  from  the 
Persian  invasion. 

(6)  Dr.  Pendleton  was  specially  gifted  as  a  writer.  He 
was  the  possessor  of  a  remarkably  clear  and  polished  style. 
All  his  literary  work  had  the  finish  of  a  master.  He  was 
associated  with  Mr.  Campbell  in  conducting  the  Millennial 
Harbinger,  from  the  year  1844,  and  for  about  thirty  years 
his  contributions  to  that  periodical  were  among  the  best 
that  appeared  in  its  columns.  Many  of  his  controversial 
papers  give  evidence  of  his  fine  logical  powers,  while  all 
his  writings  clearly  demonstrate  that  his  rhetoric  was 
scarcely  ever  at  fault.  His  wide  reading  brought  him  into 
contact  with  the  best  thinkers  of  all  ages,  and  his  own 
style,  though  polished  from  the  beginning,  was  greatly 
improved  as  the  years  went  on  by  his  contact  with  the 
masters  of  literature.  He  was  truly  the  Addison  of  the 
reformation. 

(7)  As  a  preacher  and  lecturer,  he  was  able  and  inter- 
esting. He  was  overshadowed  in  the  Bethany  pulpit  by 
his  distinguished  father-in-law,  but  he  could  have  become 
eminent  as  a  pastor  of  a  city  church.  His  social  qualities 
being  of  the  highest  order,  he  would  have  been  personally 
popular  with  his  congregation ;  and  if  he  had  given 
himself  to  the  work  of  preparing  and  delivering  ser- 
mons he  would  have  been  undoubtedly  a  success  as  a 
preacher.  His  sermon  in  "  The  Living  Pulpit  "  on  "  The 
Ministry  of  the  Holy  Spirit "  is  one  of  the  ablest  in 
that  volume,  and  the  writer  of  this  sketch  has  heard 
him  deliver  sermons  superior  even  to  the  one  just 
mentioned. 

As  a  lecturer  he  was  pleasing  and  instructive.  He  car- 
ried his  elegant  manners  with  him  on  the  platform. 


428    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Though  somewhat  timid,  he  was  nearly  always  self-pos- 
sessed when  he  came  before  the  public. 

But  he  did  not  lecture  simply  to  please.  He  meant 
everything  he  said  to  be  useful  to  his  hearers;  hence  his 
lectures  were  packed  full  of  facts  and  matter  which  could 
not  fail  to  be  helpful  to  his  audiences.  These  audiences 
listened  with  breathless  interest  to  his  matchless  sentences, 
delivered  in  a  manner  which  showed  deep  earnestness, 
though  there  was  almost  an  entire  lack  of  passion  in  any- 
thing he  said.  It  was  on  account  of  this  lack  of  passion 
that  he  failed  to  be  a  great  orator,  for  he  possessed  every 
other  qualification  necessary  to  sway  the  multitude.  But 
popular  eloquence  is  not  rhetoric  nor  logic,  nor  even  ordi- 
nary earnestness;  it  is  pre;  enthusiasm;  a  flame  which 
cannot  be  extinguished;  it  is  a  sweeping  conflagration, 
overcoming  all  opposing  winds  and  carrying  everything 
before  it.  This,  Dr.  Pendleton  did  not  po.ssess.  He  was 
a  logician ;  he  was  a  rhetorician ;  he  was  highly  educated ; 
was  polished  in  his  manners  and  presented  an  attractive 
and  dignified  personality.  He  was  graceful  in  his  move- 
ments, elegant  in  those  characteristics  which  make  up  a 
refined  and  noble  manhood;  but  he  lacked  the  one  thing 
needful  to  make  a  popular  orator.  Let  no  one  misunder- 
stand this  statement.  He  was  not  cold.  His  whole  nature 
was  warm  and  genial.  To  those  who  knew  him  best  he 
was  a  model  of  cordiality  and  sympathy.  But  the  quality 
of  enthusiasm  did  not  overflow.  It  was  held  in  solution 
with  other  things;  but  it  nowhere  showed  itself  as  a  sepa- 
rate, overflowing  river,  bearing  everything  down  in  its 
resistless  course.  This  is  an  essential  quality  of  true  elo- 
quence, and  without  it  eloquence  may  have  a  name  to  live 
by,  but  it  is  really  dead. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  say  a  few  words  in  conclusion. 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  knowing  President  Pendleton  long 
and  well.  In  the  classrooms  of  dear  old  Bethany  I  learned 
to  love  him  as  an  instructor  and  friend.  I  have  never 
forgotten  his  personal  interest  in  me.  Frequently  since 
then  he  has  cheered  me  with  words  of  encouragement. 
Only  a  little  while  before  his  death  I  received  a  letter 
from  him,  which  I  would  now  publish,  as  a  specimen  of 
his  beautiful  style,  were  it  not  for  the  delicate  personal 
allusions  in  it  with  respect  to  myself.  It  is  a  delight  to 
bear  this  testimony  to  his  gracious  and  splendid  manhood. 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH 


429 


With  the  new  help  which  Mr.  Campbell  had  in  con- 
ducting the  Harbinger,  he  was  enabled  to  give  more  time 
to  the  general  field;  consequently,  in  March,  1845,  in  com- 
pany with  R.  L.  Coleman,  he  made  another  tour  through 
Virginia,  Georgia,  and  South  Carolina,  meeting  many  old 
friends,  making  new  friends,  securing  contributions  for 
Bethany  College,  and  speaking  either  in  private  or  public 
almost  constantly  during  his  trip.  Later  on  in  the  year 
he  made  another  tour  westward,  through  southern  Ohio, 
Missouri,  and  Illinois.  In  all  these  states  he  saw  evidence 
of  the  progress  of  the  movement  with  which  he  was  identi- 
fied. At  the  same  time  he  was  made  conscious  of  the 
need  of  a  more  effective  system  of  co-operation  among  the 
brethren,  and  especially  an  enlargement  of  views  with  re- 
spect to  educational  matters.  The  Harbinger  for  this 
year  shows  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  impression  he 
had  received  during  these  excursions. 

About  this  time  the  Evangelical  Alliance  was  organ- 
ised, and  Mr.  Campbell  makes  several  references  to  it  in 
the  Harbinger  for  1846.  In  these  references  he  pointed 
out  the  resemblance  of  the  movement  to  that  of  the  "  Chris- 
tian Association,"  which  was  founded  in  Washington,  Pa., 
in  1809,  and  from  which  was  issued  the  great  '*  Declara- 
tion and  Address,"  written  by  Thomas  Campbell.  While 
he  does  not  endorse  everything  in  the  Constitution  of  this 
Alliance,  and  does  not  believe  that  it  offers  a  complete 
solution  of  the  Christian  union  question,  he  nevertheless 
uses  the  following  significant  language : 

I  said  at  the  beginning,  I  say  at  the  close,  of  my  notice  of 
the  Evangelical  Alliance,  that  I  thank  God  and  take  courage 
at  every  effort,  however  imperfect  it  may  be,  to  open  the  eyes 
of  the  community  to  the  impotency  and  wickedness  of  schism, 
and  to  impress  upon  the  conscientious  and  benevolent  portion 
of  the  Christian  profession  the  excellency,  the  beauty,  and  the 
necessity  of  co-operation  in  the  cause  of  Christ  as  prerequisite 
to  the  diffusion  of  Christianity  throughout  the  nations  of  the 
earth. 

In  another  place  he  thanks  God  for  the  Evangelical  Al- 
liance and  declares  that  he  "  will  co-operate  with  it  so 
long  and  as  far  as  he  may  be  allowed  to  do  so." 

This  clearly  indicates  how  willing  Mr.  Campbell  was  to 
fraternise  with  those  who  were  seeking  any  closer  alliance 
that  might  seem  to  lead  to  Christian  union.    He  never 


430    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


thought  it  possible  to  unite  all  Christians  upon  any  plat- 
form where  difference  of  opinion  must  be  taken  into  ac- 
count, but  he  always  had  the  greatest  faith  that  union 
could  be  effected  on  the  simple  Bible  conditions  by  which 
Christians  are  made  and  sustained  in  the  Christian  char- 
acter. 

In  the  preface  of  the  Harbinger  for  1847,  referring  to 
the  formation  of  this  Alliance  and  other  indications  of 
the  progress  of  true  Christianity,  he  says : 

The  signs  of  the  times  are,  in  some  respects,  more  auspicious 
now  than  at  any  former  period  in  the  memory  of  the  living 
generation.  When,  before,  since  the  great  apostasy,  did  the 
world,  European  and  American,  hold  a  convention  for  the  fur- 
therance of  union  among  Christians,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
forming  an  alliance  in  favour  of  catholic  truth  against  sectar- 
ian heresies  and  error?  When  did  the  heathen  world  before 
ever  stretch  out  its  hands  to  Christendom,  imploring  them  to 
come  over  and  help  them  to  extricate  themselves  from  the 
snares  and  toils  of  Paganism?  The  world  without  the  Chris- 
tian profession,  and  the  world  within  it,  are  alike  discontent 
with  themselves  and  their  condition,  and  are  alike  calling  for 
help. — Ought  we  not,  then,  to  be  more  earnest,  more  sanguine, 
and  more  laborious  than  ever  before  in  the  furtherance  of  the 
Gospel,  and  in  the  maintenance  of  our  truly  enviable  position 
in  relation  to  the  present  attitude  of  the  whole  Christian  and 
Pagan  world? 

Referring  to  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Disciples,  he 
gives  a  clear  indication,  not  only  as  regards  the  great 
work  that  had  been  accomplished,  but  also  the  work  that 
still  had  to  be  done: 

We  have  seen  an  immense  community  rise  in  the  lapse  of 
thirty  years.  The\'  have  renounced  the  tyranny  of  opinionism 
— they  have  repudiated  the  schismatical  tenets  of  a  morbid 
Protestantism — they  have  abjured  allegiance  to  papistical  tra- 
ditions— they  have  rallied  around  a  few  cardinal  salutary  and 
sublime  truths,  and  have  vowed  to  build  their  faith,  their  hope, 
and  their  love  upon  the  firm  foundation  of  Apostles  and 
Prophets;  and  without  regard  to  differences  in  mere  opinions, 
they  have  resolved  to  receive,  cherish,  and  sustain  one  another 
as  brethren  in  the  family  of  God. 

But  among  these  thousands  and  myriads  of  men.  formerly  of 
all  creeds  and  parties,  there  are  all  sorts  of  spirits,  all  con- 
ceivable varieties  of  intellect  and  disposition — some  that  re- 
quire a  bridle,  and  some  that  demand  a  spur.  We  have  the 
diflSdence  and  tardiness  of  age,  and  the  waywardness  and  im- 
petuosity of  youth.    Some  must  preach,  and  some  must  hear; 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH  431 


some  must  write,  and  some  must  read;  and  who  can  say  to 
A,  Do  this,  and  he  does  it;  or  to  D,  Withhold  thy  hand,  and 
he  obeys.  In  such  a  conflicting  state  of  affairs,  the  harmless- 
ness  of  the  dove  with  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent  are  of  the 
greatest  importance.  Indeed,  all  the  graces  of  the  spirit  of 
Christ  are  indispensable  to  the  setting  in  order  the  things 
that  are  wanting,  and  to  the  maintenance  of  "  a  unity  of  spirit 
in  the  bonds  of  peace." 

For  these,  and  many  such  reasons,  there  appears  yet  much 
to  be  done  to  increase  the  knowledge,  to  perfect  the  character, 
and  to  direct  the  energies  of  a  great  and  mighty  people.  Hav- 
ing been  long  conversant  with  all  these  matters,  and  most  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  all  the  things  from  the  beginning  and 
very  generally  known  to,  and  knowing,  the  master  spirits  of 
reform,  I  cannot  consent  to  fold  up  my  arms  and  retire  into  a 
state  of  indolent  repose.  I  feel  it,  then,  not  only  a  duty  which 
I  owe  to  the  Lord  and  to  the  brethren,  to  stand  up  to  my 
labours  in  this  department,  as  well  as  in  all  other  fields  in 
which  I  am  engaged,  but  am  thankful  to  him  that  he  has 
called  me  to  this  work  and  toil,  that,  however  unable  to  meet 
my  own  wishes  or  those  of  my  brethren  in  the  manner  of  the 
performance  of  my  labours,  I  feel  as  strong  in  the  desire,  and 
as  ardent  in  the  purpose  to  continue  at  my  post,  and  still  to 
contribute  my  mite  to  the  furtherance  of  that  great  revolution 
that  is  now  both  publicly  and  privately  going  forward  in  the 
world.  To  this  work  also  I  have  the  earnest  and  importunate 
requests  and  desires  of  very  many  brethren,  and  shall  there- 
fore expect  their  indulgence  and  their  aid  in  every  way  they 
can  further  the  prosperity  of  the  cause  of  reformation. 

In  these  paragraphs  Mr.  Campbell  shows  very  clearly 
his  optimism,  which  seems  never  to  have  forsaken  him 
through  all  the  conflicts  of  those  days  which  tried  men's 
souls.  While  he  does  not  hesitate  to  state  some  things  on 
the  dark  side  of  the  picture,  at  the  same  time  it  is  im- 
possible not  to  admire  the  courage  and  hope  with  which 
he  begins  his  new  volume.  In  all  this  he  shows  his  in- 
comparable qualities  as  a  leader.  The  one  thing  that 
looms  up  as  the  most  remarkable  among  the  very  remark- 
able things  of  that  day  is  the  amount  of  work  which  he 
was  capable  of  performing,  and  perhaps  in  no  other  period 
of  his  life  did  he  accomplish  more  than  the  period  between 
1845-1850. 

About  this  time  a  similar  movement  began  to  attract 
some  attention  in  England.  The  origin  of  this  movement 
may  be  briefly  stated  as  follows:  Mr.  William  Jones,  of 
London,  was  the  first  to  introduce  among  the  Baptists  of 
that  country  some  of  the  writings  of  the  Disciples  of 


432    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


America,  and  especially  the  writings  of  Alexander  Camp- 
bell. Mr.  Jones  differed  in  a  few  particulars  from  some 
of  the  teachings  of  Mr.  Campbell,  but  in  the  main  he  was 
heartily  in  sympathy  with  the  principles  advocated  by 
the  leaders  of  the  American  movement ;  and,  consequently, 
he  published  a  periodical,  the  British  Millennial  Har- 
binger, in  which  were  republished  leading  articles  written 
by  the  Disciples  of  America.  Meantime,  he  had  a  lengthy 
correspondence  with  Mr.  Campbell,  in  which  Mr.  Campbell 
set  forth  specifically  the  principles  and  aims  of  the  Res- 
toration movement  with  which  he  was  identified.  For 
a  time  Mr.  Jones  gave  himself  heartily  to  the  advocacy 
of  the  Restoration  movement  in  England,  but  finding  that 
he  was  likelj^  to  come  in  conflict  with  his  own  brethren, 
if  he  continued  to  advocate  the  new  movement,  he  went 
back  to  the  Baptist  ranks  and  continued  there  as  long  as 
he  lived.  However,  Mr.  James  Wallace,  of  Nottingham, 
started  the  Christian  Messenger,  and  through  this  the  Res- 
toration movement  was  advocated  in  England.  In  1883 
a  report  was  made  by  the  General  Evangelistic  Committee 
of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
giving  some  account  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  move- 
ment on  that  side  of  the  Atlantic.  This  report  concludes 
as  follows: 

But  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  there  were  no 
germs  of  reformation  in  the  United  Kingdom  before  Mr.  Jones 
began  the  publication  of  his  Millennial  Harbinger;  for  a  care- 
ful glance  through  our  early  magazines  reveals  the  fact  that 
several  churches,  in  various  places,  arose  about  the  same  time, 
and  previous  to  obtaining  any  knowledge  of  Mr.  Campbell  and 
his  work.  These  were,  for  the  most  part,  unknown  1o  each 
other,  but  were  teaching  and  upholding  the  same  things.  In 
the  North,  were  Auchtermuchty  and  Grangemouth ;  in  the 
South,  Bristol  and  probably  London;  and  between  these  dis- 
tant points  were  found  churches  in  Coxlane,  Wrexham,  and 
Shrewsbury;  also,  one  in  Dungannon,  Ireland,  about  which, 
as  well  as  some  of  the  others,  an  interesting  story  could  be 
told.  These  churches  stood  isolated  for  years,  but  steadfast 
in  the  Apostles'  doctrine,  the  fellowship,  the  prayers,  the  teach- 
ing, and  breaking  of  bread  on  every  first  day  of  the  week ; 
and  each,  in  turn,  was  equally  surprised  and  pleased  to  find 
it  was  not  alone  in  pleading  for  a  restoration  of  the  ancient 
order.  How  these  churches  came  to  exist  may  be  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  that  during  the  greater  part  of  the  eighteenth, 
and  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  spirit  of  God 
had  been  moving  the  minds  of  such  men  as  Glas,  Sandeman, 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH 


433 


Walker,  M'Lean,  the  Haldanes,  and  others,  to  plead  for  a 
restoration  of  the  pure  Gospel.  And  by  these  instrumen- 
talities the  Lord  prepared  the  way  for  the  reception,  in  our 
own  .  land,  of  the  more  complete  restoration  pleaded  for  by 
Alexander  Campbell.* 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  extract  that  while  the  move- 
ment received  great  help  from  America,  and  was  probably 
organised  and  developed  mainly  through  the  writings  of 
the  American  Disciples,  and  especially  the  writings  of 
Alexander  Campbell,  there  were  a  number  of  churches 
ready  to  receive  the  principles  of  the  Restoration  move- 
ment, just  as  was  the  case  in  this  country,  even  before 
the  "  Declaration  and  Address "  of  the  Campbells  was 
published.  But  it  is  well  to  notice  the  fact  that  the  move- 
ment in  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  was  somewhat 
different  from  the  movement  in  this  country  in  several 
particulars,  though  in  the  main  the  principles  were  iden- 
tical. We  notice  three  respects  wherein  the  difference  was 
considerable. 

1.  As  regards  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  the  churches 
in  the  old  country  not  only  depended  upon  what  they 
called  "  mutual  teaching,"  but  they  actually  made  this  a 
matter  of  faith,  contending  that  their  practice  in  this 
respect  is  distinctly  and  emphatically  enjoined  in  the 
Scriptures.  Doubtless  this  view  of  the  matter  was  em- 
phasised by  the  fact  that  the  brethren  in  that  country 
were  impressed  with  the  notion  that  they  ought  to  swing 
their  movement  as  far  away  from  the  clerical  domination 
which  prevailed  in  the  state  church  as  it  was  possible 
for  them  to  do;  but  as  extremes  beget  extremes,  they  evi- 
dently carried  the  movement  too  far  in  one  direction; 
and  as  the  leadership  which  they  depended  upon  for  teach- 
ing most  frequently  needed  teaching  itself,  the  kind  of 
teaching  which  the  churches  received  was  not  very  help- 
ful in  spiritual  growth,  and  often  the  domination  of  the 
elders  was  even  more  tyrannical  than  that  tyranny  against 
which  the  churches  were  making  their  protest. 

We  have  already  seen  the  movement  in  America  had 
developed  somewhat  along  the  same  lines  for  at  least 
several  years.  But  the  brethren  in  America  never  con- 
tended very  seriously  that  this  was  the  only  Scriptural 
view  to  take  of  the  matter.    Indeed,  the  American  move- 

♦  "  Life  of  Timothy  Coop,"  p.  137. 


434    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ment  has  never  asserted  any  very  positive  views  with  re- 
spect to  church  organisation  and  development.  They  have 
always  recognised  that  the  main  features  only  are  set 
forth  in  the  New  Testament,  and  that  there  is  much  left 
to  the  sanctified  wisdom  of  the  churches  themselves  as 
regards  particulars.  They  have  always  advocated  the  gift 
of  teaching  in  the  Church,  but  as  Walter  Scott  once  said, 
"  The  Church  is  not  all  mouth,"  and,  consequently,  they 
have  never  regarded  what  is  called  "  mutual  teaching  " 
with  the  same  favour,  or  to  the  same  extent,  as  it  is  re- 
garded in  the  old  country. 

2.  Another  point  of  difference  was  with  regard  to  the 
reception  of  money  from  those  who  were  not  Christians. 
It  became  a  fixed  rule  with  the  brethren  in  Europe  to  re- 
ceive no  money  from  unbaptised  people.  This  was  a  great 
hindrance  to  the  progress  of  their  cause.  The  people  of 
that  country,  more  than  anywhere  else,  are  inclined  to 
contribute  something  to  any  church  they  may  attend,  and 
when  their  contributions  were  refused  by  the  Disciples 
they  ceased  attending  their  services.  The  result  was  that 
very  few  "  outsiders  "  attended  at  all,  and  consequently 
it  was  impossible  to  make  anything  like  considerable  prog- 
ress when  the  churches  had  no  one  in  attendance  except 
their  own  members. 

In  America  the  churches  have  always  received  contribu- 
tions from  any  source  whatever,  believing  that,  if  these 
contributions  should  come  from  even  Satan's  adherents, 
it  was  a  wise  expedient  to  weaken  Satan's  kingdom  as 
much  as  possible  by  using  the  resources  of  his  followers 
for  a  much  better  cause  than  that  for  which  the  resources 
would  be  used  if  not  accepted  by  the  churches.  Whether 
this  view  of  the  matter  is  correct  or  not,  this  was  par- 
tially at  least  the  ground  on  which  this  practice  was 
sustained.  It  was  furthermore  contended  by  the  Amer- 
ican churches  that,  as  the  weekly  contributions  were  col- 
lected from  a  miscellaneous  audience,  it  was  impossible 
to  always  discriminate  between  the  Christians  and  those 
who  were  not  Christians,  without  practically  insulting 
the  latter,  and  thus  driving  them  away  from  attending 
the  meetings. 

3.  But  perhaps  the  most  radical  difference  between  the 
two  movements  was  with  respect  to  those  who  should  par- 
take of  the  Lord's  Supper.    In  both  countries  this  Supper 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH  435 


was  administered  every  Lord's  Day.  This  was  regarded 
by  all  as  the  practice  of  the  primitive  churches,  and  it 
was  insisted  upon  by  all  as  a  part  of  every  Lord's  Day 
service.  Indeed,  in  many  places,  both  in  the  Old  Country 
and  in  America,  the  Lord's  Supper  was  regarded  as  the 
chief  feature  of  the  Lord's  Day  worship.  But  in  the 
Old  Country  a  sort  of  police  arrangement  was  in  force 
nearly  everywhere,  by  which  all  unbaptised  persons  were 
rigidly  excluded  from  participation  in  this  fellowship.  In 
this  country  the  practice  of  the  Disciples  was,  and  is  yet, 
to  teach  what  the  Scriptures  say  on  the  subject,  and  then 
leave  the  matter  with  each  individual  as  to  whether  he 
will  participate  in  the  communion  or  not.  In  short,  they 
neither  invite  nor  exclude. 

It  is  only  fair  to  the  brethren  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic  to  state  the  fact  that  they  were  probably  largely 
influenced  to  take  the  course  they  did  from  the  nature  of 
the  state  churches  of  that  country.  These  state  churches 
reckoned  all  persons  members  of  the  church  from  a  ter- 
ritorial point  of  view,  and,  consequently,  it  was  with  the 
view  of  protesting  against  this  territorial  membership  that 
the  Disciples  made  their  protest  against  what  they  called 
open  communion.  However,  the  tendency  of  all  these 
restrictions  was  to  give  the  movement  in  the  Old  Country 
a  very  exclusive  character,  and  thereby  it  was  weakened 
in  its  hold  upon  the  popular  heart.  But  however  this 
may  be,  it  evi(lently  made  very  slow  progress.  Some  very 
excellent  men  were  attracted  by  its  principles,  but  when 
they  came  into  the  churches  and  realised  the  cold  ex- 
clusiveness  which  existed  among  the  members,  these  great 
souls  either  became  inactive  or  else  left  the  movement  en- 
tirely and  joined  other  communions.  The  result  was  that 
very  few  men  of  any  reputation  became  permanently  iden- 
tified with  the  churches  of  the  Old  Country ;  and  up  to  the 
present  time  this  has  been  a  marked  feature,  and  also  par- 
tially accounts  for  the  slow  progress  that  has  been  made. 

At  the  same  time  it  should  be  remembered  that  the 
movement  in  Europe  has  been  from  the  west  towards  the 
east,  and  we  have  already  seen  that  progress  in  this 
direction  is  always  very  feeble,  if,  indeed,  it  makes  any 
headway  at  all.  Later  we  shall  see  that  an  American 
reinforcement  was  sent  to  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  help- 
ing on  the  work  there,  and  to-day  even  this  has  not  been 


436    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


a  marked  success.  Perhaps  after  all  we  may  have  to 
conclude  that  the  new  movement  was  never  intended  to 
progress  eastward,  for  even  in  this  country  it  has  made 
little  headway  east  of  where  it  started. 

Mr.  Campbell  had  much  desired  to  revisit  his  old  friends 
in  the  Old  Country,  and  having  received  a  cordial  invita- 
tion from  the  churches  there,  communicated  by  Mr.  J. 
Wallace  in  most  affectionate  terms,  he  resolved  to  make 
this  visit  as  soon  as  possible.  The  communication  of 
Mr.  Wallace  was  dated  January  26,  1846.  Accordingly, 
Mr.  Campbell  began  to  make  his  preparations  for  the 
voyage.  As  Mr.  Pendleton  had  been  appointed  Vice-Presi- 
dent of  Bethany  College,  and  was  also  at  this  time  one 
of  the  editors  of  the  Harbinger,  Mr.  Campbell  saw  his 
way  to  leave  his  work  in  this  country,  for  at  least  a 
short  time,  in  the  trusted  hands  of  his  son-in-law  and 
Dr.  Robert  Richardson,  whom  he  always  trusted  in  every 
emergency.  He  set  sail,  in  company  with  Mr.  James 
Henshall,  on  May  4,  1847,  and  reached  Liverpool  at  the 
close  of  the  month,  where  he  was  met  by  J.  Davies,  of 
Mollington,  and  Messrs.  Woodworth  and  Tickle,  of  Liver- 
pool. He  was  soon  very  much  at  home  among  the  breth- 
ren and  at  once  began  his  campaign  in  the  Old  Country. 
His  letters  from  Europe  during  this  and  the  next  year, 
addressed  to  his  daughter,  Clarinda,  are  of  special  interest, 
and  will  be  found  in  the  Earhinger  for  1847  and  1848. 
During  this  visit  he  frequently  met  with  the  brethren 
in  England  and  attended  their  annual  meeting  at  Chester, 
where  a  liberal  subscription  was  made  to  Bethany  College. 
It  was  during  his  visit  in  Scotland  that  he  was  put  into 
prison.    In  reference  to  this  matter,  he  writes: 

I  was  incarcerated,  because  of  mere  speculative  and  doc- 
trinal dissent  from  the  opinion  of  a  certain  class  of  anti- 
slavery  men.  My  liberty  was  taken  away  by  "  liberty  men." 
...  I  am  aware  it  will  be  said  I  was  imprisoned  for  a  libel. 
But  who  libelled  me  from  Edinburgh  to  Banff?  I  libelled  no 
man — I  spoke  the  truth.  There  were  three  Rev.  James  Robert- 
sons in  Edinburgh,  and  one  was  accused  of  insulting  and  abus- 
ing his  mother.  His  exclusion  from  a  Church  for  that  offence 
is  a  matter  of  record  in  Dundee. 

I  did  not  specify  any  one  of  the  three  Rev.  James  Robert- 
sons. Why  did  only  one  of  them  accuse  himself  by  professing 
to  be  the  man?  Why  did  not  the  other  two  find  cause  for  a 
libel?   The  truth  is  no  libel  in  Scotland.* 

*  "  Menioirs  of  Alexander  Campbell,"  pp.  664-565, 


CONFLICT  AND  GROWTH 


437 


The  whole  affair  of  this  matter  is  so  ridiculous  that  we 
have  no  patience  to  make  a  record  of  it  here.  Suffice  to 
say  that  Mr.  Campbell  was  released  from  prison,  and  his 
accuser  brought  to  shame,  if,  indeed,  he  was  capable  of 
a  virtue  of  that  kind. 

While  in  England,  Mr;  Campbell  was  highly  honoured 
by  some  of  the  great  men  of  the  nation,  and  his  public 
addresses  made  a  deep  impression  upon  all  who  heard 
him. 

Meantime,  the  cause  continued  to  progress  in  the  United 
States.  Perhaps  the  most  active  evangelistic  period  in 
the  history  of  the  movement  was  between  the  years  1835 
and  1845.  About  the  latter  date  the  leaders  of  the  move- 
ment very  generally  began  to  turn  their  attention  to  the 
matter  of  retaining  the  ground  which  had  been  gained, 
and  this  somewhat  retarded  the  evangelistic  enthusiasm 
for  at  least  a  short  time.  Still  the  work  continued  to 
spread. 

The  year  1848  was  a  notable  year  from  almost  every 
point  of  view.  It  was  marked  by  revolutions  involving 
Austria,  Italy,  Sicily,  France,  England,  and  Ireland;  in- 
deed, more  or  less  affecting  the  whole  of  European  society. 
The  French  Republic  was  proclaimed  on  February  2Gth, 
and  officially  recognised  by  England  on  March  1st.  On 
December  20th,  Louis  Napoleon  was  proclaimed  President 
of  the  French  Republic,  and  quiet  for  a  time  began  to 
manifest  itself. 

During  this  year  the  Mexican  war  was  concluded  and 
peace  made  February  8th,  while  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California  sent  thousands  of  adventurers  from  the  eastern 
states  to  the  Pacific  coast.  Wisconsin  was  also,  during 
this  year,  admitted  to  the  union  as  a  state.  During  the 
same  year  General  Zachary  Taylor  was  elected  President 
of  the  United  States. 

It  was  a  time  of  both  settling  and  unsettling.  The 
Disciples  themselves  were  in  a  state  of  transition.  Mr. 
Campbell  had  been  pleading  from  the  year  1841  for  some 
definite  organisation  of  all  the  forces  in  an  aggressive 
forward  movement.  In  this  advocacy  he  had  met  with 
considerable  opposition.  A  few  of  the  very  able  men  in 
the  movement  hesitated  at  the  formation  of  any  society, 
on  the  ground  that  the  Church  itself  is  the  only  divinely 
authorised  agency  for  evangelising  the  world,  and  Mr. 


438    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

Campbell's  own  statements  were  quoted  from  the  Christian 
Baptist  in  support  of  this  contention.  He  protested 
against  the  construction  placed  upon  his  words  and  con- 
stantly afl&rmed  that  he  meant  only  to  protest  against 
such  societies  as  were  propagating  their  own  selfish  in- 
terests rather  than  the  cause  of  Christ.  However,  about 
this  time  began  the  conflict  between  those  who  favoured 
a  missionary  society,  and  those  who  opposed  all  societies 
for  which  there  could  not  be  found  a  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  "  justifying  their  existence.  In  the  discussion  which 
followed,  Mr.  Campbell  was  never  treated  fairly  by  those 
who  opposed  societies.  It  is  one  of  the  inalienable  rights 
accorded  to  every  man  to  explain  his  own  words.  It 
was  the  habit  of  those  who  opposed  societies  to  quote  Mr. 
Campbell  from  the  Christian  Baptist,  but  they  failed  to 
quote  from  the  Millennial  Harbinger  his  explanation  of 
the  Christian  Baptist  statements.  But  in  this  respect 
these  opponents  of  missionary  societies  simply  illustrated 
an  ugly  phase  of  human  nature.  Men  generally  are  wont 
to  do  the  very  things  these  special  pleaders  did;  but  it 
is  certainly  a  phase  of  human  nature  that  needs  to  be 
reproved  much  more  than  any  opposition  to  missionary 
societies. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION 

FOR  several  years  the  trend  of  the  movement  had  been 
toward  organisation,  but  for  the  most  part  this  or- 
ganisation was  confined  to  the  churches  and  a  few 
districts  where  were  held  what  were  called  "  co-operative 
meetings."  Two  or  three  state  meetings  had  reached  the 
embryo  stage,  and  one  at  least,  that  of  Indiana,  was  fairly 
on  its  feet.  In  every  quarter  there  was  a  feeling  that 
there  ought  to  be  some  general  society  where  conference 
could  be  held  and  co-operation  secured  in  carrying  on 
the  work,  not  only  in  America,  but  also  in  foreign  lands. 
The  great,  whole-hearted  leaders  of  the  movement  believed 
heartily  in  the  commission  which  the  risen  Lord  had  given 
to  His  Disciples.  They  felt,  therefore,  that  an  obligation 
was  laid  upon  them  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature.  But  they  also  plainly  saw 
that  this  could  not  be  done  effectively  without  a  much 
better  co-operation  of  the  churches  than  any  that  existed 
in  the  year  1849.  The  Bible  Society,  which  had  been  or- 
ganised four  years  before  this  time,  was  a  beginning  in 
the  right  direction,  but  it  did  not  meet  a  great  need  as  a 
missionary  society  would.  There  were  other  societies  al- 
ready in  existence  for  the  circulation  of  the  Bible,  and 
this  was  being  done  very  effectively,  and  it  was  really 
mainly  on  this  ground  that  Mr,  Campbell  rather  doubted 
the  propriety  of  founding  such  a  society,  as  he  was  always 
disinclined  to  organise  a  work  that  was  already  being 
well  done,  no  matter  who  was  doing  it.  He  especially 
rejoiced  that  the  Baptist  Bible  Society  was  accomplishing 
a  great  deal,  and  he  was  not  sure  that  another  society, 
very  similar  to  this,  was  specially  needed.  But  after 
the  Bible  Society  was  founded  he  gave  it  his  hearty 
support. 

Still,  he  saw,  and  many  others  saw,  that  this  Society 
did  not  meet  the  whole  case.    Consequently,  a  meeting  was 

439 


440    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


called  of  brethren  and  representatives  of  the  churches  to 
assemble  in  Cincinnati,  October  24,  1849,  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  council  with  respect  to  a  number  of  things  that 
needed  general  attention,  and  more  especially  to  consider 
the  propriety  of  starting  a  General  Missionary  Society. 
There  was  some  hesitancy  at  first  as  regards  the  time 
selected,  as  the  cholera  was  devastating  many  parts  of 
the  country  during  1849.  However,  the  time  was  finally 
fixed  and  the  meeting  assembl'jd. 

The  whole  number  in  attendance  at  this  first  meeting 
of  a  general  character  among  the  Disciples  was  about 
200,  and  considering  all  the  circumstances,  the  difficulty 
of  travel,  the  unhealthy  condition  of  the  country,  and 
many  other  hindering  causes,  the  attendance  was  very 
encouraging.  There  were  150  delegates  actually  enrolled. 
The  churches  represented  were  100,  from  eleven  different 
states.  One  state  meeting,  that  of  Indiana,  sent  messen- 
gers, who  were  appointed  during  the  state  convention  held 
at  Indianapolis  a  little  while  before  this  meeting  at  Cin- 
cinnati. Many  of  the  delegates  came  from  a  long  dis- 
tance, some  from  the  Atlantic  states,  and  as  far  south 
as  New  Orleans.  A  number  of  the  delegates  came  in 
on  horseback,  in  some  cases  taking  several  days  for  the 
journey.  It  was  really-  a  great  occasion,  and  the  great 
men  of  the  movement  were  there.  Owing  to  illness,  and 
also  bereavement  in  his  family,  much  to  his  regret,  Mr. 
Campbell  was  unable  to  be  present,  but  he  was  splendidly 
represented  in  the  Convention  by  his  son-in-law,  Professor 
Pendleton,  who  was  at  that  time  co-editor  of  the  Ear- 
hinger.  Mr.  Pendleton  wrote  out  an  account  of  the  meet- 
ing afterwards,  and  we  are  indebted  to  this  account  for 
most  of  the  facts  concerning  the  meeting. 

After  considering  several  preliminary  matters,  John  T. 
Johnson,  of  Kentucky,  offered,  and  the  Convention  adopted, 
the  following  resolutions: 

Resolved,  That  the  "  Missionary  Society,"  as  a  means  to  con- 
centrate and  dispense  the  wealth  and  benevolence  of  the  breth- 
ren of  this  Reformation  in  an  effort  to  convert  the  world,  is 
both  Scriptural  and  expedient. 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  seven  be  appointed  to  prepare 
a  Constitution  for  such  a  Society. 

In  pursuance  of  this  resolution  a  Constitution  was  pre- 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  441 


pared  and  presented,  and  after  full  discussion  and  various 
amendments,  substitutions,  etc.,  adopted  as  follows: 

CONSTITUTION 

Article  1st.  This  Society  shall  be  called  the  American  Chris- 
tian Missionary  Society. 

Article  2d.  The  object  of  this  Society  shall  be  to  promote 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel  in  destitute  places  of  our  own  and 
foreign  lands. 

Article  3d.  The  Society  shall  be  composed  of  annual  dele- 
gates, Life  Members,  and  Life  Directors.  Any  Church  may 
appoint  a  delegate  for  an  annual  contribution  of  ten  dollars. 
Twenty  dollars  paid  at  one  time  shall  be  requisite  to  consti- 
tute a  member  for  life,  and  one  hundred  dollars  paid  at  one 
time,  or  a  sum  which  in  addition  to  any  previous  contribution 
shall  amount  to  one  hundred  dollars,  shall  be  required  to  con- 
stitute a  director  for  life. 

Article  4th.  The  officers  of  the  Society  shall  consist  of  a 
President,  twenty  Vice-Presidents,  a  Treasurer,  a  Correspond- 
ing Secretary,  and  a  Recording  Secretary,  who  shall  be  elected 
by  the  members  of  the  Society  at  its  annual  meeting. 

Article  5th.  The  Society  shall  also  annually  elect  twenty- 
five  managers,  who  together  with  the  officers  and  life  directors 
of  this  Society,  shall  constitute  an  Executive  Board,  to  con- 
duct the  business  of  the  Society,  and  shall  continue  in  office 
until  their  successors  are  elected,  seven  of  whom  shall  con- 
stitute a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business. 

Article  6th.  Two  of  the  Vice-Presidents,  the  Treasurer,  the 
Secretaries,  and  at  least  fifteen  of  the  managers  shall  reside 
in  Cincinnati  or  its  vicinity. 

Article  7th.  The  Executive  Board  shall  have  the  power  to 
appoint  its  own  meetings,  elect  its  own  Chairman,  enact  its 
own  By-laws  and  Rules  of  Order,  provided  always  that  they 
be  not  inconsistent  with  the  Constitution ;  fill  any  vacancies 
which  may  occur  in  their  own  body,  or  in  the  offices  of  the  So- 
ciety during  the  year,  and  if  deemed  necessary  by  two-thirds 
of  the  members  present  at  a  regular  meeting,  convene  special 
meetings  of  the  Society.  They  shall  establish  such  agencies 
as  the  interest  of  the  Society  may  require,  appoint  agents  and 
missionaries,  fix  their  compensation,  dii'ect  and  instruct  them 
concerning  their  particular  fields  and  labours,  make  all  ap- 
propriations to  be  paid  out  of  the  treasury,  and  present  to  the 
Society  at  each  annual  meeting  a  full  report  of  their  pro- 
ceedings during  the  past  year. 

Article  8th.  All  moneys  or  other  property  contributed  and 
designated  for  any  particular  missionary  field,  shall  be  so 
appropriated  or  returned  to  the  donors,  or  their  lawful  agents. 

Article  9th.  The  Treasurer  shall  give  bonds  to  such  an 
amount  as  the  Executive  Board  shall  think  proper. 

Article  10th.  All  the  officers,  managers,  missionaries,  and 


442    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


agents  of  the  Society,  shall  be  members  in  good  standing  in 
the  Churches  of  God. 

Article  11th.  The  Society  shall  meet  annually  at  Cincinnati, 
on  the  first  Wednesday  after  the  third  Lord's  Day  of  October, 
or  at  such  time  and  place  as  shall  have  been  designated  at  the 
previous  annual  meeting. 

Article  12th.  No  person  shall  receive  an  appointment  from 
the  Executive  Board,  unless  he  shall  give  satisfactory  evidence 
of  his  Christian  character  and  qualification. 

Article  13th.  No  alteration  of  this  Constitution  shall  be 
made,  without  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present  at 
an  annual  meeting,  nor  unless  the  same  shall  have  been  pro- 
posed at  a  previous  annual  meeting,  or  recommended  by  the 
Executive  Board. 

The  Constitution  having  been  adopted,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  nominate  the  various  officers  required.  They 
reported  the  following  persons,  who  were  duly  elected: 

President:  A.  Campbell,  Bethany,  Virginia. 

Vice-Presidents:  1st,  D.  S.  Burnett,  Cincinnati;  2nd,  Dr. 
Irwin,  Cincinnati;  3rd,  Walter  Scott,  Pennsylvania;  4th,  T. 
M.  Allen,  Missouri;  5th,  W.  K.  Pendleton,  Virginia;  6th, 
John  T.  Jones,  Illinois;  7th,  John  O'Kane,  Indiana;  8th, 
John  T.  Johnson,  Kentucky ;  9th,  Tolbert  Fanning,  Tennessee ; 
10th,  Dr.  Daniel  Hook,  Georgia;  11th,  Dr.  E.  Parmly,  New 
York;  12th,  Francis  Duncan,  Baltimore;  13th,  Richard 
Hawley,  Michigan;  14th,  Dr.  James  T,  Barclay,  Virginia; 
loth,  Francis  Palmer,  Missouri;  16th,  J.  J.  Moss,  Ohio;  17th, 
M.  MoBLEY,  Iowa ;  18th,  William  Rowzee,  Pennsylvania ;  19th, 
Alexander  Graham,  Alabama;  20th,  William  Clark, 
Mississippi. 

Corresponding  Secretary:  Jambs  Challen,  Cincinnati. 
Recording  Secretary:  George  S.  Jenkins. 
Treasurer:  Archibald  Trowbridge. 

Managers:  T.  J.  Melish,  Cincinnati;  Geo.  Tait,  Cincinnati; 
S.  S.  Clark,  Cincinnati;  Dr.  B.  S.  Lawsqn,  Cincinnati;  T.  J. 
MuRDOCK,  Cincinnati;  S.  H.  Hathway,  Cincinnati;  Andrew 
Leslie,  Cincinnati;  Lewis  Wells,  Covington ;  Thurston  Crane, 
Cincinnati;  C.  H.  Gould,  Cincinnati;  Dr.  N.  T.  Marshall, 
Cincinnati;  R.  J.  Latimer,  Cincinnati;  James  Leslie,  Cincin- 
nati; W.  A.  Trowbridge,  Cincinnati;  John  Tapfe,  Cincinnati. 

Foreign  Managers:  Samuel  Church,  Pennsylvania;  George 
McMannus,  Illinois;  R.  L.  Coleman,  Virginia;  William  Mor- 
ton, Kentucky;  P,  S.  Fall,  Kentucky;  Elijah  Goodwin,  In- 
diana; S.  S.  Church,  Missouri;  A.  Gould,  New  York;  Alex- 
ander Hall,  Ohio;  J.  B.  Ferguson,  Tennessee. 


THE  PEKIOD  OF  ORGANISATION 


443 


A  motion  being  made  to  give  an  opportunity  to  persons 
to  become  Life  Members  and  Life  Directors,  according 
to  the  terms  of  the  Constitution,  the  brethren  very 
promptly  manifested  their  appreciation  of  the  scheme  by 
their  subscriptions.  In  a  few  minutes  fifty-two  persons 
were  entered  as  life  members,  paying  |20  each,  and  eleven 
as  life  directors,  paying  |100  each — making  two  thousand 
one  hundred  and  forty  dollars  subscribed  in  one  evening, 
by  members  of  the  convention  alone,  to  this  most  benev- 
olent and  laudable  enterprise.  Besides  this  there  were 
$30  presented  in  small  donations.  This  was  a  beginning 
not  to  be  despised,  and  the  hope  was  expressed  that  it 
would  be  an  example  to  excite  the  emulation  of  others. 

Besides  these  contributions  to  the  A.  C.  M.  Society, 
very  liberal  subscriptions  were  made  to  the  A.  C.  Bible 
Society.  The  claims  of  this  Society  upon  the  brethren 
generally  were  submitted  to  the  consideration  of  the  Con- 
vention and,  after  a  full  and  candid  discussion  of  its  merits 
and  defects,  there  was  a  unanimous  and  cordial  concur- 
rence in  the  following  resolutions  respecting  it : 

Resolved,  That  the  Bible  Society,  located  in  Cincinnati, 
known  by  the  name  of  "  The  American  Christian  Bible  So- 
ciety," be,  and  hereby  is,  recommended  by  this  Convention  to 
the  cordial  support  of  the  brethren. 

Resolved,  That  this  Convention  commend  the  course  of  the 
American  Christian  Bible  Society  in  co-operating  with  the 
American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  recommend  to  this 
Society  to  continue  their  friendly  co-operation. 

In  order  to  render  the  Missionary  and  Bible  Societies,  as 
far  as  practicable,  mutual  helps  to  one  another,  and  to 
commend  them  both  to  the  patronage  of  the  brethren  gen- 
erally, the  following  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society 
be,  and  hereby  is,  recommended  to  the  cordial  support  of  the 
brethren,  and  that  the  managers  of  the  American  Christian 
Bible  Society  be  requested  to  furnish  said  Missionary  Society 
with  such  Bibles  as  they  may  need  in  their  Missionary  efforts. 

These  verbal  commendations  will  doubtless  have  their 
weight  with  the  Churches  and  the  brethren,  but  we  regard,  as 
much  more  satisfactory,  the  liberal  contributions  made  by 
the  members  of  the  Convention,  and  trust  that  the  brethren 
far  and  wide  will  imitate  them,  not  in  word,  but  also  in  deed. 

Having  thus  disposed  of  these  two  important  and  com- 
mendable societies  the  Convention  proceeded  next  to  the 


444    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


consideration  of  such  measures  as  might  conduce  to  a  more 
efficient  organisation  and  co-operation  among  the 
churches,  and  to  greater  love,  piety,  and  zeal  in  the 
hearts  of  the  Disciples.  On  this  subject  the  following 
commendatory  resolutions  were  presented  and  passed: 

Resolved,  That,  in  all  our  deliberations,  in  all  our  efforts  to 
organise  in  God's  Kingdom,  the  moral  rather  than  the  material 
purposes  of  an  organisation  be  kept  steadily  before  us; — that 
we  have  the  conversion  of  the  world  and  the  perfection  of  the 
brotherhood  in  holiness  always  before  us. 

Whereas,  it  is  essential  to  a  general  union  in  the  further- 
ance of  the  cause  of  our  blessed  Redeemer,  that  the  brethren 
should  confer  with  each  other  in  the  search  after  truth ;  and 
whereas  the  cultivation  of  the  social  and  religious  sympathies 
is  necessary  to  bring  into  zealous  and  efficient  action  the 
energies  of  the  brethren,  therefore — 

Resolved,  That  we  respectfully  recommend  to  the  Churches 
the  propriety  of  forming  among  themselves  State  and  District 
meetings,  to  be  held  annually  and  quarterly,  in  such  way  as 
may  seem  expedient,  and  that  the  Churches  in  their  Primary 
Assemblies  be  requested  to  send  to  their  annual  meetings,  by 
their  messengers,  the  number  of  members  in  their  respective 
congregations,  with  the  name  of  the  Post-office. 

Whereas,  it  appears  that  the  cause  of  Christianity  has  suf- 
fered from  the  imposition  of  false  brethren  upon  the  Churches, 
therefore. 

Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  the  Churches,  the  import- 
ance of  great  care  and  rigid  examination,  before  they  ordain 
men  to  the  office  of  evangelists. 

Resolved,  That  this  Convention  earnestly  recommend  to  the 
congregations  to  countenance  no  evangelist  who  is  not  well 
reported  of  for  piety  and  proper  evangelical  qualifications,  and 
that  they  be  rigid  and  critical  in  their  examination  of  such 
report. 

Resolved,  That  we  strongly  commend  to  the  Churches  the 
duty  and  importance  of  organising  and  establishing  Sunday 
Schools  in  every  congregation. 

Resolved,  That  a  Committee  of  five  be  appointed  to  make  out 
and  publish  a  catalogue  of  such  books  as  would  be  suitable 
for  present  use. 

Resolved,  That  a  Corresponding  Committee  of  five  be  ap- 
pointed from  different  States,  to  co-operate  with  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  Tract  Society  on  the  subject  of  Sunday 
School  books. 

Resolved,  That  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Tract  So- 
ciety be  requested  to  superintend  the  publishing  of  Sunday 
School  books. 

Resolved,  That  a  Committee  of  five  be  appointed  to  co- 
operate with  the  Publication  Committee  of  the  Tract  Society, 
as  a  committee  of  revision. 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  445 


The  following  brethren  were  then  appointed  on  a  committee 
to  prepare  a  catalogue  of  books,  already  published,  which  can 
be  recommended  to  the  brotherhood:  Brethren  Burnett,  Moss, 
C.  Kendrick,  Scott,  and  Pendleton. 

The  Nominating  Committee  then  presented  the  following 
names  for  a  Corresponding  Committee:  Isaac  Erett,  and  A.  S. 
Hayden,  Ohio;  A.  Campbell,  Virginia;  W.  Scott,  Pennsylvania; 
S.  S.  Church,  Missouri;  L.  H.  Jameson,  Indiana;  S.  J.  Pinker- 
ton,  Georgia ;  J.  B.  Ferguson,  Tennessee ;  J.  T.  Jones,  Illinois ; 
A.  Graham,  Alabama. 

Whereas,  the  Lord's  day  being  a  monumental  institution, 
pointing  continually  to  one  of  the  most  important  events 
which  has  ever  transpired  among  men,  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  from  the  dead,  an  event,  the  remem- 
brance of  which  should  thrill  every  heart  with  sacred  joy;  and 
whereas,  the  sanctification  and  due  observance  of  this  insti- 
tution is  essential  to  the  progress  of  piety  and  good  morals; 
therefore. 

Resolved,  That  we  earnestly  recommend  to  all  our  brethren 
in  the  Lord,  the  importance  of  sanctifying  and  observing  the 
day  in  their  conversation  and  behaviour;  and  especially  that 
they  may  refrain  from  starting,  and  if  possible,  prosecuting 
any  journey,  either  of  business  or  pleasure,  on  this  holy  day. 

Resolved,  That  there  is  a  great  need  of  increase  of  personal 
piety  and  devotion,  especially  in  the  three  particulars  of  daily 
reading  the  Scriptures,  secret  prayer,  and  family  instruction 
and  worship,  and  that  this  Convention  recommend  to  the 
teachers  to  urge  upon  the  brotherhood  everywhere  a  more 
faithful  performance  of  their  duties. 

Resolved,  That  the  President  be  requested,  in  the  name  of 
this  Convention,  to  address  a  fraternal  letter  to  the  Disciples 
of  Eastern  Virginia  in  Convention  assembled  in  Richmond,  at 
their  annual  meeting  on  the  24th  of  November,  1842,  and 
request  their  consideration  of  her  proceedings  and  their  co- 
operation. 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  pre- 
pare a  concise  and  appropriate  address  to  our  Christian 
Churches  and  brethren  generally,  embodying  and  recommend- 
ing the  sentiments,  principles,  and  measures  agreed  upon  in 
this  Convention,  and  that  the  same  be  published,  together  with 
the  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Convention. 

It  is  worth  while  to  mention  the  fact  that  the  most 
eminent  men  connected  with  the  Restoration  movement 
were  present  and  took  part  in  this  great  movement.  Such 
men  as  John  O'Kane,  Elijah  Goodwin,  George  Campbell, 
J.  B.  New,  L.  H.  Jameson,  S.  W.  Leonard,  J.  M.  Mathes, 
S.  K.  Hoshour,  Milton  B.  Hopkins,  Benjamin  Franklin, 
and  John  M.  Bramwell,  were  from  Indiana;  James  Chal- 
len,  D.  S.  Burnett,  B.  N.  Watkins,  James  S.  Mitchell,  Wil- 


446    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

liam  Hayden,  John  T.  Powell,  Jasper  J.  Moss,  J.  M.  Henry, 
Jonas  Hartsell,  T.  J.  Murdock,  and  Wm.  Pinkerton,  from 
Ohio;  John  T.  Johnson,  Dr.  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  William 
Morton,  Henry  T.  Anderson,  Carroll  Kendrick,  Dr.  J. 
Shackleford,  John  Young,  W.  B.  Mooklar,  C.  J.  Smith, 
Waller  Small,  R.  C.  Ricketts,  and  S.  B.  Bell  were  there 
from  Kentucky;  Dr.  J.  T.  Barclay,  Professor  W.  K.  Pen- 
dleton, and  Newton  Short  were  there  from  Virginia;  Rob- 
ert B.  Fife,  and  W.  H.  Hopson  from  Missouri;  H.  D. 
Palmer,  from  Illinois;  Walter  Scott,  from  Pennsylvania, 
and  Richard  Hawley,  from  Michigan. 

A  number  of  other  names  might  be  mentioned,  but  these 
are  sufiScient  to  show  that  the  men  who  attended  the  Con- 
vention were  the  men  who  made  the  movement,  and  who 
had,  therefore,  a  right,  if  anybody  had  the  right,  to  take 
the  important  step  which  they  did.  And  this  suggests 
(and  it  is  a  fact)  that  before  this  time,  and  ever  after- 
ward, the  men  who  have  advocated  missionary  societies, 
are  the  very  men  who  more  than  any  others  have  defended 
and  propagated  the  Restoration  movement;  while,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  the  men  who  have  protested  against 
missionary  societies  have  been  men  very  little  known,  and 
for  the  most  part  without  any  general  influence,  and  even 
in  a  few  cases  where  the  men  have  been  prominent  they 
have  been  noted  for  their  opposition  rather  than  for  any 
leadership  in  aggressive  work.  Speaking  broadly,  they 
have  been  men  who  lived  in  Grumble  Corner  rather  than  in 
Thanksgiving  Street. 

When  the  news  of  the  Convention  was  carried  to  Beth- 
any, Mr.  Campbell  greatly  rejoiced  at  the  result.  In  the 
Harhinger  for  the  next  month  he  makes  the  following 
comments  with  respect  to  the  matter: 

Our  expectations  from  the  Convention  have  more  than  been 
realised.  We  are  much  pleased  with  the  result,  and  regard  it 
as  a  very  happy  pledge  of  good  times  to  come.  The  unanimity, 
cordiality,  and  generous  concurrence  of  the  brethren  in  all 
the  important  subjects  before  them,  were  worthy  of  themselves 
and  the  great  cause  in  which  they  are  all  enlisted.  Enough 
was  done  at  one  session,  and  enough  to  occupy  our  best  ener- 
gies for  some  time  to  come.  Bible  distribution  and  evangelical 
labour — two  transcendent  objects  of  Christian  effort  most  es- 
sential to  the  conversion  of  the  world — deserve  at  our  hand  a 
very  cordial  and  generous  support.  We  may  rationally  antici- 
pate, from  the  indications  afforded  during  the  session,  that 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION 


447 


they  will  be  liberally  patronised  and  sustained  by  all  the 
brotherhood.  The  suggestions  deferentially  submitted  to  all  the 
brotherhood,  for  their  concurrence  and  action  in  reference  to 
the  necessity  and  importance  of  periodically  meeting,  in  given 
districts,  large  or  small,  as  the  case  may  be,  for  consultation 
and  practical  effort  in  the  advocacy  of  the  cause  in  all  their 
localities,  must,  we  think,  meet  the  approbation  of  all  the 
intelligent  and  zealous  brethren  and  Churches  everywhere; 
and,  we  doubt  not,  will  give  great  efficiency  to  the  labours  of 
evangelists  in  those  districts. 

Denied  the  pleasure  of  having  been  present  on  this  interest- 
ing occasion  by  an  unusually  severe  indisposition,  I  am  pecu- 
liarly gratified  with  the  great  issues  of  deliberation.  The 
Christian  Bible  Society,  co-operating  with  the  American  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society — now  approved  by  all  the  churches 
present,  and  commended  by  them  to  all  the  brethren,  removes 
all  my  objections  to  it  in  its  former  attitude  and  will,  no 
doubt,  now  be  cordially  sustained  in  its  claims  for  a  liberal 
patronage  from  all  our  communities.  The  Christian  Mission- 
ary Society,  too,  on  its  own  independent  footing,  will  be  a 
grand  auxiliary  to  the  Churches  in  destitute  regions,  at  home 
as  well  as  abroad,  in  dispensing  the  blessings  of  the  gospel 
amongst  many  that  otherwise  would  never  have  heard 
it.  These  Societies  we  cannot  but  hail  as  greatly  contributing 
to  the  advancement  of  the  cause  we  have  been  so  long  pleading 
before  God  and  the  people.  There  is,  indeed,  nothing  new  in 
these  matters,  but  simply  the  organised  and  general  co- 
operation in  all  the  ways  and  means  of  more  energetically 
and  systematically  preaching  the  gospel  and  edifying  the 
Church.  We  have  always  been,  more  or  less,  commending  and 
sending  abroad  the  Bible,  and  sustaining  evangelists  in  their 
missions  to  the  world.  But  we  have  never  before  formally, 
and  by  a  generous  co-operation,  systematically  assumed  the 
work.  Union  is  strength,  and  essential  to  extensive  and  pro- 
tracted success.  Hence,  our  horizon,  and  with  it  our  expecta- 
tions, are  greatly  enlarged. 

The  other  matters  commended  to  the  brethren  are  more  op 
less  important,  but  these  are  the  grand  events  of  the  Con- 
vention. Sunday  Schools,  and  their  libraries;  Tract  Societies, 
under  an  enlightened  and  judicious  supervision,  are  also  great 
auxiliaries,  and  made  more  or  less  expedient,  if  not  even 
necessary  in  keeping  up  with  the  spirit  and  character  of  the 
age.  The  world  is  being  flooded  with  the  offerings  of  the 
press.  To  save  the  youth  from  a  flood  of  trashy,  unedifying, 
and  sometimes  impious  publications,  it  is  expedient  that  some- 
thing be  done  in  the  way  of  self-defence,  if  not  in  the  way  of 
making  inroads  upon  the  grounds  of  the  great  adversary  of 
the  salutary  truth  of  .sound  literature  and  Christian  learning. 
But,  of  all  these  matters,  we  will  doubtless  have  occasion  to 
speak  more  fully  hereafter.  Meantime,  we  thank  God  and 
take  courage,  and  commend  these  instrumentalities  to  the 


448    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


prayers  of  all  the  holy  brethren,  and  to  the  blessing  of  the 
Lord* 

The  action  of  this  Convention  marks  an  important  era 
in  the  Restoration  movement.  We  have  followed  it 
through  its  Creative  period,  and  also  through  its  Chaotic 
period — we  have  seen  how  its  progress  has  always  been 
in  zigzag  courses.  Sometimes  it  has  moved  to  the  right, 
sometimes  to  the  left,  and  occasionally  it  has  retreated, 
but  it  has  never  gone  forward  in  straight  lines.  However, 
it  has,  upon  the  whole,  gone  forward,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  year  1849  it  had  at  least  become  fairly  organised, 
and  had  entered  upon  the  period  of  development. 

The  action  of  the  Convention  thrilled  the  churches 
everywhere  with  a  new  enthusiasm,  and  the  great  leaders 
of  the  movement  returned  to  their  fields  of  labour  with  new 
hopes  as  to  th.e  final  outcome  of  the  movement.  While  all 
who  were  engaged  in  the  inauguration  of  this  enterprise 
deserve  much  credit,  perhaps  the  two  men  who  deserve 
most  praise  were  D.  S.  Burnett,  of  Ohio,  and  John  T.  John- 
son, of  Kentucky.  These  men  had  been  paving  the  way 
for  this  great  Convention  for  several  years,  and  after  they 
saw  the  fruit  of  their  labours  somewhat  realised  in  the 
inauguration  of  the  Missionary  Society,  they  were  over- 
whelmed with  rejoicing  and  now  threw  themselves  into 
the  work  of  making  the  Society  a  success  as  perhaps  no 
other  two  men  did  at  that  particular  period. 

Professor  Charles  Louis  Loos,  who  personally  attended 
the  Convention,  gives  his  recollection  of  the  great  interest 
manifested  at  the  Convention,  when  the  call  for  contribu- 
tions was  made,  and  he  declares  that,  considering  that 
this  was  the  first  etfort  of  the  kind,  the  result  was  ex- 
tremely gratifying.  In  a  few  minutes  |2,500  were  sub- 
scribed for  the  new  society,  while  about  a  like  amount 
was  subscribed  for  the  Bible  and  Tract  Societies,  making 
$5,000  in  all,  subscribed  by  the  members  of  the  Convention. 
Surely,  for  the  day  of  small  things,  this  was  a  great 
result. 

Soon  after  the  Convention  adjourned,  according  to  the 
instructions,  the  Board  began  to  plan  for  at  least  one 
foreign  mission.  They  had  already  learned  that  Dr.  James 
T.  Barclay,  of  Virginia,  had  offered  himself  for  such  a 
mission ;  and  after  considerable  correspondence  with  him, 

'  Millennial  Harbinger.  1849.  pp.  694-695. 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  449 


he  was  formally  appointed,  June  11,  1850,  "  to  engage  in 
teaching,  preaching,  and  the  practice  of  medicine  among 
the  Jews  at  Jerusalem."  September  11th  of  the  same 
year  he  left  New  York  and  arrived  at  Jerusalem  February 
7,  1851. 

The  Board  was  fortunate  in  the  selection  of  their  first 
foreign  missionary.  Dr.  Barclay  had  many  qualifications 
for  his  work.  He  was  not  only  a  well  educated  man, 
but  an  enthusiast  in  whatever  he  set  himself  to  do.  He 
was  especially  a  missionary  enthusiast.  For  ten  years 
he  had  been  associated  with  the  Restoration  movement. 
Through  the  preaching  of  R.  L.  Coleman,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing preachers  of  Virginia,  at  that  time,  he  became  con- 
vinced that  infant  baptism  had  no  foundation  in  the  New 
Testament,  and  that  the  immersion  of  believers  is  the 
only  baptism  commanded  by  Christ  and  practised  by  the 
Apostles,  consequently  he  gave  up  his  membership  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church  and  united  with  the  Disciples. 

It  is  not  certain  that  the  place  selected  for  this  first 
foreign  mission  was  as  wisely  selected  as  was  the  mission- 
ary himself.  Doubtless,  sentiment  had  a  great  deal  to 
do  with  deciding  upon  Jerusalem  as  the  place.  It  was 
the  place  where  the  Gospel  was  first  preached  in  its  ful- 
ness after  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  probable 
that  the  Board  was  infiuenced  by  the  feeling  that,  as 
their  religious  movement  was  practically  a  new  "  begin- 
ning," and  that  undoubtedly  this  mission  would  be  the 
"  beginning "  of  their  foreign  missionary  work,  the  co- 
incidence, if  not  vital,  would  at  least  be  suggestive  and 
inspirational,  and,  consequently,  without  regarding  the 
matter  from  other  important  points  of  view,  it  was  en- 
thusiastically determined  to  send  Dr.  Barclay  to  that  par- 
ticular field.  While  it  cannot  be  said  that  very  much 
was  accomplished  in  the  way  of  converts,  it  can  truthfully 
be  said  that,  after  all,  the  mission  was  not  a  failure.  It 
did  much  to  cultivate  a  missionary  spirit  at  home.  Per- 
haps no  other  mission  would  have  had  the  same  reflexive 
influence  upon  the  home  churches.  The  very  sentiment 
that  had  decided  upon  this  field  wrought  mightily  upon 
the  churches  which  were  to  furnish  the  contributions  to 
sustain  the  mission. 

Another  thing  was  accomplished  by  the  mission.  Dr, 
Barclay  finally  wrote  a  book  entitled,  "  The  City  of  the 


450    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Great  King,"  and  the  publication  of  this  book  was  worth 
all  the  mission  cost,  if,  indeed,  nothing  else  had  been  done. 
It  was  the  greatest  book  of  the  kind  that  had  been  written 
up  to  the  time  of  its  publication,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
anything  has  been  written  since  that  equals  it  in  intrinsic 
value.  The  "  City  of  the  Great  King  "  received  the  high- 
est commendation  of  critics  in  both  America  and  Europe, 
and  it  continues  to  be  an  authority  on  Jerusalem  up  to 
the  present  time.  Many  of  Dr.  Barclay's  facts,  con- 
tained in  this  volume,  were  obtained  through  his  own  per- 
sonal researches,  and  the  book,  therefore,  contains  con- 
siderable original  matter.  It  also  co-ordinates  all  these 
facts  with  the  Gospel  which  he  preached,  and  this  gave 
his  book  a  distinct  value  with  regard  to  the  mission  which 
he  had  established. 

As  already  intimated,  the  mission  was  practically  almost 
barren,  so  far  as  converts  were  concerned,  and  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Civil  War  it  was  finally  abandoned. 
Nevertheless,  its  influence  in  stimulating  missionary  activ- 
ity among  the  Disciples  was  very  considerable,  and  this 
of  itself  was  worth  a  great  deal  to  the  cause;  and  while 
some  have  criticised  the  Board  for  establishing  this  mis- 
sion at  the  place  where  it  was  started,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  any  other  mission,  at  that  particular  time,  would 
have  done  as  much  to  create  a  missionary  spirit  as  this 
mission  did. 

Another  important  development  came  immediately  after 
the  organisation  of  the  Missionary  Society.  Sunday 
Schools  began  to  create  a  widespread  interest  among  the 
Disciples.  One  of  the  Committees  appointed  by  the  Mis- 
sionary Convention  was  on  Sunday  School  literature. 
This  Committee  had  been  foreshadowed  by  an  appeal  in 
behalf  of  Sunday  Schools,  and  signed  by  A.  S.  Hayden 
and  Isaac  Errett.  The  outcome  of  the  whole  matter  was 
a  growing  conviction  that  Sunday  Schools  must  be  fos- 
tered, and  furthermore,  that  they  must  be  provided  with 
libraries  suitable  for  children  to  read. 

This  was  evidently  a  very  important  move,  and  the 
present  unparalleled  interest  in  Sunday  Schools  among  the 
Disciples  may  be  fairly  traced  back  to  this  initial  move- 
ment, and  not  the  least  important  feature  of  this  early 
emphasis  upon  the  importance  of  Sunday  Schools  is  the 
suggestive  fact  that  co-operation  is  really  the  parent  of 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  451 


successful  enterprise.  From  that  day  till  this,  the  Sunday 
School  cause  has  been  kept  prominently  to  the  front  by 
the  leaders  of  the  Restoration  movement,  believing,  as 
they  have,  that  the  best  way  to  capture  the  world  for 
Christ  is  to  capture  the  children  for  Him. 

About  this  time  the  co-operation  idea  began  to  develop 
in  the  organisation  of  State  Missionary  Meetings.  One 
of  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  American  Christian 
Missionary  Society,  when  it  was  first  organised,  was  a 
recommendation  to  the  brethren  in  the  states  to  organise 
state  meetings.  It  is  perhaps  impossible  to  determine, 
with  definite  certainty,  as  to  which  state  took  the  lead 
in  this  important  matter.  In  several  of  the  states  yearly 
meetings  were  held,  but  these  did  not  aim  at  any  sys- 
tematic, definite  co-operation  of  churches.  The  meetings 
were  mainly  for  preaching  the  Gospel  and  social  enjoy- 
ment. Both  Ohio  and  Missouri  excelled  in  these  yearly 
meetings.  They  were  also  a  prominent  feature  of  the 
Kentucky  brethren.  We  have  already  seen  that  these 
meetings  were  continued  in  Ohio,  in  place  of  the  annual 
Baptist  Associations.  In  Missouri  we  have  a  record  of 
these  meetings,  as  far  back  as  1837,  but  the  first  state 
meeting  in  Missouri  was  held  at  Fayette,  September  10, 
1841.  T.  M.  Allen,  reporting  this  meeting,  says  that  a 
congregation  on  the  Lord's  Day  following  was  "  the  largest 
religious  collection  I  ever  saw  in  the  state  of  Missouri. 
It  was  estimated  that  there  were  between  three  and  five 
thousand  persons  present,  and  from  400  to  500  communi- 
cants at  the  Lord's  Table."  There  were  fifty-two  acces- 
sions during  the  meeting.  However,  this  State  Meeting 
differed  from  the  Annual  Meeting,  mainly  in  the  large 
attendance  of  preachers,  and  in  the  choosing  of  state 
evangelists.  The  following  preachers  were  present  at  this 
Fayette  meeting:  Hatchett  from  Illinois,  Thomas  Smith, 
of  Kentucky,  F.  R.  Palmer,  J.  H,  Hayden,  J.  P.  Lancaster, 
H.  L.  Boone,  Joel  Prewitt,  W.  Burton,  M.  P.  Willis,  T.  M. 
Allen,  W.  White,  William  Reed,  Henry  Thomas,  and  a 
number  of  others  whose  names  are  not  recorded.  These 
meetings  continued  to  be  held  annually  even  before  the 
organisation  of  the  General  Missionary  Society.  How- 
ever, after  1849,  these  meetings  began  to  take  on  a  more 
distinctly  business  character. 

The  Kentucky  State  Meeting  was  definitely  organised 


452    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


May  9,  1850.  A  constitution  was  adopted,  and  tlie  follow- 
ing officers  were  elected:  J.  T.  Johnson,  president;  G.  W. 
Williams,  vice-president;  J.  Curd,  treasurer;  G.  W.  Elley, 
secretary;  J.  Wasson,  H.  Foster,  A.  O.  Redd,  W.  Morton, 
J.  Henshall,  T.  Smith,  J.  G.  Allen,  W.  Standeford,  J. 
Smith,  G.  Poindexter,  managers. 

This  meeting  was  attended  by  the  leading  preachers 
and  brethren  of  the  state.  Alexander  Campbell  was  also 
present,  and  in  commenting  upon  the  meeting,  he  pays 
the  following  tribute  to  the  eloquent  speech  made  by  the 
venerable  Jacob  Creath,  Sr.,  at  the  close  of  the  convention : 

Though  his  once  brilliant  eye  is  quenched  in  darkness,  and 
his  subduing  voice  is  broken  into  weak  tones,  still,  he  rises  in 
his  soul  while  nature  sinks  in  years;  and  with  a  majesty  of 
thought  which  naught  but  heaven  and  hope  can  inspire,  he 
spoke  to  us  a  few  last  words,  which  so  enraptured  my  soul, 
that,  in  the  ecstasy  of  feeling  produced  by  them,  when  he 
closed  there  was  silence  in  my  heart  for  half  an  hour;  and 
when  I  recovered  myself,  every  word  had  so  passed  away,  that 
nothing  remained  but  a  melancholy  reflection  that  I  should 
never  again  hear  that  most  eloquent  tongue,  which  had  echoed 
for  half  a  century  through  Northern  Kentucky,  with  such 
resistless  sway  as  to  have  quelled  the  maddening  strife  of  sec- 
tarian tongues,  and  propitiated  myriads  of  ears  and  hearts  to 
the  divine  eloquence  of  Almighty  love.  Peace  to  his  soul ;  and 
may  his  sun  grow  larger  at  its  setting,  as  his  soul  expands  in 
the  high  hope  of  seeing  as  he  is  seen,  and  of  loving  as  he  has 
been  beloved.* 

This  remarkable  eulogy  not  only  indicates  something 
of  the  power  of  Jacob  Creath  as  a  speaker,  but  it  shows 
the  character  of  Mr.  Campbell  in  his  generous  willingness 
to  accord  to  his  fellow  workers  the  highest  praise  when 
it  was  deserved.  Among  the  workers  of  that  day  there 
seems  to  have  been  not  even  the  slightest  jealousy  with 
respect  to  one  another.  Devoted  as  they  were  to  a  common 
cause,  they  delighted  to  honour  one  another  as  a  part 
of  their  religious  duty,  and  each  man  seems  to  have  felt 
himself  more  highly  honoured  when  he  was  honouring  his 
fellow  worker.  During  this  meeting  the  following  pre- 
amble and  resolutions  were  heartily  adopted: 

Whereas,  there  is  among  the  baptised  a  slow  and  doubtful 
progress  in  the  literature  of  the  Holy  Oracles — perhaps  con- 
sequent from  decadence  or  falling  away  among  them,  and,  in 

•  Millenial  Harbinger,  1850,  p.  404. 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  453 


many  instances,  an  improvement  in  spiritual  life  scarcely 
appreciable :  And  whereas,  it  is  the  will  of  our  Lord  and  Master 
that  the  call  should  be  preserved  in  Him;  that  the  saved 
should  be  perfected;  that  the  justified  make  higher  attainments 
in  sanctification,  and  all  of  us  be  kept  holy,  unblamable,  and 
unreprovable  in  His  sight. 

I.  Resolved,  therefore,  That  we  recommend  to  the  Churches, 
without  exception,  that  they  adopt  a  plan  of  instruction,  or 
of  teaching  the  Holy  Scriptures,  that  shall  meet  the  necessities 
of  all  the  new  converts ;  and  that  they  cause  these  converts  to 
study  the  word  of  God  regularly  and  permanently,  under  the 
supervision  of  the  constituted  superintendents  of  the  Church. 

II.  Resolved,  That  we  also  recommend  to  the  Churches,  that, 
in  order  to  strike  out  the  best  plan  of  teaching  the  Scriptures, 
they  make  this  subject  a  matter  of  solemn,  religious,  and  fre- 
quent contemplation  and  reflection. 

On  motion  of  Brother  Morton,  the  following  resolutions  were 
adopted : 

1.  Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  the  favourable  consid- 
eration of  all  the  brotherhood,  Bethany  College,  and  especially 
the  chair  of  Sacred  History,  as  being  subservient  to  the  sustain- 
ing and  advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

2.  Resolved,  That  we  regard  the  prosperity  of  Bacon  College 
as  standing  connected  with  our  honour  and  interest  as  a 
Christian  community. 

3.  Resolved,  That  the  Trustees  of  Bacon  College  be  requested 
to  establish  a  chair  of  Sacred  History;  and  to  enable  them  to 
do  so,  we  pledge  ourselves  to  use  our  influence  among  the 
several  Churches  to  raise  the  sum  of  $20,000  within  five  j'ears, 
for  the  purpose  of  endowing  such  a  chair. 

4.  Resolved,  That  we  regard  female  education,  in  all  its 
departments,  as  being  inseparably  connected  with  the  present 
and  future  good  of  the  human  race;  we  do,  therefore,  heartily 
recommend  to  the  patronage  of  our  brethren,  and  to  the  com- 
munity generally,  all  those  female  institutions  conducted  by 
our  brethren  in  different  parts  of  the  State. 

These  resolutions  are  quoted  for  the  purpose  of  showing 
the  scope  of  the  State  Meeting  which  was  indicated  at 
this  early  period.  The  object  of  this  meeting  was  evi- 
dently not  strictly  missionary,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of 
that  term.  It  comprehended  teaching,  and  especially  edu- 
cation in  the  Colleges.  Evidently  the  pioneers,  in  the 
organisation  period,  were  not  sticklers  as  regards  a  very 
limited  sphere  for  the  operation  of  the  State  Society.  It 
was  reserved  for  a  later  period,  when  nothing  except  that 
which  was  covered  by  the  word  "  missionary  "  could  pass 
either  the  General  Society  or  the  State  Society.  In  these 
early  days  there  seems  to  have  been  no  apprehension, 


454    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


among  those  who  attended  the  meetings,  that  these 
societies  contained  in  them  an  embryo  ecclesiasticism. 
It  will  be  seen,  in  after  years,  however,  that  this  embryo 
grew  up  to  be  at  least  an  imaginarj-,  real  beast,  with  all 
the  heads  and  horns  indicated  in  the  Book  of  Revelation. 

The  intrepid,  active  John  T.  Johnson  was  present,  and 
offered  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions: 

Whereas,  the  supreme  importance  of  giving  a  faithful 
translation  of  the  Bible  into  the  languages  of  all  the  nations, 
in  order  to  its  universal  dissemination,  is  felt  and  ac- 
knowledged by  all  Protestant  denominations  in  America  and 
Europe.  And  Whereas,  this  Convention  convinced  by  the 
necessity  of  consistency  of  conduct  in  a  matter  involving  the 
destiny  of  man.  and  the  high  and  solemn  responsibility  resting 
upon  it,  most  deeply  regrets  the  timidity  which  has  heretofore 
operated  to  hinder  the  undertaking  to  give  the  American 
Republic  a  correct  and  faithful  English  translation  of  the 
Bible.  This  Convention  feels  that  it  is  due  to  the  republic  of 
letters — to  the  high  and  solemn  issues  involved — to  themselves, 
as  the  advocates  of  a  return  to  pure,  primitive  Christianity — 
and  what  is  more  important  than  all,  to  the  great  head  of  the 
Church,  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  and  whereas,  the 
American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  having  taken  this  high 
ground,  in  regard  to  foreign  languages,  it  is  deemed  courteous, 
and  every  way  fit,  that  they  should  participate  in  an  enterprise 
so  responsible  and  important.  Therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  the  favourable  regard  of 
our  brethren  generally,  the  efforts  made  by  our  Baptist  breth- 
ren in  having  a  new  version  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  would 
be  happy  to  concur  with  them  in  this  great  and  important 
undertaking. 

Resolved,  That  a  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  American 
Christian  Bible  Society  be  requested  to  communicate  the  above 
resolution,  with  a  preamble,  to  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the 
American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

Resolutions  were  also  passed,  urging  the  "  establishment 
of  Sunday  Schools  in  all  the  churches,  to  be  under  the 
strict  supervision  of  the  oflScers  of  said  churches." 

Among  the  workers  most  prominent  at  this  time  in  the 
state  of  Kentucky  may  be  mentioned  John  T.  Johnson, 
John  Smith,  William  Morton,  George  W.  Elley,  Dr.  J.  G. 
Chinn,  John  Rogers,  Samuel  Rogers,  Aylette  Raines,  Dr. 
Adams,  R.  C.  Ricketts,  Philip  S.  Fall,  L.  L.  Pinkerton, 
John  I.  Rogers,  William  Pinkerton,  B.  F.  Hall,  Z.  F. 
Smith,  R.  C.  Rice,  John  A.  Gano,  E.  Y.  Pinkerton,  and 
W.  P.  Patterson. 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION 


455 


The  Indiana  State  Meeting  has  already  been  referred 
to  as  the  only  state  meeting  that  sent  delegates  to  the  Gen- 
eral Convention  held  in  1849.  This  State  Meeting  dates 
back  to  June,  1839.  In  June,  1842,  it  convened  in  Con- 
uersville,  and  divided  the  state  into  four  missionary  dis- 
tricts, and  appointed  an  evangelist  to  labour  in  each  of 
these  districts;  and  part  of  his  labour  was  to  ascertain 
the  location  of  churches,  number  of  members,  date  of 
origin,  names  and  address  of  elders,  etc.,  and  to  collect 
or  obtain  pledges  for  missionary  funds. 

It  appears  from  the  scanty  records  available  that  the 
success  of  this  State  Meeting  was  not  very  remarkable 
at  that  time,  but  it  maintained  its  organic  position  through 
many  discouragements.  Some  of  the  noble  men  of  the 
earlier  period  co-operated  with  this  State  Meeting.  Such 
men  as  John  T.  Thompson,  Dr.  R.  T.  Brown,  John  O'Kane, 
Elijah  Goodwin,  Love  H.  Jameson,  H.  R.  Pritchard,  John 
B.  New,  and  J.  M.  Mathes,  were  nearly  always  in  evidence 
during  these  annual  conventions. 

In  May,  1852,  the  Ohio  State  Meeting  was  organised. 
This  meeting  was  not  altogether  harmonious,  in  view  of 
certain  reports  which  had  been  circulated  with  respect 
to  Dr.  J.  T.  Barclay,  who  had  gone  as  a  missionary  to 
Jerusalem.  He  was  charged  with  being  a  slaveholder, 
and  was  therefore  unworthy  of  the  support  of  the  brethren. 
This  difficulty  was  foreshadowed  by  a  correspondence  be- 
tween Mr.  Kirk  and  Mr.  Errett.  In  a  letter  to  Isaac 
Errett,  Mr.  Kirk  refers  to  this  matter,  and  says : 

Now,  Brother  Errett,  in  the  name  of  religion  and  humanity, 
can  we  consistently  sustain  either  Brother  Barclay  as  a  mis- 
sionary at  (in)  ancient  Palestine,  or  how  can  icc  co-operate 
ivith  a  missionary  society  that  sends  such  a  character,  guilty 
before  high  heaven  and  all  good  men,  of  such  ungodly  conduct  f 
My  soul,  come  not  thou  into  their  secret  assemblies. 

To  this  letter,  Isaac  Errett  makes  reply,  as  follows : 

Warren,  February  21,  1852. 

Dear  Brother  Kirk  : 

Yours  of  the  15th  inst.  is  to  hand.  I  have  not  sooner 
responded  because  I  wished  to  consider  well  the  whole  matter 
before  I  uttered  a  word,  one  way  or  the  other.  It  has  caused 
me  much  trouble  of  mind,  and  has  given  another  to  the  thou- 
sand reasons  existing  before  for  wishing  this  whole  accursed 
system  of  American  slavery  banished  from  our  guilty  land. 


456    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHKIST 


But  after  duly  considering  the  whole  matter,  I  cannot  see  it 
as  you  do.  1  know  nothing  about  it,  only  what  your  letter 
states.  From  your  statement  it  seems,  first,  that  Brother 
Barclay  inherited  these  slaves — he  did  not  buy  them;  second, 
he  offered  them  their  freedom  if  they  would  leave  the  State. 
This  certainly  does  not  look  like  the  proposition  of  any  '  un- 
godly '  man ;  nor  does  it  prove  that  '  in  his  zeal  to  carry  the 
gospel  to  the  heathen  at  Jerusalem,  he  sold  heathen  at  home.' 
The  condition  of  their  leaving  the  State  was,  I  presume,  a 
necessary  condition,  owing  to  the  difHculties  which  clog  any 
effort  to  emancipate  in  Virginia.  Brother  Barclay  being 
about  to  leave,  could  not  become  personally  responsible  for 
their  good  behaviour,  and  without  this,  if  I  am  rightly  in- 
formed, they  could  not  be  emancipated  on  the  soil ;  third, 
they  preferred  to  stay  with  Brother  Tyler.  This,  then,  is  not 
involuntary  servitude.  You  say  that  Brother  B.  gave  Bro. 
Tyler  considerable  inducement  to  purchase  them.  I  presume 
the  inducement  was  that  he  offered  to  sell  them  at  a  merely 
nominal  price,  as  he  did  not  relish  the  traffic  in  human  flesh, 
and  found  it  necessary  to  guard  in  some  way  against  the  con- 
sequences of  their  refusal  to  leave  the  State.  One,  you  say, 
was  '  so  old  that  Bro.  Tyler  would  not  purchase.'  She  selected 
her  master,  and  Bro.  Barclay  provided  for  her  future  wants 
through  Bro.  Tyler.  Is  this,  too,  ungodly?  What  more  could 
he  do?  If  I  had  a  Christian  lad  bound  an  apprentice  to  me, 
would  that  be  binding  Jesus  Christ  in  the  person  of  his  child? 
If  I  hire  a  Christian  girl  at  one  dollar  a  week,  is  that  hiring 
Jesus  Christ  at  one  dollar  a  week?  If  I  wrong  or  abuse  them, 
then  Jesus  considers  it  an  insult  offered  to  him.  If  I  confer 
blessings  on  them  in  his  name,  he  considers  it  done  to  him. 
Now,  so  far  as  your  letter  goes  in  the  statement  thus  far 
quoted,  I  cannot  see  that  Brother  Barclay  has  been  actuated  by 
any  other  motive  than  a  desire  to  do  the  best  for  the  slaves  that 
the  circumstances  would  allow  him  to  do.  He  certainly  did 
not  wish  to  make  money  of  them.  Brother  Barclay's  whole 
cause  has  shown  a  self-sacrificing  disposition,  a  disregard  of 
filthy  lucre,  an  earnest  love  of  souls.  .  .  . 
In  the  hopes  of  breaking  every  yoke, 

Your  brother, 

Isaac  Errett. 

In  April,  Charles  Brown,  of  North  Bloomfield,  w^rote  a 
letter  similar  to  that  of  Kirk,  opposing  all  support  to 
the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society,  on  account  of 
Dr.  Barclay's  position  w'ith  regard  to  the  slavery  question. 
When  the  Convention  met  at  W'ooster  this  matter  was 
brought  up,  and  the  following  notes  made  by  Mr.  Errett 
show  plainly  how  he  felt  about  the  matter : 

May  12.  Met  in  convention  at  ten.  Was  put  on  com- 
mittee to  prepare  a  constitution  and  business  for  the  meeting. 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  457 


After  dinner  had  a  meeting  of  committee — Bro.  Brown  began 
to  make  trouble.  In  the  afternoon  convention  saw  Bro.  A. 
Campbell,  C.  B.  made  much  trouble,  speaking  every  two  min- 
utes and  much  delaying  business.  After  the  afternoon  session 
met  at  Bro.  Lake's  to  prepare  a  constitution.  Had  great  de- 
bates with  C.  B.  Got  ready  for  reporting  by  8  o'clock.  Then 
came  the  tug  of  war.  C.  B.  presented  a  counter  report.  The 
evening  was  spent  in  tedious  discussion  with  him.  I  made  but 
one  little  speech,  which  had  a  pacifying  tendency.  Did  not 
adjourn  till  after  ten.    Very  weary  with  the  toils  of  the  day. 

May  13th.  Morning  session  very  unpleasant.  C.  B.'s  course 
most  unwarrantable.  I  made  short  speech  which  came  just  in 
time  to  do  good.* 

It  ought  to  be  stated  in  this  connection  that  Mr.  Errett 
was  himself  strongly  an  anti-slavery  man,  but  he  was  first 
of  all  a  Christian,  and  a  man  of  judicial  temper,  and  was 
never  carried  away  by  some  side  issue.  His  heart  was  in 
the  work  of  the  great  Restoration  movement,  and  he  was 
especially  anxious  to  help  with  the  organisation  of  the 
movement  so  that  its  work  could  be  accomplished.  At 
this  time  he  was  rapidly  becoming  the  leader  of  the  move- 
ment in  Ohio,  and  it  is  not  remarkable,  in  view  of  his 
character  and  position,  that  he  should  have  taken  the 
reasonable  view  of  the  matter  which  is  indicated  in  his 
letter  to  Mr.  Kirk. 

However,  the  constitution  of  the  Society  was  adopted, 
and  from  that  day  to  the  present  the  Ohio  Missionary 
Society  has  been  a  model  in  many  respects.  Indeed,  it 
has  led  all  the  other  state  societies  in  eflBciency,  and  it  is 
at  the  present  time  considerably  in  advance  of  any  other 
state  society  in  respect  to  work  accomplished.  Such 
names  as  D.  S.  Burnett,  T.  J.  Melish,  Benjamin  Franklin, 
William  Hayden,  R.  R,  Sloan,  J.  P.  Robison,  J.  H.  Jones, 
A.  L.  Soule,  John  McElroy,  W.  A.  Belding,  J.  J.  Moss, 
Almon  B.  Green,  James  Hadsell,  Earle  Moulton,  W.  A. 
Lillie,  Charles  Brown,  E.  A.  Hawley,  Jacob  Hoffman, 
Harmon  Reeves,  and  F.  Williams,  were  among  those  who 
attended  this  first  meeting,  May  12,  1852. 

The  first  President  of  the  Ohio  State  Meeting  was  David 
S.  Burnett,  and  A.  S.  Hayden  and  T.  J.  Melish  were  ap- 
pointed Secretaries.  The  Board  of  Managers  was  located 
at  Bedford,  and  consisted  of  A.  L.  Soule,  J.  P.  Robison, 
William  Hayden,  James  Egbert,  A.  A.  Comstock,  J.  W. 

*  Memoirs  Errett,  p.  137. 


458    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Lanphear,  C.  Lake,  W.  A.  Lillie,  Sidney  Smith,  Jacob 
Huffmann,  and  Ransom  Benedict.  In  the  second  year 
Isaac  Errett  accepted  the  Corresponding  Secretaryship, 
and  the  work  of  the  organisation  commenced  in  earnest. 
The  receipts  this  year  were  |2,383.04. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  1861,  that  this  society  began 
its  best  work.  At  tliat  time  R.  R.  Sloan,  of  Mt.  Vernon, 
Ohio,  was  appointed  Corresponding  Secretary,  and  it  was 
mainly  through  his  energetic  and  wise  management  that 
the  Society  soon  led  all  the  others  as  an  efficient  organisa- 
tion. 

The  Illinois  Christian  Missionary  Society  was  first 
organised  in  1856,  and  though  this  Society  has  kept  up  its 
organisation  to  the  present  time,  not  until  recently  has  it 
been  distinguished  for  accomplishing  great  things.  In  1883, 
the  membership  of  the  state  was  placed  at  50,000,  but  no 
very  trustworthy  statistics  can  be  obtained  as  to  what  the 
Society  accomplished  up  to  that  time. 

The  New  York  Missionary  Society  was  organised  in 
1861,  that  of  Michigan  in  1868,  that  of  Nebraska  in  1868, 
that  of  Iowa  in  1869,  that  of  West  Virginia  in  1870,  that 
of  Virginia  1876,  that  of  California  1876,  that  of  Mary- 
land 1877,  that  of  Georgia  1879,  that  of  Oregon  1879,  that 
of  Wisconsin  1880,  that  of  Pennsylvania  1882,  that 
of  Arkansas  1883,  that  of  North  Carolina  1883,  that 
of  Texas  1883,  that  of  Colorado  1883,  and  that  of  Kansas 
1883. 

Other  State  Meetings  have  been  organised,  but  there 
are  no  available  statistics  at  hand  with  respect  to  the  date 
of  these  organisations.  However,  as  there  are  now  Dis- 
ciples in  all  the  states  and  territories  of  the  United  States, 
they  have  their  annual  State  Meetings,  and  in  some  of 
these  there  is  a  decidedly  growing  interest  in  these  co- 
operative organisations. 

It  must  not  be  imagined  that  progress  in  this  respect 
was  made  without  opposition.  From  the  very  beginning 
of  the  Disciple  movement  there  have  been  practically  at 
least  two  classes  of  men  engaged  in  the  work,  whose  in- 
terpretations of  the  principles  and  aims  of  the  movement 
have  materially  differed.  One  of  these  classes  has  made 
the  conditions  of  fellowship  and  co-operation  as  simple 
as  possible,  narrowing  down  the  whole  field  of  discussion 
to  a  hearty  faith  in  Jesus  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  459 


living  God,  and  implicit  obedience  to  His  plain  commands. 
The  men  of  this  class  have  sharply  distinguished  between 
principles  and  methods,  holding  the  former  to  be  eternal, 
while  the  latter  are  more  or  less  subject  to  change.  From 
the  beginning  these  men  have  been  in  an  overwhelming 
majority,  though  a  respectable  minority  has  placed  con- 
siderable emphasis  upon  subordinate  things;  and  while 
not  making  these  exactly  a  test  of  Christian  fellowship, 
they  have  magnified  their  importance,  so  as  to  make  their 
advocacy  a  disturbing  element  in  nearly  every  department 
of  the  general  work.  Some  of  these  men,  in  the  early  days 
of  the  movement,  were  men  of  much  ability  and  unexcep- 
tionable character,  and  this  made  their  opposition  all  the 
more  formidable.  In  using  the  dictum  of  Thomas  Camp- 
bell— "  Where  the  Scriptures  speak  we  speak,  and  where 
the  Scriptures  are  silent  we  are  silent,"  they  gave  it  a 
very  literal  and  rigid  application.  Indeed,  their  applica- 
tion of  it  would  have  spoiled  many  of  their  own  practices, 
had  they  not  skipped  it  when  these  practices  were  under 
consideration.  In  short,  they  evidently  used  the  dictum 
in  an  illicit  manner;  but  all  the  same  it  helped  them  in 
their  narrow  interpretation  of  the  Bible.  They  were  for 
the  most  part  simply  legalists,  demanding  the  "  pound  of 
flesh  "  with  an  exactness  that  was  always  fatal  to  their 
own  cause,  because  they  could  not  very  well  make  the 
application  of  the  Campbell  dictum,  that  they  would  in 
some  cases,  without  logically  making  it  in  all;  and  when 
they  applied  it  to  certain  practices  of  their  own,  they 
found  that  it  was  a  boomerang  which,  while  destroying 
their  enemies'  works,  rebounded  upon  themselves;  conse- 
quently, whether  they  were  right  or  wrong,  their  position 
did  not  seem  to  be  tenable  to  a  large  majority  of  the 
Disciples. 

At  the  same  time  these  men  became  a  constant  disturb- 
ing element,  and  some  of  this  class  have  continued  with 
the  movement  down  to  the  present  time.  Nor  is  this  to 
be  regarded  as  an  altogether  regrettable  fact.  To  use  the 
language  of  the  Apostle,  "  No  chastisement  for  the  present 
seems  to  be  joyous,  but  grievous ;  afterwards  it  works  the 
peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  to  them  who  are  exercised 
thereby."  It  is  probable  that  this  class  of  men  have  been 
providentially  alloAved  to  pursue  their  invariable  opposi- 
tion to  any  of  the  efforts  at  progress,  which  the  Disciples 


460   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


have  made,  for  the  reason  that  they  have  acted  as  a  sort 
of  break-water  "  against  the  flood  of  new  schemes  and 
new  organisations,  which  are  always  sure  to  follow  in  the 
line  of  an  aggressive  and  progressive  movement.  Doubt- 
less these  men  have  been  an  annoyance  to  those  who  have 
had  no  sympathy  with  their  legalistic  notions,  and  in  some 
cases  they  have  been  a  great  hindrance  to  the  progress  of 
right  thinking  and  right  action;  but,  upon  the  whole,  it 
is  well  to  regard  them  as  a  providential  force  which  has 
had  its  philosophical  relations  to  the  Disciple  movement. 
When  looked  at  from  this  point  of  view  there  is  no  occasion 
for  discouragement  because  some  men,  who  were  probably 
born  in  the  objective  case,  have  been  allowed  to  oppose 
what  a  large  majority  of  the  brethren  regard  as  indis- 
pensable to  the  success  of  the  cause.  It  is  unreasonable 
to  suppose  that  we  must  have  all  clear  days  in  order  to 
the  proper  development  of  nature's  growth.  It  is  better 
to  agree  with  Longfellow  that  some  days  must  be  dark 
and  dreary,"  and  these  dark  and  dreary  days  are  abso- 
lutely necessary  in  the  government  of  the  physical  world. 
Equally  true  is  it  that  in  the  religious  world  we  must 
have  some  dark  and  dreary  days.  The  centrifugal  and 
centripetal  forces  of  nature  are  equally  important,  and 
it  is  by  the  proper  action  of  these  that  harmony  is  pro- 
duced in  the  physical  world. 

But  however  this  may  be,  it  is  a  historical  fact  that  a 
small  portion  of  the  Disciple  forces  has  been,  from  the 
very  beginning,  practically  in  opposition  to  the  main  body 
with  respect  to  nearly  everything  that  means  progress. 
These  men  fought  the  missionary  society  as  a  "  man-made  " 
institution,  and  the  progress  that  was  made  was  in  spite 
of  their  opposition.  However,  it  should  be  noticed  that 
all  the  great  men  of  the  movement  were  constantly  in  the 
front  of  the  battle  all  along  the  line.  Thomas  Campbell, 
Alexander  Campbell,  Walter  Scott,  Dr.  Robert  Richard- 
son, the  Haydens,  John  T.  Johnson,  John  Allen  Gano, 
D.  S.  Burnett,  James  Challen,  Dr.  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  John 
Rogers,  John  Smith,  John  O.  Kane,  Love  H.  Jameson,  John 
B.  New,  Isaac  Errett,  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  many 
others  who  might  be  mentioned,  were  all  in  the  front  rank 
pleading  for  the  best  things  during  this  period  of  organi- 
sation. These  names  are  sufficient  to  indicate  that  the 
real  leaders  of  the  movement  were  on  the  side  of  progress. 


MEN  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PERIOD 


1,  Nathan  W.  Smith.  2,  Samuel  S.  Church.  3,  Robert  Graham.  4, 
William  Baxter.  5,  J.  K.  Rogers.  6,  Thomas  .Muniiell.  7,  G.  W.  Longan. 
8,  L.  B.  Wilkes.  9,  J.  S.  Lamar.  10,  Alexander  Procter.  11,  Dr.  W.  H. 
Plopson.    12,  A.  I.  Hobbs. 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  461 


and  utterly  opposed  to  a  legalistic  interpretation  of  either 
the  dictum  of  the  Campbells,  or  the  Bible  itself. 

Progress  about  this  time  was  not  confined  to  missionary 
organisations.  Considerable  attention  was  also  given  to 
educational  development.  New  colleges  began  to  spring 
up  in  various  places.  Shortly  after  the  organisation  of 
Bacon  College  and  Bethany  College,  a  college  was  estab- 
lished in  Tennessee  called  "  Franklin  College,"  and  this 
was  presided  over  by  Tolbert  Fanning,  a  man  of  con- 
siderable ability  and  some  scholarship,  but  who  belonged 
to  the  opposition  class,  to  which  reference  has  just  been 
made.  But  as  a  large  majority  of  the  Disciples  never 
thought  of  making  difference  of  opinion  a  test  of  fellow- 
ship, or  even  a  test  of  co-operation,  they  were  proud  of 
Franklin  College,  and  always  reckoned  it  as  one  of  their 
educational  institutions.  However,  this  college  became 
the  centre  of  an  influence  which  has  widened  since  then, 
through  the  advocacy  of  a  periodical  called  the  Gospel 
Advocate,  published  in  Nashville,  Tenn.  For  a  number 
of  years  this  paper  has  been  edited  by  David  Lipscomb, 
and  its  influence  has  not  only  been  reactionary,  but  has 
bordered  very  closely  upon  the  schismatical,  though  in 
the  main  it  advocates  very  ably  the  chief  principles  for 
which  the  Disciples  have  always  contended.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  this  Nashville  advocacy  is  really  the  only  crack 
in  the  Disciple  lute,  and  while  it  makes  some  dis- 
cords, it  is  probable  the  outcome  will  be  for  good  instead 
of  evil. 

Other  colleges  were  established  in  several  places. 
Hiram  College,  Ohio,  was  founded  in  1850,  and  James  A. 
Garfield  was  once  a  professor  in  it.  Butler  College  at 
Indianapolis,  Ind.,  was  also  established  in  1850, 
Christian  University  at  Canton,  Mo.,  followed  in  1853, 
and  this  was  the  first  college  in  the  United  States  to  grant 
to  women  all  the  privileges  granted  to  men.  Eureka  Col- 
lege, at  Eureka,  111.,  was  founded  in  1855,  Oskaloosa 
College,  at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  in  1856,  while  Kentucky 
University,  which  had  formerly  been  Bacon  College  and 
Transylvania  University,  was  founded  in  1858.  This  has 
recently  reverted  to  the  name  Transylvania. 

Colleges  for  the  education  of  women  were  also  organised 
during  this  period.  One  of  the  most  important  of 
these  was  Christian  College,  located  at  Columbia,  Mo. 


462    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


The  charter  for  the  incorporation  of  this  was  granted  by 
the  Legislature  of  Missouri,  January  18,  1851.  The 
grounds  and  buildings  of  the  college  were  formally  ded- 
icated July  2,  1852.  This  college  has  always  maintained 
a  leading  position  for  the  education  of  young  women  in 
the  West.  Its  first  meeting  in  the  new  building  purchased 
for  it  was  held  September  15,  1851.  John  Augustus  Wil- 
liams was  its  first  president. 

Another  college  for  the  education  of  orphan  girls  was 
established  at  Midway,  Kentucky,  in  1849.  To  Dr.  L.  L. 
Pinkerton  is  due  the  credit  of  originating  this  school, 
though  he  was  ably  supported  by  John  T.  Johnson,  J,  Ware 
Parrish,  and  W.  F.  Patterson.  The  college  was  soon 
fairly  well  endowed,  and  has  been  a  strong  factor  for  good 
in  the  state  of  Kentucky.  Other  colleges  of  later  origin 
will  be  noticed  in  the  proper  place. 

In  the  revival  which  took  place  with  respect  to  educa- 
tion the  same  apparent  mistake  was  made  as  that  with 
regard  to  the  establishment  of  too  many  churches.  Some 
have  thought  that  if  the  brethren,  about  this  time,  had  con- 
centrated their  efforts  and  their  contributions  in  support 
of  one  college,  this  could  have  been  well  endowed,  and 
fairly  well  equipped ;  and,  consequently,  by  the  present  day 
there  would  be  at  least  one  great  college  equal  in  many 
ways  to  the  best  in  all  the  land.  But  owing  to  the  effort 
to  build  so  many  colleges,  none  of  these  has  been  properly 
supported,  and  the  result  is  that  the  Disciples  have  not 
a  single  college  anywhere  that  is  liberally  endowed  or 
equipped  as  it  should  be.  All  this  is  easily  said,  but 
it  belongs  to  that  sad  refrain,  "  It  might  have  been,"  and 
this  is  always  more  or  less  the  result  of  a  morbid  imagina- 
tion in  dealing  with  past  events.  Strictly  speaking,  a 
college  is  like  a  tree;  it  cannot  be  made,  it  must  grow. 
All  the  money  in  the  world  cannot  make  a  college.  Money 
will  help,  if  wisely  used ;  but  a  college  must  be  developed 
through  the  regular,  legitimate  course  which  marks  all 
progress.  It  must  be  subjected  to  the  storms,  just  as 
a  tree  is;  and  as  these  storms  help  the  tree  to  grow,  so 
the  struggles  through  which  a  college  has  to  pass  may 
help  it  to  grow.  Most  men  who  unfavourably  criticise 
the  number  of  colleges  that  have  been  started  among  the 
Disciples  fail  to  note  the  fact  that  these  colleges  are  yet 
in  the  growing  period,  and  that  therefore  the  very  con- 


THE  PERIOD  OF  ORGANISATION  463 


ditions  of  trial  through  which  they  are  passing  are  abso- 
lutely necessary  in  order  to  make  them  what  they  ought 
to  be.  It  is  true  that  some  of  these  may  fail,  while  pass- 
ing through  the  struggle,  but  in  that  case  they  only  il- 
lustrate the  law  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest.  Those  that 
are  worthy  will  doubtless  forge  to  the  front  in  the  long 
run,  though  the  struggle  may  be  hard  and  the  victory 
delayed.  One  difficulty  in  regulating  this  matter  was 
that  the  Disciples,  from  the  very  beginning,  had  no  direct- 
ing power  among  them  by  which  the  founding  of  these 
colleges  could  be  regulated.  Every  community  was  a 
law  unto  itself,  and  generally  these  colleges  sprang  up 
through  local  influences,  often  for  the  purpose  of  benefit- 
ing a  town  where  the  college  was  located,  the  citizens  sub- 
scribing to  it  mainly  for  the  advantages  that  would  accrue 
to  them  through  the  location  of  the  college.  These  spo- 
radic efforts  were  practically  without  remedy.  Nor  should 
any  one  grieve  over  their  seemingly  abnormal  growths. 
They  were  legitimate  offsprings  of  the  period  when  they 
had  their  birth,  and  as  to  whether  they  shall  continue 
to  live  or  not,  will  depend  entirely  upon  how  they  adjust 
themselves  to  the  new  days  of  the  twentieth  century. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 

A  BOUT  the  middle  of  the  fifth  decade  of  the  nineteenth 
J^\^  century,  the  movement  fairly  passed  out  of  its 
Chaotic  period  into  something  like  an  organisation 
period.  The  churches  began  to  w  ork  together  through  the 
societies  which  had  been  formed,  and  the  colleges  became 
centres  of  great  influence  in  preparing  men  for  the  min- 
istry. Up  to  this  time  most  of  the  men  who  were  educated 
at  all  had  come  into  the  movement  from  other  religious 
bodies.  But  a  new  class  of  men  was  demanded  with  the 
new  period  on  which  the  movement  had  entered.  While 
the  older  men  continued  in  the  lead  of  the  movement, 
a  number  of  younger  men  began  to  be  prominent  and 
influential.  A  second  generation  of  preachers  came  act- 
ively into  the  work,  so  that  we  must  now  begin  to  meet 
with  such  names  as  Isaac  Errett,  Benjamin  Franklin, 
A.  S.  Haj^den,  D.  P.  Henderson,  Moses  E.  Lard,  Alexander 
Proctor,  G.  W.  Longan,  Henry  T.  Anderson,  J.  W.  Mc- 
Garvey,  Robert  Milligan,  W.  H.  Hopson,  L.  B.  Wilkes, 
and  others  of  the  older  men  of  this  second  generation, 
and  these  must  be  reckoned  with  in  the  future  progress 
of  the  work.  There  were  still  other  strong  men,  younger 
than  these,  who  soon  began  to  be  active  in  the  ministry, 
but  whose  names  do  not  come  prominently  into  view  until 
the  sixth  decade,  which  was  the  decade  of  the  Civil  War. 

The  controversy  with  respect  to  Missionary  Societies 
had  practically  ended  with  a  decided  victory  for  those 
who  favoured  these  Societies.  But  the  movement  was  not 
free  from  other  troubles.  It  has  been  seen  that  from  the 
beginning  the  aim  was  to  steer  clear  of  side  issues  and 
to  insist  upon  only  the  things  that  are  necessary  to  Chris- 
tian character  and  growth.  Nothing  distinguished  the 
movement  more  than  the  elimination  of  doubtful  questions 
with  respect  to  faith  and  practice.  But  notwithstanding 
the  emphasis  which  was  placed  upon  this  central  idea, 

464 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 


465 


every  now  and  then  some  one  refused  to  be  bound  by  the 
limitations  with  respect  to  opinionism. 

It  has  already  been  seen  that  certain  doctrinal  questions, 
such  as  Mormonism  and  Thomasism,  had  forced  them- 
selves upon  the  Disciples,  and  for  a  time  became  a  dis- 
turbing element.  That  the  Disciples  refused  to  make 
a  side  issue  the  principal  thing  was  illustrated  again 
in  the  case  of  Jesse  B.  Ferguson,  a  prominent  and  elo- 
quent preacher  of  Nashville,  Tenn.  Ferguson  insisted 
upon  ventilating  his  theory  of  Restoration,  the  very 
thing  practically  that  was  a  test  case  with  respect  to 
the  admission  to  the  ministry  of  Aylett  Raines.  Aylett 
Raines  simply  agreed  to  preach  the  Gospel  without  re- 
ferring to  his  peculiar  views  of  the  future  life.  Ferguson 
did  not  do  this.  He  set  forth  his  views  in  both  his  pulpit 
and  in  the  press.  The  result  was  that  his  influence  was 
practically  destroyed,  and  the  movement  which  he  in- 
augurated, though  somewhat  disturbing  for  the  time,  was 
without  any  general  effect  upon  the  progress  of  the  Dis- 
ciple cause.  Other  defections  of  a  similar  kind  took  place 
shortly,  but  all  of  these  failed  to  make  any  substantial 
breach  in  the  Disciple  lines,  while  every  man  who  at- 
tempted to  set  up  some  theory,  instead  of  the  simple  faith 
to  which  the  Disciples  had  clung  all  the  way  down  their 
history,  soon  killed  himself  rather  than  the  cause  with 
which  he  had  been  identified. 

It  has  already  been  seen  that  a  new  generation  of  preach- 
ers was  beginning  to  take  a  prominent  place  in  the  Disciple 
movement.  The  old  men  were  still  actively  engaged  in 
the  pioneer  work.  Very  few  of  them  had  even  partially 
retired  from  the  field.  Most  of  these  had  been  evangelists 
from  the  beginning,  but  a  few  had  become  pastors  of 
churches  and  were  still  serving  these  churches  very  ac- 
ceptably. 

However,  some  of  these  men  were  beginning  to  feel  the 
weight  of  years.  The  first  of  the  real  leaders  to  fall  in 
the  conflict  was  Thomas  Campbell,  the  author  of  the  "  Dec- 
laration and  Address."  He  had  for  some  time  been  in 
feeble  health,  though  his  mind  continued  clear  and  he 
occasionally  wrote  something  for  the  Earhinger.  All  his 
contributions  breathed  the  same  spirit  as  that  which  was 
so  manifest  in  the  great  paper  which  practically  inaugu- 
rated the  Disciple  movement.    He  fell  asleep  January  4, 


466    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


1854,  and  his  passing  away  was  as  gentle  as  his  life  had 
always  been. 

It  is  perhaps  impossible  to  estimate  the  influence  of 
Thomas  Campbell's  life  on  the  Disciple  movement.  He 
was  the  very  embodiment  of  the  three  graces  to  which  the 
Apostle  Paul  calls  attention  in  the  thirteenth  chapter  of 
first  Corinthians,  and  he  especially  illustrated  in  all 
he  said  and  did  the  greatest  of  these  three,  viz.,  love.  In 
every  sentence  he  ever  wrote,  and  in  every  sermon  he 
preached,  love  was  the  supreme  characteristic. 

In  June,  1851,  he  delivered  his  farewell  sermon,  and 
this  sermon,  even  if  he  had  never  said  anything  else,  is 
worthy  to  immortalise  his  name.  The  text  was,  "  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  thy  neighbour 
as  thyself."  After  explaining  the  text,  he  concludes  as 
follows : 

Now,  brethren,  I  have  given  you  the  key  and  the  compend. 
I  can  do  no  more.  Whoever  has,  by  studying  this  blessed 
book,  fallen  in  love  with  God,  and  is  doing  the  things  therein 
commanded,  and  which  are  comprehensively  summed  up  in 
the  two  great  commandments  which  we  have  been  considering, 
is  on  the  way  to  eternal  bliss,  and  he  will  see  in  all  things 
nothing  but  God.  If  we  have  any  desire  to  be  eternally  happy, 
and  to  exist  for  the  purpose  for  which  we  are  made,  let  us  make 
the  contents  of  the  Bible  our  study  night  and  day,  and  en- 
deavour, by  prayer  and  meditation,  to  let  its  influence  dwell 
upon  our  hearts  perpetually.  This  is  the  whole  business  of  life 
in  this  world.  All  else  is  but  preparation  for  this;  for  this 
alone  can  lead  us  back  to  God — the  eternal  and  unwasting 
fountain  of  all  being  and  blessedness.  He  is  both  the  Author 
and  Object  of  the  Bible.  It  has  come  from  him,  and  is 
graciously  designed  to  lead  us  to  him — "  unto  all  the  riches  of 
the  full  assurance  of  understanding,  to  the  acknowledgment  of 
the  mystery  of  God,  and  of  the  Father,  and  of  Christ;  in  whom 
are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge." 

Let  us  make  it  our  continual  study,  therefore,  to  search  out 
its  precious  contents,  that  we  may  know  and  enjoy  him  who 
has  created  us  for  his  own  glory;  so  that  we  shall  ultimately 
see  him  as  he  is,  and  be  with  him  where  he  is,  and  sit  down 
with  him  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory.  And  this  every  one 
shall  do,  who  fulfils  these  commandments,  for  on  them  hang 
all  the  law  and  the  prophets ;  and  it  is  also  written,  "  He  that 
overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things,  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and 
he  shall  be  my  son."  And,  "  of  Him  are  we  in  Clirist  Jesus, 
who  of  God  has  made  us  unto  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and 
sanctiflcation  and  redemption,"  so  that  in  all  things  we  are 


MEN  OF  THE  MIDDLE  rElili JD 


1,  11.  W.  Everest.  2.  O.  A.  Burgess.  3.  Henrv  Haley.  4,  Peter  Vogel. 
5.  A.  G.  Thomas.  6.  John  S.  Sweeney.  7,  Dr.  T.  \V.  Brents.  S.  Robert 
Moffett.  9,  Knowles  Shaw.  10,  B.  A.  Hinsdale.  11,  George  T.  Carpenter. 
12,  George  Plattenburg. 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 


467 


complete  in  Jesus — gloiy  to  his  ever  blessed  uame !  This  sets 
man  at  the  head  of  the  whole  creation,  next  to  God,  where 
Christ,  who  has  saved  us  by  his  death,  and  now  lives  to  in- 
tercede for  us  perpetually,  also  sitteth.  ISIy  brethren,  we  are 
persuaded  that  our  gracious  Father,  who  has  done  so  much  for 
us,  will  withhold  from  us  no  good  gift.  Yea,  he  is  more  willing 
to  give  than  we  are  to  ask,  for  he  invites  and  exhorts  us  to 
ask.  "  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find ; 
knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you ;  for  every  one  that 
asketh  receiveth;  and  he  that  seeketh  flndeth;  and  to  him 
that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened.  Or  what  man  is  there  of 
you,  who,  if  his  son  ask  bread,  will  he  give  him  a  stone,  or  if 
"he  ask  for  a  flsh,  will  he  give  him  a  serpent?  If  ye,  then, 
being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children,  how 
much  more  shall  your  Father  who  is  in  Heaven,  give  good  gifts 
to  them  that  ask  him?"  "All  things  whatsoever  ye  ask  in 
prayer,  believing,  ye  shall  receive." 

How  rich  and  precious  are  these  promises  of  our  blessed 
Lord !  But,  my  brethren,  why  should  we  doubt,  since  we 
already  have  the  greatest  gift — even  the  Holy  Spirit — the 
Comforter,  or  Advocate,  whom  our  blessed  Saviour  promised 
he  would  send  to  abide  with  his  disciples  forever.    And  this  is 

the  earnest  of  our  inheritance  "  given  to  us  who  believe  in 
Christ,  "  in  whom,  also,"  says  the  Apostle  Paul,  "  after  that  ye 
believed,  ye  were  sealed  with  that  holy  spirit  of  promise,  which 
is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance  until  the  redemption  of  the 
purchased  possession,  unto  the  praise  of  his  glory  " ;  and  again, 
"  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God,  and  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you?"  Thus,  my  brethren,  we  are 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  every  good  word  and  work.  God 
our  Heavenly  Father,  hath  not  withholden  from  us  even  his 
Holy  Spirit,  a  part  of  the  Trinity  in  Unity ;  so  that  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Spirit  are  all  graciously  and  mercifully  united 
in  providing,  procuring,  and  effecting  our  salvation.  The 
Holy  Spirit,  by  the  law  and  the  prophets,  puts  us  into  pos- 
session of  the  salvation  provided  for  us  by  the  Father,  in 
sending  his  well  beloved  and  only  begotten  Son  into  the  world, 
to  die  for  our  sins.  It  is  through  the  Spirit  that  we  have  been 
furnished  with  this  divine  illumination,  and  from  it  alone  have 
we  derived  all  definite  and  reliable  knowledge  of  the  adorable 
character  and  attributes  of  our  Creator,  of  our  duties  to  him, 
and  our  own  future  and  everlasting  destiny. 

Oh,  my  brethren,  what  an  exalted  condition  God  has  placed 
us  in,  with  respect  to  his  whole  creation!  He  has  not  only 
said,  "  He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things,  and  I  will 
be  his  God  and  he  shall  be  my  son,"  but  our  blessed  Lord  also 
says,  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock ;  if  any  man 
hear  my  voice  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  unto  him  and  will 
sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me.  To  him  that  overcometh  will 
I  grant  to  sit  with  me  on  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame, 
and  am  set  down  with  my  Father  on  his  throne."    What  is 


468    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


this,  my  brethren?  Did  ye  hear  it?  Who  says  this?  The 
same  who  said,  "  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light."  Yes, 
it  is  the  divine  word,  and  let  us  take  heed  to  its  blissful 
promises.  Let  us  give  ourselves  up  to  the  word  of  God,  to  its 
guidance,  to  the  diligent  study  of  its  blissful  contents,  to 
meditation,  to  prayer,  and  to  the  love  of  God,  that  we  may 
love  him  with  all  our  heart,  and  soul,  and  mind,  and  strength, 
and  our  neighbour  as  ourselves,  for  this  is  the  sum  of  the  law 
and  the  prophets. 

These  things  being  so,  my  beloved  brethren,  "  Let  us  run 
with  diligence  the  race  set  before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus,  the 
author  and  finisher  of  the  faith ;  who,  for  the  joy  that  was  set 
before  him  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  and  is  set 
down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God."  His  promises 
can  never  fail,  for  they  are  sure  and  steadfast  as  his  unchange- 
able and  eternal  nature.  Some  things  he  has  promised  con- 
ditionally, but  this  does  not  affect  his  veracity.  He  is  both 
willing  and  able  to  perform  all  things  which  he  has  graciously 
promised  concerning  us.  Let  us,  therefore,  fall  back  upon 
his  Word,  upon  the  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  himself  being 
the  chief  cornerstone,  and  God  himself  the  author  of  the  whole. 
For  it  all  rests  upon  his  infallible  word — infallible  both  as 
respects  authority  and  power,  and  sooner  shall  heaven  and 
earth  pass  away,  than  one  jot  or  tittle  of  it  fail  of  its  final  and 
complete  accomplishment. 

We  have  thus,  my  beloved  brethren,  as  fully  as  our  time  will 
justify  and  my  failing  capacity  enable  me,  pointed  out  the 
road  which  will  surely  lead  to  eternal  life.  Let  us  adopt  the 
prescription  given  for  the  way,  and  exercise  ourselves  into 
godliness  night  and  day,  searching  the  Scriptures  continually, 
that  we  may  come  rightly  to  comprehend  and  truly  to  realise 
the  revealed  character  of  our  God,  and  thus  fully  to  enjoy  his 
salvation. 

In.  conclusion,  my  dear  brethren,  I  can  say  no  more  to  you, 
as  the  last  words  of  a  public  ministry,  protracted,  under  the 
merciful  care  of  our  Heavenly  Father  for  more  than  three 
score  years,  in  this  my  farewell  exhortation  to  you  on  earth — 
I  can  say  no  more  than  what  I  have  already  so  often  urged 
upon  you,  "  Love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
thy  soul,  and  all  thy  mind,  and  all  thy  strength,  and  thy 
neighbour  as  thyself,"  for  in  so  doing,  the  powers  of  hell  shall 
not  prevail  against  you.  May  the  Lord  God  impress  these 
truths  upon  our  hearts,  and  enable  us  all,  "  through  faith  and 
patience,  to  inherit  the  promises  " — keeping  us  by  his  power, 
until  it  shall  please  him  in  his  infinite  mercy  to  take  us  home 
to  himself,  to  the  enjoyment  of  "  the  inheritance  of  the  saints 
in  light " ;  and  the  praise,  honour,  and  glory  of  our  salvation, 
be  eternally  his,  through  Jesus,  world  without  end.  Amen. 

The  death  of  this  great  man  produced  a  profound  im- 
pression wherever  his  name  was  known,  and  among  the 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 


469 


Disciples  it  was  really  a  household  word.  Resolutions 
of  condolence  and  respect  were  passed  by  numerous 
churches  and  societies,  and  letters  breathing  the  same 
spirit  were  received  by  the  family  and  friends  from  almost 
every  quarter  of  the  land. 

But  he  was  a  man  of  faith,  and  as  such,  though  dead 
like  Abel,  he  still  speaketh.  His  words  will  continue  to 
be  talismans  for  the  Disciple  hosts.  This  very  year  *  the 
Disciples  everywhere  are  preparing  to  go  up  to  Pittsburg 
to  celebrate  the  inauguration  of  the  movement,  which  was 
the  result  of  his  great  paper  published  in  1809. 

Another  old  hero  of  the  early  conflicts  fell  in  1856. 
This  was  John  T.  Johnson,  the  great  Kentucky  evangelist. 
This  distinguished  preacher  of  the  Gospel  died  at  Lexing- 
ton, Mo.,  where  he  had  been  preaching  to  a  crowded  con- 
gregation before  he  was  attacked  with  pneumonia.  He 
became  ill  on  the  8th  of  December,  and  on  the  Thursday 
week  following  he  fell  asleep  in  that  Jesus  whom  he  had 
so  constantly  preached  as  the  resurrection  and  the  life. 

Of  all  the  men  connected  with  the  Restoration  move- 
ment, John  T.  Johnson  was  perhaps  the  most  indefatigable, 
active,  earnest,  and  hopeful.  He  was  always  at  work, 
was  practically  on  fire  whenever  he  was  dealing  with  souls, 
and  he  never  became  discouraged,  no  matter  how  dark 
the  days  might  seem.  He  was  in  some  respects  a  phe- 
nomenon. In  every  good  work  he  took  an  active  part. 
In  the  union  movement  between  the  *'  Reformers "  and 
"  Christians,"  which  was  consummated  in  Kentucky  and 
other  places,  he  was  a  most  influential  factor.  He  be- 
longed to  both  parties.  His  convictions  had  been  largely 
formed  through  the  teaching  of  Alexander  Campbell,  and 
he  was  largely  influenced  to  join  the  Restoration  move- 
ment through  the  reading  of  Mr.  Campbell's  periodicals. 
At  the  same  time  he  was  intimately  associated  personally 
with  Mr.  Stone  and  those  associated  with  him,  so  that  he 
came  into  the  Restoration  movement  the  friend  of  both 
the  "  Reformers  "  and  "  Christians."  Though  an  evangel- 
ist, in  the  truest  sense  of  that  term,  his  influence  was  very 
great  in  organising  the  movement  and  developing  it  along 
the  lines  of  spiritual  growth.  Perhaps  no  other  one 
man  did  more  for  the  American  Christian  Missionary  So- 
ciety than  he  did.     Everywhere  he  went  he  secured  life 


•  1909. 


470    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


members  and  life  directors  for  this  Society.  He  was 
equally  active  in  behalf  of  the  Kentucky  Female  Orphan 
School.  In  one  of  his  letters  addressed  to  Carroll  Ken- 
drick,  he  says :  "  What  say  you  of  the  destitute  Female 
Orphan  Society?  My  wife  has  subscribed  |100.  It  must 
go.  Brother  Fall  has  subscribed  |500,  I  am  told — 
noble.  Oh,  the  luxury  of  imitating  the  Saviour  in  re- 
lieving the  poor  and  needy,  especially  the  little  orphan 
girl.  The  appeal  is  irresistible."  This  was  a  postscript 
to  a  letter,  and  was  evidently  intended  to  be  private,  but 
Mr.  Kendrick  published  it  in  order  to  show  the  spirit  of 
the  man. 

His  death  produced  a  profound  sensation.  While  he 
was  growing  in  years,  he  was  still  vigorous  in  health  up 
to  the  time  of  his  last  attack.  He  was  preaching  with 
his  usual  energy,  and  numerous  converts  were  being  made 
at  his  last  meeting.  He  fell  just  as  he  would  have  pre- 
ferred, with  the  harness  on.  He  only  stopped  pleading 
with  sinners  when  he  was  no  longer  able  to  speak,  and 
this  fact  indicates  the  character  of  the  man. 

Numerous  eulogies  have  been  pronounced  upon  this  be- 
loved evangelist,  and  perhaps  none  of  these  have  over- 
stated the  value  of  his  services  to  the  great  cause  to  which 
he  committed  all  his  talent  and  energies.  He  was  not 
a  scholar  in  the  technical  understanding  of  that  term, 
but  he  was  much  more  than  this.  He  was  a  full-grown 
man  with  a  heart  flowing  over  with  love  for  humanity, 
every  pulsation  of  which  was  in  sympathy  with  the  sal- 
vation of  souls.  He  literally  lived  to  save  others,  and 
gave  his  own  life  in  this  great  service.  He  was  more  than 
any  other  man  the  leader  of  the  forces  in  Kentucky,  and 
his  influence  is  to-day  felt  among  all  the  churches  of  that 
state.  Eternity  alone  can  tell  what  John  T.  Johnson  did 
for  the  Restoration  movement. 

The  following  personal  sketch  was  written  by  one  who 
knew  him  well.  The  article  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  the 
man  and  his  methods: 

He  is  now  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  a  few  weeks 
since  made,  in  our  hearing,  this  remarkable  statement :  "  1 
have  been  at  a  protracted  meeting  for  the  last  three  years, 
and  during  the  last  three  weeks,  I  have  spoken  twenty-two 
discourses."  In  illustration  of  his  devotion  to  the  work  to 
which,  for  twenty-three  years,  he  has  given  hi«  entire  time,  it 
will  be  sufficient  to  state,  that  during  the  unparalleled  winter 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 


471 


of  '51-2,  he  continued  preaching  night  and  day,  in  the  villages 
of  Mason  and  Heming  Counties,  Kentucky.  The  mercury, 
for  days  together,  remained  below  zero,  the  piercing  wind 
whirled  the  light  snow  through  the  dense  air — the  cattle 
sought  the  sheds,  or  remained  tumbling  behind  any  defence 
that  offered  against  the  cutting  blast — fowls  remained  on 
the  roost,  or  dropped  from  it  dead;  even  the  crows  ventured 
not  abroad  against  the  double  terror  of  frost  and  storm. 
The  labours  of  servants  were  limited  to  the  care  of  the  stock, 
and  the  piling  of  fuel  upon  the  heated  and  blazing  hearths. 
Still,  J.  T.  Johnson  was  travelling  from  point  to  point,  preach- 
ing to  the  perishing  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  His 
stature  is  about  five  feet  eleven  inches,  his  form  remarkably 
slender  and  erect,  his  hair,  once  jet  black,  is  now  sprinkled 
with  white,  has  become  thin  and  much  of  it  has  fallen;  yet 
we  never  could  think  him  bald.  His  general  complexion,  the 
colour  of  his  eyes  and  hair,  indicate  a  decidedly  bilious  tem- 
perament. When  introduced  to  him  in  the  private  circle,  you 
recognise  at  once  the  well-bred,  high-toned  gentleman.  No 
length  of  acquaintanceship,  no  amount  of  fatigue,  ever  tempts 
him  into  the  clownish  in  manners.  His  conversation  easy, 
perfectly  familiar,  sometimes  with  his  intimate  friends  even 
chatty,  is  still  chaste,  dignified,  and  almost  wholly  of  things 
pertaining  to  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  the  Saviour.  The 
necessity  of  greater  liberality,  commendations  of  such  churches 
and  individuals  as  he  thinks  have  "  acted  nobly  " — and  the 
interests  and  prospects  of  the  Orphan  School,  of  Bethany 
College,  of  Bacon  College,  the  movements  of  his  preaching 
brethren,  the  necessity  of  preserving  labour,  paid  or  not  paid 
— such  are  some  of  the  themes  that  employ  his  tongue,  and 
rest  continually  upon  his  noble  and  generous  heart.  When 
he  rises  in  the  pulpit,  his  movements,  countenance,  and  utter- 
ance, imply  slight  embarrassment — the  result  of  unaffected 
diflBdence ;  and  although  abundant  courage  will  appear  before 
he  closes,  and  a  becoming  confidence  in  his  ability  to  propound 
and  illustrate  the  Gospel,  yet  his  respect  for  his  audience 
never  forsakes  him. 

His  manner  is  difficult  of  description.  You  will  think, 
likely,  on  hearing  him  for  the  first  time,  that  his  "  preparatory 
remarks  "  are  rather  extensive,  and  you  may  perhaps  wonder 
when  his  sermon  will  commence.  He  is  into  his  sermon  from 
the  first  word,  and  after  speaking  of  various  matters  pressing 
upon  his  attention,  if  he  thinks  the  great  object  he  has  in  view 
will  be  secured  by  such  a  course,  he  will  return  to  his  first 
point  and  make  it  the  last.  Though  eminently  capable  of  ar- 
ranging and  delivering  methodical  and  logical  discourses,  yet, 
to  do  this  is  not  his  object,  but  to  bring  his  hearers  to  believe, 
and  to  feel  and  to  obey  the  Gospel. 

He  may  be  thought,  by  those  who  do  not  know  him,  a 
"  revivalist."  Such  he  is  not — at  least  not  in  the  usual  mean- 
ing of  the  term  revivalist,  l)ut  the  farthest  from  it  imaginahle. 


472    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


There  is  no  cant,  no  affectation — his  speech  being  merely  earnest 
conversation.  It  never  enters  his  mind  to  play  the  orator. 
His  addresses  are  characterised  by  devotion  to  the  teaching  of 
the  New  Testament,  by  obvious  sincerity  and  an  all-pervading 
desire  for  the  salvation  of  his  hearers.  He  is  speaking  of 
moral  courage,  or  its  importance,  its  propriety,  its  congruity 
with  manliness.  "  //  there  be/'  he  remarks,  "  an  object  on  tliis 
earth  supremely  pitiable,  one  is  almost  tempted  to  say  con- 
temptible, it  is  a  man  who,  in  days  of  prosperity  and  health, 
stops  his  ears  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and,  through  fear  of  his 
fellow- worms,  refuses  to  obey  the  Saviour,  but  who,  when  death 
stares  him  in  the  face,  will  cry  out,  and  implore  the  prayers 
of  the  people  of  God.  And  will  the  Lord  hear  the  cry  of 
such?  What  does  it  say  in  effect?  "Lord,  I  have  lived  in 
sin,  I  have  done  thy  cause  what  harm  I  could,  but  can  do  no 
more,  /  can  serve  Satan  no  longer — now,  O  Lord,  receive  my 
poor  soul."  "  Because  I  called  and  you  refused,  I  will  laugh 
at  your  calamity  and  mock  when  your  feet  cometh."  Remem- 
ber these  fearful  words.  We  do  not  limit  the  power  or  benev- 
olence of  God,  but  he  will  not  be  mocked.  Beware,  Beware! 
Or  he  is  speaking  of  the  inherent  demerit  of  sin,  of  sowing  to 
the  flesh.  Turning  to  the  female  portion  of  his  audience,  he 
will  perhaps  speak  thus,  "  I  am  declining  and  I  know  it.  A 
few  more  years  will  probably  close  my  career,  and  yet  I  some- 
times hope  to  see  the  day  when  no  female  will  be  found  on 
the  dark  side,  sowing  to  the  flesh.  When  I  see  a  noble,  gen- 
erous-hearted female,  whom  all  admire,  advocating  the  cause 
of  sin  by  her  example,  /  blush  inwardly.''^ 

But  though  we  might  give  perhaps  the  precise  words,  it  is 
impossible  to  give  any  notion  of  the  speaker's  manner,  so  en- 
tirely his  own,  and  on  which  so  much  depends. 

The  venerable  Walter  Scott  wrote  in  the  Christian  Age 
as  follows: 

The  doleful  tidings  of  our  brother's  death  was  yesterday 
(twenty-eighth)  telegraphed  to  Bro.  Richard  M.  Bishop,  thus: 

"  Eld.  John  T.  Johnson  died  here  ( Lexington,  Mo. )  last  evening 
(twenty-fourth  December),  of  Pneumonia.    0.  H.  P.  Stone,  M.D." 

The  above  despatch  carries  to  the  bosoms  of  the  brethren  and 
relatives  of  the  deceased  so  great  a  burden  of  grief,  of  woe, 
of  wailing  and  tears,  that  any  effort  on  our  part  to  increase 
or  intensify  it  by  words  would  be  equally  indiscreet,  unfeeling, 
and  unavailing.  The  stroke  has  fallen  on  our  hearts  with  the 
unexpectedness  of  a  jet  of  lightning  from  a  cloudless  sky — 
like  a  thief  in  the  night ! — a  thief  in  the  night — "  Behold," 
says  Christ,  "  I  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night." 

Lord,  what  is  man  that  thou  shouldst  magnify  him — that 
thou  shouldst  set  thy  heart  upon  him — that  thou  shouldst  visit 
him  every  morning  and  try  him  every  moment  ? 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW  473 


What  is  life?  In  Deity  it  may  be,  and  indeed  it  is,  a  rich, 
deep,  overflowing,  and  unfathomable  fact;  but  in  man — what? 
A  vapour — a  lucid  interval  between  the  cradle  and  the  grave 
— a  bird  on  the  wing  to  a  far  foreign  clime — a  beauteous  face 
smitten  by  the  hand  of  time  into  a  hillock  of  wrinkles — a 
bright-eyed  boy  changed  to  a  grasshopper,  staff  in  hand — a 
craft  riding  'mid  rocks  and  whirlpools — a  sweet  flower  on 
winter's  stormy  breast!  Through  what  hosts  of  crowding 
contradictories  is  traced  the  devious  path  of  human  existence ! 
The  atom  and  the  universe — the  drop  and  the  ocean — the  single 
ray  and  the  full-orbed  sun  at  noon — the  sweet  and  the  bitter 
— love  and  hatred — good  and  evil — pain  and  pleasure — all 
have  to  be  encountered  in  the  solemn  march  and  fatal  battle 
of  life.  But  can  we  extract  from  this  chaos  of  contradictories 
that  now  enshrine  our  nature  no  summer,  no  brighter  idea 
of  life  than  that  it  is  a  vapour — a  group  of  wrinkles — a  lucid 
interval— a  wreck — a  flower?  Surely  there  are  two  sides  to 
the  picture  of  humanity.  Surely  there  is  the  fixed  as  well  as 
the  fugitive;  the  essential  as  well  as  the  accidental;  the  im- 
mortal as  well  as  the  mortal ;  the  divine  as  well  as  the  human. 
If,  then,  from  among  the  sands,  the  molecules,  the  atoms,  the 
little  things  of  nature,  of  society  and  of  men,  a  man  selects 
the  permanent,  the  essential,  the  immortal,  the  divine,  and 
dedicates  to  the  diffusion  and  defence  of  these  eternal  things 
among  mankind  his  body,  soul,  and  life,  can  we  deny  to  the 
same  the  title  of  "great  man"?  We  cannot.  With  the  af- 
flicted Prince  of  Israel,  therefore,  on  the  loss  of  Abner,  his 
general,  we  say,  on  the  death  of  our  noble  and  unsurpassed 
preacher,  Bro.  Johnson — "  This  day  a  great  man  has  fallen  in 
Israel." 

His  greatness,  however,  was  not  that  of  empire,  of  the  code, 
or  mere  patriotism,  or  of  philosophy,  or  of  art;  it  was  the 
greatness  of  goodness — the  greatness  of  unflinching  toil  and 
universal  success  in  the  noblest  of  all  causes — the  cause  of  hu- 
man redemption.  In  these  he  was  truly  great — perhaps  un- 
surpassed by  any  other  servant  of  the  Most  High  on  the  field. 
He  is  gone;  alas!    Shall  we  ever  see  his  like  again? 

Bro.  Johnson  originally  belonged  to  the  bar.  From  this  he 
went  to  Congress.  In  1812  he  entered  the  army,  and  was  an 
aid  to  General  Harrison  when  war  raged  on  our  northern 
frontier.  At  Fort  Meigs  he  had  his  horse  shot  under  him 
while  carrying  a  despatch  to  the  officer  in  command.  In 
religion  he  first  joined  the  Baptists;  but  on  gravely  consider- 
ing the  gospel  as  recorded  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  he  became 
convinced  that  we  were  correct  in  announcing  it  in  the 
language  of  inspiration.  Leaving  the  Baptist  brethren,  there- 
fore, he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  lend  the  influence  of  his  good 
name  and  the  force  of  his  great  talents  to  the  support  of  the 
current  Reformation. 

If  of  the  image  of  Christian  civilisation,  science,  and  art, 
are  to  be  lower  extremities,  and  law  and  religion  the  body  and 


474    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


arms,  is  not  indiddiial  character  the  head  and  diadem  of  the 
whole?  And  is  not  character  a  generalisation  in  which  is 
found  the  solution  of  the  great  and  manifold  problems  in- 
dicated by  divine  providence?  Is  it  not  to  the  development 
of  this  that  all  political,  moral,  spiritual,  and  material  forces 
in  all  their  strength  directly  or  indirectly  work?  It  is  char- 
acter that  makes  God;  the  want  of  it,  Satan.  Bro.  Johnson 
was  a  character;  but  who  is  prepared  to  give  a  lifelike  por- 
trait of  him — of  one  in  whom  were  united  the  nice  discrimina- 
tions of  law,  the  breadth  of  the  legislator,  the  courage  of  the 
soldier,  and  the  purity,  simplicity,  zeal,  labour,  and  grandeur, 
of  the  saint? 

Our  principles  require  to  be  aroused,  quickened,  invigorated, 
and  developed.  Among  the  providential  maxims  by  which  the 
machinery  of  the  moral  universe  is  guided,  vitalised,  and  con- 
served, the  law  of  suffering  is  one.  This  operates  with  such 
extent  of  effect  that  the  Most  High  himself  does  not  escape. 
In  this  "  vale  funereal  " — this  "  vale  of  tears  " — the  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  be  regarded  as  the  "  Chief 
Mourner." 

Bro.  Johnson  entered  voluntarily  with  all  saints  into  the 
melancholy  train,  and  suffered  and  sympathised,  and  groaned, 
with  God  and  the  creation. 

"  Sweet  are  the  uses  of  adversity, 
Which,  like  the  toad,  ugly  and  venomous. 
Wears  yet  a  precious  jewel  in  its  head." 

Bro.  Johnson,  in  the  brave  virtues  of  self-sacrifice,  courage, 
and  adherence  to  purpose,  had  few  rivals — no  superiors.  Who 
can  record  the  necessities  he  endured  in  his  long  career,  of 
hunger  and  thirst  and  cold,  of  weakness  and  weariness,  pain 
and  sickness,  danger  and  difficulty?  It  was  not  conscience 
and  scripture  alone  that  formed  the  model  of  his  life,  but 
Christ,  "  who  went  about  constantly  doing  good."  There  is 
one  universe,  one  God  who  made  it,  and  one  will  to  rule  it. 
Through  Christ  Bro.  Johnson  seized  with  a  strong  grasp  on 
this  will  and  made  it  the  rule  of  his  own  life,  and  was  most 
urgent  in  commending  it  to  others. 

In  his  ministry  he  showed  great  respect  for  character,  but 
none  for  persons.  While,  therefore,  his  gifts  fitted  him  for 
evangelical  labour  in  the  higher  and  better-educated  portion 
of  society,  his  graces  of  benevolence  and  condescension  ad- 
mirably qualified  him  for  waiting  on  the  poor.  His  gospel 
reached  both  these  extremes,  and  so  did  his  fireside  labours. 
He  won,  by  the  simplicity  and  power  of  his  appeals,  both  rich 
and  poor  to  the  obedience  of  the  faith. 

Nothing  is  more  sordid  than  a  low,  censorious  spirit ;  nor  is 
there  anything  more  noble  than  to  defend  the  absent  and  the 
innocent.  Bro.  Johnson's  character  sparkled  and  was  made 
radiant  by  these  qualities ;  but  while  he  was  forward  to  defend 
both  God  and  his  neighbour,  he  was  very  slow  to  resent  any- 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 


475 


thing  said  of  himself  or  done  to  himself  personally.  He  com- 
forted himself  in  conscious  rectitude — in  conscious  innocence. 

Christ  was  no  idler;  he  was  a  labourer — not  a  loiterer;  and 
a  great  man  in  the  ancient  world  was  called  a  man  of  magna 
labore,  mayna  diligentia — of  great  diligence,  of  great  labour. 
In  these  things  Elder  Johnson  must  have  had  "  rejoicing  in 
himself,"  as  Paul  says.  "  and  not  in  another." 

It  is  said  of  Christ  that,  though  rich,  for  our  sake  he  be- 
came poor."  "  The  foxes  have  holes,"  he  said,  "  and  the  birds 
of  the  air  have  nests,  but  the  Son  of  Man  has  not  where  to  lay 
his  head."  No  man  had  fairer  prospects  of  making  himself, 
if  he  desired  it,  rich  than  the  deceased.  He  saw  clearly  that 
covetousness  was  a  popular  sin,  and  that  if  men  do  well  to 
themselves  the  world  will  praise  them  ;  but  neither  the  prospect 
of  wealth  nor  worldly  applause  could  shake  the  steadfast  pur- 
pose of  his  soul,  or  turn  him  aside  from  Christ  and  man's  re- 
demption. 

Bro.  Johnson's  oratory  was  of  a  flery  and  heroic  type — in 
most  instances  irresistible.  It  pleased,  instructed,  convinced, 
and  charmed  all  souls  to  the  obedience  of  the  faith.  He  bap- 
tised vast  numbers  of  people.  And  although  he  seemed  cheered 
by  the  fact,  and  somewhat  gratified  by  the  brethren's  appro- 
bation of  his  public  effort,  yet  no  man  cared  less  than  he  for 
the  honour  that  comes  from  men.  He  willingly  surrendered 
his  reputation  with  men  for  the  sake  of  souls  and  the  honour 
of  heaven. 

To  live  for  ourselves  is  no  proper  purpose  of  life.  Bro. 
Johnson  saw  this,  and  therefore  placed  his  eye  steadily  on  the 
great  ends  of  human  existence — the  elevation  and  perfection 
of  his  own  nature,  the  good  of  man,  and  the  glory  of  God.  He 
is  now  going  to  reap  the  highest  reward  of  excellence — fellow- 
ship with  God ;  or,  as  Paul  says — "  He  has  gone  to  Mount 
Zion  and  to  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem, 
to  an  innumerable  company  of  angels,  to  the  general  assembly 
and  church  of  the  first-born,  whose  names  are  written  in 
Heaven,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  and  to 
Jesus  the  Mediator  of  the  New  Covenant,  whose  blood  speaketh 
better  things  than  the  blood  of  Abel,  and  to  God  the  Judge  of 
all."  This  is  the  sum  and  high  reward  of  all  his  toils  and  all 
his  excellence. 

About  two  months  after  the  death  of  John  T.  Johnson, 
Jacob  Creath,  Sr.,  also  died.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest 
advocates  of  the  movement  in  Kentucky,  and  was  ex- 
cluded from  the  Elkhorn  Association  because  of  his  advo- 
cacy of  the  principles  of  the  Reformation.  Reference 
has  already  been  made  to  Mr.  Campbell's  estimate  of  his 
eloquence,  and  the  following  sketch  by  George  W.  Elley, 
a  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Creath,  will  be  appreciated  by 


476    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


those  who  are  interested  in  life  pictures  of  the  old 
pioneers : 

Bro.  Creath  was  a  remarkable  man  in  some  respects,  for 
although  his  education  and  reading  were  quite  limited,  yet  he 
was  possessed  of  all  the  elements  necessary  to  ensure,  with 
proper  culture,  the  development  of  a  genius  rarely  to  be  found 
in  men.  He  was  born  a  subject  of  Great  Britain,  in  the 
province  of  Nova  Scotia,  February  22,  1777.  At  the  age  of 
ten,  his  parents  emigrated  with  him  to  Virginia.  At  twelve  he 
was  added  to  the  Baptist  Church,  and  at  eighteen  he  com- 
menced his  ministerial  history  among  them.  At  twenty-two 
he  married  the  daughter  of  Job  Carter,  of  Lancaster  County, 
Northern  Neck,  Virginia,  and  in  the  year  1800  they  emigrated 
to  this  State  and  County. 

But  few  men  possessed  more  of  the  elements  necessary  to  a 
popular  orator  than  Bro.  Creath.  He  possessed  a  fine  face,  a 
remarkably  keen  and  interesting  pair  of  eyes,  which  sparkled 
with  animation  and  benevolence;  a  voice  as  loud,  and  yet  as 
rich,  as  our  best  church  organs,  and  with  a  commanding  and 
controlling  power  over  its  intonations.  As  a  pulpit  orator, 
he  had  but  few,  if  any,  equals  in  the  State,  or  West.  Bland 
and  affectionate  in  his  intercourse  with  all  men,  he  very 
naturally  exerted  a  very  large  and  controlling  influence  among 
the  Baptists.  He  possessed  but  little  of  that  sectarian  spirit 
that  too  commonly  exists  among  the  leaders  of  the  various 
party  dogmas  of  all  sects,  and  was  emphatically  a  man  of 
peace  and  forgiveness.  A  malicious  temperament  or  feeling 
towards  those  who  opposed  him  formed  no  part  of  his  char- 
acter, yet  he  had,  during  his  early  history  in  Kentucky,  many 
strong  and  untiring  adversaries  among  the  Baptists;  but  he 
came  off  in  all  his  contests  with  the  spoils.  I  have  often  heard 
him  detail  his  early  conflicts  whilst  among  the  Baptists,  and 
upon  his  dying  couch  heard  him,  with  uplifted  hands  to  heaven, 
say  that  he  "  freely  forgave  every  human  being  all  their  sup- 
posed injuries,  as  well  as  those  which  were  real,  for  Christ's 
sake." 

He  remained  with  the  Baptists  till  1827,  when,  after  much 
inward  conflict  between  his  early  convictions  and  associations, 
which  had  greatly  endeared  him  to  very  many  of  his  brethren, 
he  was  compelled  to  change  his  religious  associations  and 
views,  for  a  system  which,  in  some  respects,  he  regarded  of  a 
higher  and  purer  origin,  and  which  led  him  to  connect  himself 
with  those  brethren  who  were  contending  for  a  purer  speech, 
and  a  more  primitive  order  in  faith  and  practice.  Like  his 
old  companions  in  the  former  army.  Elder  John  Smith,  Wm. 
Morton,  and  others,  when  he  moved,  hundreds  of  others  jour- 
neyed with  him,  and  sometimes  whole  congregations  would  go 
in  the  mass.  Always  true  to  the  cause,  and  the  friends  he 
allied  with,  so  long  as  his  convictions  were  in  unison  with 
them,  he  continued  not  only  with  equal,  but  increased  zeal,  to 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 


477 


plead  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness,  and  the  freedom 
of  speech  and  conscience.  As  a  sermoniser  he  generally  felt 
himself  fortified  with  ample  means  when  before  a  congregation, 
but  when  he  had  connected  himself  with  the  Christian  breth- 
ren, at  a  time  when  the  great  conliict  of  society  was  with  facts 
and  arguments,  and  when  the  entire  system  of  preaching  was 
necessarily  changed,  he  often  expressed  himself  as  unable  to 
leave  off  his  old  habits  of  declamation  for  arguments  and 
close  logical  reasoning.  As  an  exhorter,  he  possessed  rare 
and  valuable  talent,  and  often  produced  powerful  effects  upon 
his  audiences.  But  few  men  could  discriminate  in  abstruse 
cases  with  more  quickness  than  he  could;  and  in  all  matters  of 
church  law,  he  was  remarkably  pointed  and  clear.  Among  his 
preaching  brethren  he  was  gentle  and  affectionate,  assuming 
no  arrogant  superiority  on  account  of  his  age,  and  the  ex- 
perience of  over  fifty  years  in  the  ministry. 

For  the  last  seven  years  he  had  been  totally  blind,  by  a 
sudden  attack  of  jaundice,  as  he  thought,  at  Memphis,  Ten- 
nessee, when  on  his  way  to  Mississippi,  to  see  his  daughters. 
Under  this  affliction,  however  sorely  he  felt  it,  he  was  sub- 
missive, and  without  a  murmur.  He  received  it  as  coming 
from  the  hand  of  God,  and  bore  it  with  constant  patience. 
By  this  sudden  and  unexpected  stroke  he  felt  that  an  end  had 
been  brought  to  his  public  ministry,  and  the  unsi)eakably  high 
privilege  of  reading  the  word  of  God.  It  was,  indeed,  an  af- 
fliction irreparable  in  this  life,  but  he  knew  how  to  turn  it 
to  the  best  account.  He  possessed,  both  by  nature  and  associa- 
tion, unusual  qualifications  for  the  social  circle;  and  being  a 
common  favourite  among  the  brotherhood,  he  sought  to  spend 
much  of  his  time  in  their  society,  which,  in  a  great  measure, 
destroyed  the  recollection  of  his  blindness.  He  often  spoke, 
either  in  word  or  exhortation,  with  the  Churches,  and  always 
received  their  kindest  sympathies. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  Bible  Society 
which  was  organised  a  few  years  before  the  American 
Christian  Missionary  Society  was  organised.  At  the  Con- 
vention, when  this  latter  Society  was  organised,  a  vote 
of  confidence  and  commendation  was  passed  by  the  Con- 
vention with  respect  to  the  Bible  Society.  It  was  soon 
seen,  however,  that  this  Society  was  not  specially  needed, 
and  it  was  finally  discontinued,  and  the  Disciples  very 
generally  supported  the  American  Bible  Union,  a  society 
which  had  for  its  object,  mainly,  the  translation  of  the 
Bible.  This  Society  was  warmly  supported  by  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, and  he  was  assigned  the  book  of  Acts  for  transla- 
tion. He  gave  himself  very  earnestly  to  this  work  and 
finished  it  in  the  spring  of  1855.  It  is  generally  conceded 
that,  in  undertaking  this  important  revision,  he  made  a 


478   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


mistake.  His  mind  was  not  specially  adapted  to  that  kind 
of  work.  He  was  fond  of  generalisation,  and  alwaj's 
felt  himself  cramped  when  he  had  to  plod  through  details, 
such  as  this  revision  work  required.  But  true  to  his 
traditional  habit,  he  gave  himself  practically  up  to  this 
slavish  work  while  he  had  it  on  hand,  taking  little  exer- 
cise, and  confining  himself  almost  the  whole  of  his  time 
to  his  studio.  The  consequence  was  he  came  out  of  the 
task  somewhat  broken  in  health,  from  which  he  never 
perhaps  entirely  recovered. 

The  co-operation  of  the  Disciples  and  Baptists  in  this 
revision  enterprise  brought  their  leaders  closely  together, 
and  did  much  to  break  down  the  antagonism  which  had 
resulted  in  a  separation  of  the  two  bodies  at  the  beginning 
of  the  third  decade. 

However,  this  good-fellowship  was  somewhat  marred 
by  the  appearance  of  a  book,  entitled  Campbellism  Ex- 
amined," b}^  Rev.  Jeremiah  B.  Jeter,  of  Richmond,  Va. 
Dr.  Jeter  was  a  prominent  minister  in  the  Baptist  Church, 
and  his  book  was  intensely  partisan  in  its  character.  In 
many  respects  it  was  an  entire  misrepresentation  of  the 
Disciple  position,  and  in  scarcely  anything  did  it  do 
justice  to  their  religious  movement.  The  book  was  re- 
viewed by  Mr.  Campbell  in  a  series  of  articles  which  were 
published  in  his  magazine,  the  Millennial  Harbinger. 

Dr.  Jeter's  main  point  of  attack  was  with  respect  to 
the  teaching  of  the  Disciples  concerning  the  office  and 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  claimed  that  their  position 
on  this  subject  was  superlatively  heterodox.  In  this  con- 
tention he  grossly  misrepresented  the  Disciples.  No  one 
can  read  the  utterances  of  the  leaders  of  the  movement 
without  feeling  that  such  a  charge  is  wholly  unfounded. 
Mr.  Campbell's  great  opening  speech  on  this  subject,  in 
the  Campbell  and  Rice  debate,  is  of  itself  sufficient  to 
annihilate  every  position  which  Mr.  Jeter  assumed  in  his 
book.  It  is  said  that  the  Hon.  Henry  Clay,  who  heard 
this  masterly  address,  was  thoroughly  captivated  by  it, 
and  afterwards  declared  it  was  the  finest  piece  of  logic 
and  rhetoric  to  which  he  had  ever  listened. 

But  the  position  of  the  Disciples  with  respect  to 
spiritual  influence  did  seriously  protest  against  the  popu- 
lar notions  on  that  subject.  Undoubtedly,  very  erroneous 
views  were  held  by  many  at  that  particular  time  with 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW  479 


respect  to  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  matter  of 
conversion.  This  was  so  much  the  case  that  superstition 
had  taken  the  place  of  facts,  while  "  sights  and  sounds  " 
and  occult  impressions  had  largely  superseded  the  plain 
teaching  of  the  Word  of  God.  It  was  against  these  ex- 
cesses and  perversions  of  Scriptural  teaching  that  the 
Disciples  made  their  strong  protest,  and  it  was  largely 
because  they  did  so  that  their  position  was  misunderstood 
by  some  and  repudiated  by  many.  In  this  was  illustrated 
a  very  common  habit  with  people  who  do  not  think.  We 
often  imagine  that  a  doctrine  is  denied,  when  the  abuse 
of  it  comes  under  protest. 

Dr.  Jeter's  book  was  received  among  the  Baptists  with 
mingled  feelings  of  approbation  and  protest.  Most  of 
the  least  informed  among  the  Baptists  regarded  its  ap- 
pearance as  providential,  and  hailed  its  arguments  with 
supreme  delight.  However,  there  were  not  a  few  among 
the  more  intelligent  Baptists  who  shook  their  heads,  and 
were  by  no  means  pleased  with  either  the  arguments  or 
the  spirit  of  Dr.  Jeter's  book.  For  some  time  there  had 
been  a  growing  feeling  among  the  ablest  Baptist  ministers 
that  the  position  of  the  Disciples  was  in  the  main  right, 
and  that  opposition  to  these  views  was  only  a  proof  of 
the  ignorance  of  those  who  made  it.  One  of  the  men 
who,  in  his  early  ministry,  had  been  most  outspoken  in 
his  opposition  to  the  Disciples,  was  John  L.  Waller,  of 
Louisville,  Ky.,  one  of  the  ablest  preachers  and  theologians 
of  his  day.  He  died  in  1854,  but  some  time  before  his 
death  he  became  intimately  acquainted  with  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, and  after  a  careful  examination  of  the  latter's  teach- 
ing, Dr.  Waller  practically  gave  up  his  opposition,  and 
expressed  his  hearty  agreement  with  the  sage  of  Bethany 
in  nearly  all  of  his  contentions.  Dr.  S.  W.  Lynd,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, was  another  able  Baptist  minister  who  was  dis- 
posed to  do  Mr.  Campbell  justice.  He  wrote  some  articles 
severely  criticising  Dr.  Jeter's  book  and  practically  agree- 
ing with  Mr.  Campbell  in  all  of  his  positions  except  his 
view  of  the  design  of  baptism.  But  this  view  of  the  de- 
sign of  baptism  was  never  made  an  article  of  faith  with 
the  Disciples,  though  they  regarded  it  of  much  importance, 
and  this  being  the  case,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  such  men 
as  Dr.  Lynd  and  Dr.  Waller  could  heartily  co-operate 
with  the  Disciples,  not  only  in  respect  to  Biblical  revision, 


480    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


but  also  in  respect  to  everything  else  pertaining  to  re- 
ligious work.  Indeed,  it  is  highly  probable  that  had 
John  L.  Waller  lived  some  years  longer,  there  might  have 
been  effected  a  union  between  the  Baptists  and  Disciples 
before  the  death  of  Mr.  Campbell ;  and  it  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  this  would  have  been  the  crowning  glory  of 
Mr.  Campbell's  great  soul,  for  he  always  regretted  the 
separation  that  had  taken  place,  and  was  ever  ready  to 
meet  his  Baptist  brethren,  even  more  than  half-way,  in 
any  effort  that  looked  towards  the  union  of  the  two  bodies. 

Mr.  Jeter's  book  was  not  only  reviewed  in  the  Harbinger 
by  Mr.  Campbell,  but  received  its  final  quietus  in  a  book 
published  by  Moses  E.  Lard,  in  1857.  This  was  an  able 
and  exhaustive  review  of  Mr.  Jeter's  book,  and  though 
somewhat  caustic  in  its  style,  and  not  always  correct  in 
its  expositions  of  Scripture,  it  was,  nevertheless,  a  most 
remarkable  production  by  a  man  as  young  as  Mr.  Lard 
was  at  the  time  he  wrote  his  review. 

Mr.  Lard  was  a  graduate  of  Bethany  College,  and  was 
in  some  respects  unsurpassed  as  a  thinker  and  preacher 
among  the  second  generation  of  those  who  were  eminent 
as  leaders  of  the  Disciple  movement.  He  was  born  in 
Tennessee,  but  migrated  with  his  parents  to  Missouri 
when  he  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age.  In  this  latter 
state  he  grew  up  among  the  earlier  settlers;  and  though 
without  the  culture  which  comes  from  a  refined  environ- 
ment, he  nevertheless  soon  became  distinguished  for  hav- 
ing a  vigorous  mind,  as  well  as  great  power  as  a  speaker. 
His  review  of  Mr.  Jeter,  from  the  point  of  view  occupied, 
left  nothing  more  to  be  said.  It  was  simply  overwhelming. 
Every  sentence  was  as  concise  as  it  could  be  made,  and 
was  as  Incisive  as  it  was  concise.  The  general  effect  of 
the  book  was  practically  to  close  the  controversy  be- 
tween Baptists  and  Disciples,  with  respect  to  the  matters 
discussed  by  Dr.  Jeter  and  Mr.  Lard.  Intelligent  Baptist 
preachers  conceded  the  victory  to  the  Disciples,  while  the 
more  spiritually  minded  and  conservative  Disciples  ad- 
mitted that  Mr.  Lard's  review,  while  conclusive  with  re- 
spect to  the  issues  involved,  was  nevertheless  not  alto- 
gether amiable  in  spirit,  and  upon  the  whole  did  not  tend 
to  help  the  union  spirit  which  had  begun  to  develop  among 
the  Baptists  and  Disciples. 

Another  disturbing  element  came  to  the  front  about 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW  481 


this  time.  A  publication  society  had  been  organised,  and 
had  received  some  support  in  contributions,  and  also  in 
the  endorsement  of  the  Missionary  Convention.  How- 
ever, this  Society  did  not  receive  the  sympathy  of  many 
Disciples.  Mr.  Campbell  himself  was  doubtful  about  its 
usefulness,  and  when  some  of  the  money  contributed  to 
the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society  was  diverted 
to  this  Publication  Society,  the  Harbinger  no  longer  hesi- 
tated to  declare  its  opposition.  The  chief  defender  was 
Benjamin  Franklin,  who  was  at  that  time  editor  of  the 
Christian  Age,  a  paper  published  at  Cincinnati,  and  the 
only  influential  weekly  paper  devoted  to  the  plea  of  the 
Disciples  in  existence  at  that  time.  Mr.  Franklin  was 
a  man  of  great  energy  and  equally  great  courage.  He  was 
somewhat  deficient  in  scholarly  attainments,  but  he  made 
up  for  this  in  common  sense  and  his  knowledge  of  the 
people.  If  he  had  been  a  politician  he  would  probably 
have  been  reckoned  among  demagogues,  as  he  certainly 
understood  how  to  make  use  of  the  ad  captandiim  vulgus  in 
carrying  his  point.  But  he  was  too  conscientious,  too  de- 
voted to  the  cause  which  he  had  espoused,  to  knowingly 
use  his  popular  power  for  illicit  ends.  Nevertheless,  he 
was  a  strong  force  to  deal  with  when  he  was  in  opposition. 

Professor  Pendleton  conducted  the  controversy  with 
Mr.  Franklin  with  respect  to  this  Publication  Society, 
Mr.  Pendleton  attacking,  and  Mr.  Franklin  defending  the 
Society.  The  correspondence  finally  degenerated  into  per- 
sonalities, and  was  discontinued  without  any  immediate 
result,  except  to  embitter  feelings  among  the  brethren 
where  love  ought  to  have  reigned.  Later,  however,  the 
Publication  Society  was  discontinued,  as  also  the  Bible 
Society,  which  had  been  started  a  few  years  before  the 
American  Christian  Missionary  Society  was  organised. 

The  chief  difficulty  with  the  Publication  Society  was 
that  it  was  not  properly  supported,  and  could  accomplish 
very  little  with  the  meagre  means  it  had  at  its  disposal. 
Undoubtedly,  it  was  a  move  in  the  right  direction,  but 
it  was  born  out  of  due  time.  The  Disciples  have  never 
had  a  publication  house  worthy  of  the  name.  They  have 
been  compelled  to  either  bury  their  books  where  it  was 
simply  impossible  for  them  to  reach  the  general  public, 
or  else  go  to  publishing  houses  entirely  outside  of  the 
brotherhood.     Recently  there  has  been  a  rising  feeling 


482    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


that  the  time  has  come  when  such  a  publishing  society, 
or  firm,  is  greatly  needed. 

In  1856,  the  Kentucky  Christian  Education  Society  was 
organised.  The  men  chiefly  responsible  for  this  important 
movement  were  William  Morton,  Philip  S.  Fall,  R.  C. 
Rice,  R.  C.  Ricketts,  Dr.  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  Z.  F.  Smith,  and, 
indeed,  nearly  all  the  leading  preachers  and  brethren  of 
that  state.  It  was  felt  that  a  great  many  indigent  young 
men  who  were  wishful  to  enter  the  ministry  had  not  the 
financial  means  to  secure  a  collegiate  education,  and  as 
a  majority  of  those  who  wish  to  enter  the  ministry  belong 
to  this  very  class,  this  organisation  really  became  a  neces- 
sity in  order  to  help  these  indigent  young  men  to  equip 
themselves  worthily  for  the  great  work  of  preaching  the 
Gospel.  This  society  soon  secured  a  respectable  endow- 
ment fund,  and  has  already  spent  a  large  sum  in  assist- 
ing about  600  young  men  to  enter  the  ministry.  It  offers 
a  solution  of  perhaps  the  most  difficult  problem  which 
the  Disciples  have  to  meet  in  this  twentieth  century,  viz., 
the  supply  of  a  well-educated  ministry.  It  is  not  easy 
to  endow  colleges  for  the  education  of  these  young  men, 
while  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  attend  college  for  want 
of  the  necessary  financial  means  to  do  so.  Thousands 
of  young  men  are  turned  away  from  their  aspirations  to 
enter  the  ministry  simply  because  they  see  it  is  impossible 
to  obtain  an  education  commensurate  with  the  position 
they  will  be  called  upon  to  fill,  and  realising  that  they 
must  occupy  a  place  where  they  will  be  discounted,  if 
they  do  not  obtain  a  college  education,  they  at  once  turn 
away  from  the  ministry  and  seek  some  other  calling.  This 
Kentucky  Education  Society  solved  the  problem  for  that 
state,  at  least  to  a  large  extent,  and  the  result  is  seen 
in  the  ministry  which  has  been  educated  by  the  aid  of 
this  Society.  If  other  states  would  do  as  Kentucky  has 
done,  there  would  be  no  longer  much  complaint  about  the 
inadequate  supply  of  preachers  for  the  churches. 

While  the  Disciples  were  passing  through  this  transi- 
tional period,  where  they  were  reaching  out  for  organisa- 
tion and  co-operation,  they  did  not  cease  their  evangelistic 
efforts.  Some  great  meetings  were  held  about  this  time, 
and  among  these  may  be  mentioned  one  that  was  held 
with  the  Fourth  and  Walnut  Street  Christian  Church  in 
Louisville,  Ky.    D.  P.  Henderson,  whose  name  has  already 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW  483 


been  mentioned,  was  the  chief  preacher  at  this  meeting. 
The  remarkable  character  of  the  meeting  was  in  its  con- 
tinuation for  monthfe,  and  in  the  simplicity  of  the  methods 
adopted.  Henderson's  style  was  very  unique.  Nearly  all 
the  time  he  was  speaking  he  held  the  Bible  in  one  hand, 
and  slightly  gestured  with  the  other.  He  did  not  quote 
the  Scriptures  as  preachers  usually  do,  but  he  read  nearly 
every  passage  out  of  the  Bible  itself,  so  as  to  be  exact 
in  all  the  quotations  he  made.  His  discourses  were,  as 
a  rule,  simply  running  comments  upon  the  Scripture  used, 
and  were  without  rhetorical  finish,  and  frequently  with 
no  logical  sequence.  Very  often  each  discourse  would  be 
a  commentary  on  several  selected  passages  of  Scripture, 
and  not  infrequently  a  whole  chapter  would  be  brought 
into  requisition  as  the  basis  of  what  he  had  to  say. 

From  week  to  week  he  kept  up  the  interest  by  this  simple 
style  of  preaching,  and  the  result  was  a  great  ingathering 
of  souls.  He  continued  to  be  the  pastor  of  the  church 
for  some  time  after  this  great  meeting,  and  did  much  to 
plant  the  cause  firmly  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Henderson,  during  the  latter  years  of  the  saintly 
Stone,  was  co-editor  with  him  of  the  Christian  Messenger, 
when  it  was  published  at  Jacksonville,  111.  He  was  also 
largely  influential  in  founding  Christian  University  at 
Canton,  Mo.,  as  well  as  intimately  connected  with  other 
enterprises  among  the  Disciples.  He  was  one  of  the 
epoch-making  men  of  his  time. 

In  the  year  1858  J.  O.  Beardslee  was  sent  to  Jamaica 
to  take  charge  of  a  mission  work  on  that  island.  Mr. 
I>eardslee  had  already  had  experience  in  work  there  as 
a  missionary.  But,  having  united  with  the  Disciples, 
he  now  went  as  their  second  missionary  to  a  foreign  field. 
This  mission,  like  the  Jerusalem  mission,  was  not  pro- 
ductive of  many  converts,  though  it  reacted  favourably 
upon  the  churches  at  home  somewhat  as  the  Jerusalem 
mission  did.  Both  of  these  missions  were  valuable  as 
experiments,  if  for  no  other  reason.  They  partially  satis- 
fied the  Disciples'  longing  for  a  world-wide  spread  of  their 
principles.  Mr.  Beardslee  was  well  equipped  for  the  work 
which  he  undertook,  and  he  laid  the  foundation  for  the 
subsequent  success  which  has  crowned  the  Jamaica  mis- 
sion. 

In  closing  the  year  1859,  Professor  W.  K.  Pendleton 


484    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


takes  a  backward  look  at  what  had  been  acoomplislied  up 
to  that  particuhir  time,  and  we  cannot  do  better  than  close 
this  chapter  with  some  extracts  from  his  suggestive  re- 
view.   He  says: 

The  closing  of  the  year  suggests  to  us  many  reflections  of 
great  value  to  the  soul.  It  is  like  the  pauses,  which  the 
mariner  makes  in  his  voyage  over  the  wide  and  trackless  sea, 
that  he  may  take  reckonings  of  his  progress,  and  from  a  sur- 
vey of  the  wastes  over  which  he  has  drifted,  find  his  true 
position,  and  correct  his  course  for  future  sailing.  For  life, 
each  one's  life,  is  but  a  short  sail  on  his  little  tract  of  the 
measureless  sea  of  time,  over  which  his  bark  is  driving,  but 
too  often  darkly,  before  the  whirl  and  pulse  and  fitful  gusts 
of  his  own  passions,  and  it  needs,  that  in  calm  days  of  medita- 
tion and  tranquil  faith,  he  should  pause  for  observation  upon 
the  celestial  lights,  which,  ever  steady  in  the  heavens,  rear 
their  eternal  beacons  high  above  the  tempests  that  toss  us  on 
earth,  and  point  us,  unerringly  and  alone,  to  the  true  haven 
of  the  soul.  We  are  approaching  the  end  of  another  year, — 
we  are  about  to  close  another  volume  of  our  communings  with 
a  widely  scattered  and  rapidly  growing  brotherhood,  and  we 
would  linger  a  moment,  before  we  part  with  the  past,  that  we 
may  catch  some  good  inspiration  from  its  spirit,  to  fit  us  for 
the  labour  and  life  of  the  future. 

The  year  has  been  one  of  great  activity  among  the  Disciples 
— never  has  the  gospel  been  proclaimed  with  more  earnestness 
or  its  power  more  joyfully  manifested  in  the  conversion  of 
souls.  From  every  part  of  the  wide  union  the  story  of  its  tri- 
umphs is  sent  up  to  us,  and  we  feel  fully  warranted  in  saying, 
that  during  the  last  twelve  months  not  less  than  thirty  or 
forty  thousand  converts  have  been  enlisted  under  the  banners 
of  the  Cross.  Hundreds  of  churches  have  been  planted  and 
organised,  in  districts  where,  hitherto,  we  have  scarcely  had  a 
name,  and  their  influence  and  power  are  steadily  increasing 
and  constantly  exerted  to  the  further  extension  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  pure,  primitive,  apostolic  Christianity,  both  in  faith 
and  practice.  The  tendency  is  perpetually  towards  greater 
and  closer  unanimity.  Our  brethren  are  emphatically  one. 
One  in  faith,  one  in  the  great  spirit  of  missionary  work,  in  the 
most  general  and  particular  sense  of  the  word,  and  one  in  the 
"  doctrine  of  Christ."  Never  have  we  had  greater  reason  to 
confide  in  the  impregnable  strength  of  the  ground  which  we 
occupy,  than  now.  Very  generally,  we  are  enjoying  the 
demonstration  of  experience.  The  blessed  words  of  the 
Saviour  have  been  brought  to  fulfilment  in  our  hearts — "  My 
doctrine  is  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent  me.  If  any  man  will  do 
his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  be  God,  or 
whether  I  speak  of  myself." — We  have  thrown  ourselves  upon 
the  test  of  experience,  and  in  the  blessed  and  wonderful  re- 
sultSj  we  find  that  God  is  truly  with  his  word; — and  we  have 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW  485 


nothing  to  do  but  to  go  on  in  the  plain  and  simple  path  of  duty, 
as  prescribed  in  his  Sacred  Oracles,  and  wait  for  his  blessing. 
It  will  surely  come,  as  we  have  richly  and  abundantly  found, 
in  a  thousand  fields  of  conflict  and  patient  labour  of  love 
and  hope. 

Every  one,  who  considers,  must  perceive  that  the  onrolling 
columns  of  our  strength  are  advancing  from  victory  to  vic- 
tory. Our  zeal  is  growing  with  a  steadier  flame ;  our  liber- 
ality in  sustaining  the  great  machinery  of  missionary  work, 
particular  and  general,  at  home  and  abroad,  is  pouring  forth 
more  constant  supplies  for  the  furnishing  and  support  of 
labour;  our  spirit  of  unity  is  concentring  with  greater  and 
greater  energy  and  directness  upon  the  great  head  of  the 
church,  and  radiating  fountain  of  all  our  light,  and  the  con- 
trolling power  of  all  our  circles  of  effort ;  and  our  experience 
of  the  power  and  efficiency  of  the  word  and  spirit  of  God,  in 
bringing  to  blissful  fulfilment,  both  in  our  hearts  and  upon  the 
world  without,  every  promise  that  he  has  given  to  our  hope, 
is  daily  rising  up  into  fuller  and  clearer  consciousness  be- 
fore us,  till  we  look  around  us  and  exclaim,  "  The  stone  which 
the  builders  rejected,  the  same  is  become  the  head  of  the 
corner." 

The  lesson  of  the  parable  of  the  wicked  husbandman  is  be- 
fore us  to-day,  in  the  present  fortunes  of  the  Church.  The 
selfish  and  barren  husbandry  of  old  organisations  is  bringing 
forth  no  fruits.  The  fields  have  become  beaten  and  hard  under 
the  superficial  and  misdirected  ploughings  and  harrowings  of 
"  scientific  orthodoxy."  The  meagre  management  scarcely 
feeds  the  hungry  managers,  and  there  is  no  return  for  the 
honour  of  the  householder.  His  messengers  are  beaten  and  re- 
pulsed ;  the  heir  himself  is  cast  out,  that  they  may  seize  upon 
the  inheritance;  and  therefore,  "the  kingdom  is  taken  from 
them  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits  thereof." 
Here  is  the  secret  of  our  power.  It  is  in  faithful  work.  Un- 
remitted, laborious,  prayerful  labour  in  the  great  vineyard  for 
rich  and  abundant  fruits  to  lay  at  the  feet  of  the  Master.  We 
need  no  theories  of  spiritual  husbandry,  while  we  hold  in  our 
hand  the  perfect  manual  of  our  daily  tasks,  furnished  by  the 
infallible  Teacher  himself.  Let  us  go  forth  and  plough  and 
sow  and  reap,  looking  ever  to  God  for  the  increase,  and  he  will 
surely  give  it! 

Our  zeal  is  not  yet  commensurate  with  the  power  which 
Providence  has  committed  to  us,  and  which  is  daily  augment- 
ing under  his  blessing.  Still  we  have  done  much ; — this  we 
can  lay  our  hands  upon; — we  can  call  it  up  before  us  statis- 
tically, and  read  somewhat,  too,  of  its  spiritual  significance; — 
and  this,  we  think  it  neither  unbecoming  nor  unprofitable  to 
do.  It  is  good  to  "  commune  with  our  past  hours,  and  ask 
them  what  report  they  have  borne  to  Heaven."  Good  for  us 
as  individuals, — good  for  us  as  a  people,  serving  our  God,  and 
feeling  responsible  for  our  standing  and  work  before  him,  in 


486    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  peculiar  position  to  which,  in  his  gracious  providence,  he 
has  called  us. 

The  uaachinery  of  the  gospel  dispensation  is  not  complex. 
It  has  all  the  siuiplicitj  which  ever  characterises  the  methods 
of  sublime  power.  Its  work  is  simple, — only  to  bring  effica- 
ciously into  the  hearts  of  the  fallen,  the  power  of  the  resur- 
rection. This  is  the  whole  of  it,  and  for  this  we  have  the  mis- 
sionary and  the  Church.  The  New  Testament  recognises  no 
other  human  agencies,  and  we  do  not  need  them.  The  mis- 
sionary, indeed,  is  but  the  circulating  medium  between  the 
Church  and  the  world.  The  endorsement  of  the  Church  gives 
him  credit ; — and  upon  her  permanency  and  character  as  a 
fulcrum,  does  he  plant  his  power  and  throw  forth  the  reaction 
of  his  efforts  for  the  conversion  of  the  world.  But  the  Church 
has  more  than  this  to  do.  She  has  to  nourish  and  keep  alive 
and  in  health  her  own  body,  without  which  she  must  be 
powerless  for  her  high  mission.  For  this  end  she  is  dis- 
tributed into  convenient  congregations, — churches,  (and  this, 
let  it  never  be  forgotten,  is  the  peculiar  design  of  these  organi- 
sations), but  within  these,  and,  much  more  largely  and  notice- 
ably, if  we  could  think,  around  and  without  these,  is  the  great 
wide  world,  lying  under  wickedness,  calling  by  its  destitution 
and  darkness,  by  its  perpetual  wail  of  sin-born  ignorance  and 
misery,  calling  upon  the  Church  universal— to  send  them — 
What?  Simply — "The  Gospel."  To  deliver  to  them  prac- 
tically, and  in  its  saving  power,  the  glad  tidings  of  Eternal 
life. 

More  and  more  every  day,  we  perceive,  are  our  brethren  feeling 
the  force  of  this  simple  and  sublime  order  for  the  redemption 
of  the  world,  and  steadily  are  their  energies  sweeping  into  line 
for  its  execution.  The  disciples  are  awakening  to  the  great 
practical  demand  which  exists  for  missionary  labour,  because, 
more  and  more,  do  they  realise  the  potver  of  the  gospel  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth  it.  With  this  conviction 
in  the  head ;  with  the  confirmation  of  it,  wlijch  the  spreading 
triumphs  of  our  efforts  are,  with  cumulative  evidence,  per- 
petually pouring  in  upon  our  observation;  and  with  the  love 
of  God  and  of  man  stirring  in  our  hearts,  what  else  can  we  be, 
but  a  missionary  peojjle!  Every  Christian  is  called  upon  to 
work  in  the  spirit  of  his  Master,  and  to  tell  the  way  of  salva- 
tion as  best  he  can.  The  mechanic  at  his  bench ;  the  farmer  in 
his  fields ;  the  professional  man  in  the  circle  of  his  patrons ; 
the  boy  to  the  companion  of  his  sports ;  the  girl  to  each  gentle 
spirit  that  walks  with  her  through  the  eloquent  flowers ;  the 
master  to  his  servant ;  the  father  and  mother  to  their  children ; 
and  all  these,  through  the  missionary  and  the  Church,  to  the 
whole  world. 

With  the  growth  of  this  feeling  has  our  Missionary  Society 
grown,  for  what  is  this  but  an  arrangement  for  the  harmonious 
and  united  expression  of  our  faith  in  the  gospel  as  the  power 
of  God  for  the  conversion  of  the  world,  and  a  practical  ac- 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 


487 


knowledgment  of  the  obligation,  whicii  we  feel  to  rest  upon 
us,  to  preach  it  to  every  creature?  During  this  year,  whose 
close  is  now  gathering  about  us  for  a  tinal  farewell,  the  public 
interest  in  this  blessed  movement  of  our  missionary  spirit  has 
been  displayed  in  nearly  a  two-fold  ratio  to  anything  we  have 
ever  had  to  cheer  us  before;  and,  at  our  recent  anniversai-y 
meeting,  every  heart  seemed  nerved  with  fuller  assurance  of 
faith  and  cheered  with  brighter  visions  of  hope,  as  we  heard, 
from  state  after  state,  recitals  of  the  victories  won  by  the 
power  of  the  preached  word.  Our  Christian  sympathies  have 
gone  out  generously,  towards  the  far  East,  and  to  the  Isles  of 
the  sea.  The  Jerusalem  Mission  and  the  Jamaica  Mission  are 
not  only  established,  hut  already  liberally  and  surely  provided 
for,  for  three  years  to  come.  Can  a  people  be  wanting  in  faith, 
either  in  the  power  of  the  gospel,  or  in  the  necessity  of  its 
power  for  the  healing  of  the  nations,  who  thus  throw  out  their 
arms  to  the  distant  ends  of  the  earth,  and  acknowledge  their 
obligation  to  send  abroad  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of 
Christ?  .  .  . 

Bro.  Franklin,  I  think,  has  recently  said,  that  we  have  three 
thousand  preachers.  I  trust  we  have  more.  In  one  sense,  we 
should  have  three  hundred  thousand — one  in  every  disciple. 
But  this  is  not  the  sense  in  which  we  have  three  thousand. 
Of  these,  of  course  there  are  many  who  have  no  special  or 
high  advantages  of  education,  and  but  little  else  to  help  them 
on  in  their  work,  but  their  own  zeal,  the  word  of  God  in 
their  heads  and  hearts,  good  natural  sense,  a  godly  conversa- 
tion, and  the  confidence  and  approval  of  their  brethren.  Their 
success,  therefore,  cannot  be  ascribed  to  the  cunning  words 
of  man's  wisdom ;  it  must  be  in  the  power  of  the  gospel, 
which  they  preach.  Yet  they  do  not  succeed, — and  we  thank 
God,  that  such  is  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel,  that  even  the 
simple  may  declare  it  to  the  conviction  and  salvation  of  souls. 

If  we  have  three  thousand  preachers,  we  have  also  a 
numerous  and  etHcient  band  of  editors  and  assistant  writers. 
We  can  now  think  of  eleven  monthlies,  beside  our  own,  and 
two  weeklies,  and  one  two-weekl_y,  that  regularly  go  forth  into 
their  respective  spheres,  carrying  words  of  instruction,  and 
comfort  to  many  minds  and  hearts,  and  contributing,  each  in 
its  measure,  to  the  advancement  of  the  cause.  The  commission 
of  the  Saviour  was,  "  Go  preach  the  Gospel,"  and  this  the 
Apostles  did,  both  by  the  living  voice,  and  the  still  more  en- 
during language  of  the  pen.  In  this  way  has  it  come  down 
through  the  ages,  fresh  and  powerful  to-day,  as  when  first 
proclaimed  in  Jerusalem;  and  it  is  still,  and,  since  the  art 
of  printing,  much  more  the  wisdom  of  the  Church  to  wield 
with  a  liberal  hand  this  potent  instrument  for  her  purpose. 
We  are  gratified  to  see  that  our  brethren  are  fully  alive  to 
this  great  duty  and  that  so  many  valuable  auxiliaries  of  this 
kind  are  sustained  amongst  us.  A  new  year  will  soon  open 
upon  us,  and  it  may  serve  to  extend  the  sphere  of  usefulness 


488    HIJ^TORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


of  some  of  these  valuable  co-workers,  by  introducing  them  to 
new  subscribers,  and  we,  therefore,  name  them  a&  follows: 

Monthlies: — Challen's  Illustrated  Monthly,  Philadelphia, 
Pa. ;  Christian  Record,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  E.  Goodwin,  Editor ; 
Bible  Advocate,  Jacksonville,  111.,  E.  L.  Craig,  Editor;  Chris- 
tian Evangelist.  Fort  Madison,  Iowa,  D.  Bates  and  A.  C. 
Chatterton,  Editors;  Christian  Advocate,  Franklin  College, 
Tenn.,  T.  Fanning,  Editor ;  Christian  Baptist,  Goldsboro,  N.  C, 
J.  T.  Walsh,  Editor;  Christian  Banner,  Coburg,  C.  W.  D. 
Oliphant,  Editor;  Western  Evangelist,  Santa  Rosa,  Cal.,  G.  O. 
Burnett  and  J.  N.  Pendegast,  Editors;  Journal  of  Education, 
Shelby ville,  Tenn.,  C.  L.  Randolph,  Editor;  The  Israelite  In- 
deed, New  York,  G.  R.  Lederer  and  M.  J.  Franklin  (Converted 
Jews)  ;  The  British  Millennial  Harhinger,  J.  Wallis,  Editor, 
Nottingham,  England;  The  Christian  Advocate  and  Southern 
Observer,  Adelaide,  South  Australia. 

Weeklies: — American  Christian  Review,  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
B.  Franklin,  Editor;  The  Christian  Union,  Louisville,  Ky.,  L. 
A.  Civill,  Publisher;  Union  Christian  Intelligencer,  Charlottes- 
ville, Va.,  R.  L.  Coleman  and  A.  B.  Walthall,  Editors. 

Besides  the  above,  Bro.  M.  E.  Lard,  of  St.  Joseph,  JMo.,  pro- 
poses to  publish  The  Christian  Quarterly  Review.  We  learn 
that  he  has  received  a  large  number  of  subscribers  already, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  of  its  appearance  in  January.* 

Then,  after  referring  to  progress  that  has  been  made  in 
educational  matters,  he  concludes  as  follows: 

These  are  among  the  encouraging  signs  of  the  times — the 
sure  elements  of  large  process  and  cheering  triumphs  in  the 
future.  In  the  face  of  them,  who  does  not  smile  at  the  ill- 
natured  folly  that  talks  of  "  The  Reformation  as  a  failure  " ! 
When  the  young  and  vigorous  plant  is  darting  its  roots  far 
and  wide  and  deep  into  the  soil,  and  shooting  its  spreading 
arms  boldly  out  into  the  open  air,  and  raising  its  head  steadily 
and  bravely  up  in  the  face  of  storms  and  frosts  and  droughts, 
growing  and  strengthening  every  day,  in  spite  of  them  all, 
how  silly  to  be  croaking  about  insects  on  the  leaves,  or  mourn- 
ing over  the  want  of  chemical  refinement  in  the  soil.  A 
prudent  regard  to  such  things  is  well  enough,  but  we  will 
neither  kill  the  plant  nor  stay  its  growth,  nor  predict  its 
destruction  and  overthrow,  because  these  offences,  which  must 
needs  come,  are  here  and  there  discovered  by  the  evil  searching 
microscopes  of  conceited  cynics.  By  the  power  of  a  vigorous 
life,  let  us  throw  them  off  as  we  grow,  and  leave  the  prophets 
of  evil  to  starve  up  the  figments  of  their  own  fancy. 

We  rejoice,  then,  in  our  prospects  for  the  future; — but  we 
pause  to-night,  before  the  close  of  this  hasty  article,  just  as 
the  clock  is  on  the  stroke  of  twelve, — to  throw  another  glance 
over  the  departed  year: — and  here  and  there,  the  eye  rests 

'Harbinger,  1859,  pp.  710-711. 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 


489 


upon  a  grassy  mound,  or  a  modest  stone,  and  we  are  reminded 
that  not  a  few  have  fallen  in  the  warfare,  to  stand  beside  us  no 
more  on  earth.  Some  were  gentle  spirits;  tender  as  the  love 
that  redeemed  them,  and  we  look  upon  their  graves  with 
grateful  tears,  while  we  think  how  meekly  and  confidingly 
they  went  to  their  account.  Others  were  armour-clad  soldiers 
of  the  Cross,  true  and  brave  to  the  last.  With  revei'ence  we 
linger  over  the  graves  of  them  all.  Theirs  is  the  memory  of 
the  just,  and  it  shall  never  perish.  Long  and  familiarly  will 
thousands  pronounce  the  reverend  names  of  E.  A.  Smith, 
James  Shannon,  Calvin  Smith,  John  A.  Smith,  W.  W.  Mc- 
Kenney,  Wm.  Clark,  and  the  devoted  Sister  Williams,  as 
though  they  still  lived  on  earth ;  and  from  the  recital  of  their 
noble  deeds  of  charity  and  faith,  in  self-sacrificing  consecration 
to  the  service  of  Christ,  catch  fresh  inspirations  for  their  own 
conflicts  under  the  same  great  leader.  We  place  them  in  that 
great  cloud  of  witnesses  that  compass  us  about,  and  with  the 
thought  that  their  eyes  are  still  lovingly  upon  us,  would  "  lay 
aside  every  weight  and  the  sin  that  doth  so  easily  beset  us, 
and  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before  us,  looking 
unto  Jesus  the  author  and  finisher  of  the  faith;  who  for  the 
joy  that  was  set  before  him  endured  the  cross,  depising  the 
shame,  and  hath  sat  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of 
God."  • 

*  Millennial  Harbinger,  1859,  pp.  713-714. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 

THE  new  decade  opened  with  portentous  rumblings 
of  a  coming  storm.  Everywhere  there  were  signs 
of  political  and  religious  unrest.  During  the  first 
year  Lincoln  was  elected  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  on  December  20th  a  Convention  at  Charleston  de- 
clared South  Carolina  withdrawn  from  the  Union  of  the 
States.  The  whole  country  was  in  a  state  of  great  agita- 
tion, and  no  one  pretended  to  foretell  just  what  the  final 
result  would  be.  War — grim,  civil  war — was  the  most 
probable  outlook  for  the  future.  Nor  was  it  long  before 
this  was  realised.  On  April  12th,  of  1861,  the  guns  in 
Charleston  Harbor  opened  upon  Fort  Sumter,  and  the 
echo  of  these  guns  reverberated  throughout  the  whole 
country,  arousing  the  North  to  its  impending  danger,  and 
the  South  to  a  determination  to  settle  the  vexing  questions, 
which  had  long  divided  the  two  sections  politically,  by 
the  arbitrament  of  the  sword. 

This  was  a  sad  day,  especially  for  the  Disciples  of 
Christ.  They  were  nearly  evenly  divided  in  their  mem. 
bership  between  the  two  sections  involved.  They  had  from 
the  beginning  of  their  movement  protested  against  war. 
Mr.  Campbell's  great  address  on  war,  delivered  during  the 
Mexican  War,  presented  the  views  very  generally  held  by 
the  Disciples. 

Their  whole  plea  was  a  protest  against  the  war-spirit, 
and  in  this,  as  well  as  in  other  things,  they  exemplified 
the  faith  and  practice  of  the  early  Christians.  Of  course, 
there  were  some  exceptions  to  this  rule  on  both  sides  of 
Mason  and  Dixon's  line.  Nevertheless,  it  is  believed  that 
the  general  trend  of  sentiment  was  in  opposition  to  any 
kind  of  war,  and  more  especially  to  a  civil  war,  where 
brethren  would  be  in  hostile  conflict  with  one  another. 

However,  it  was  not  long  until  the  matter  was  brought 
to  a  practical  test.  There  are  always  at  least  three  classes 
of  men  connected  with  every  great  movement.    First,  there 

490 


TUKBULENT  PERIOD 


491 


is  the  implacable  radical,  the  man  who  is  always  ready 
for  anything  that  is  in  opposition  to  the  established  order. 
Second,  there  is  the  equally  implacable  conservative,  who 
feels  it  his  duty  to  defend  the  established  order,  no  matter 
how  much  it  may  need  reformation.  Another  class  have 
been  denominated  "  middle  of  the  road  men,"  and  this  is 
not  an  inept  characterisation.  These  last  recognise  the 
importance  of  progress,  and  in  this  respect  they  have  con- 
siderable sympathy  with  the  radicals.  But  they  do  not 
believe  in  progress  at  the  expense  of  overturning  institu- 
tions and  customs  which  ought  to  remain  permanent  in 
order  that  legitimate  progress  may  be  made. 

All  three  of  these  classes  were  prominently  in  evidence 
among  the  Disciples  during  the  Civil  War.  There  were 
some  hot-heads  on  both  sides,  who  could  see  no  good  what- 
ever in  anything  that  did  not  harmonise  with  their  radical 
views;  and  then  there  were  others,  who  had  scant  respect 
for  anything  that  meant  change  with  respect  to  established 
institutions  and  customs.  There  was,  however,  a  very 
large  class  among  the  Disciples  who  occupied  a  middle 
ground.  While  they  were  progressive  in  all  that  means 
legitimate  progress,  they  were  decidedly  opposed  to  that 
radicalism  which  practically  destroys  the  possibility  of 
progress,  simply  because  it  sweeps  away  the  very  founda- 
tion on  which  progress  is  made.  These  moderate  men 
were  equally  opposed  to  that  settled  conservatism  which 
hinders  every  aspiration  to  go  forward,  simply  because  it 
always  illustrates  the  sentiment  of  the  prayer-book,  As 
it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever  shall  be."  These 
moderately  disposed  brethren  were  in  a  large  majority, 
during  the  whole  period  of  the  Civil  War,  and  undoubtedly 
the  Disciples  were  largely  held  together  by  the  influence 
of  this  predominant  class. 

However,  it  was  a  severe  test  of  one  of  the  cardinal 
principles  which  had  always  been  prominent  in  the  Dis- 
ciple advocacy.  From  the  very  first  they  had  advocated 
Christian  union,  and  so  far  they  had  illustrated  this  in 
their  own  history  b}'  holding  together,  notwithstanding 
they  had  come  through  several  rather  trying  tests,  but 
no  such  test  as  the  war  had  been  made.  Now  that  the 
country  had  entered  upon  a  fratricidal  strife,  the  Disciple 
,plea  for  Christian  union  would  be  tested  to  its  utmost 
capacity  of  endurance.    Their  plea  against  human  creeds. 


492    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

as  bonds  of  union  and  communion,  had  been  regarded 
by  their  religious  neighbours  as  a  rope  of  sand.  It  was 
believed  by  the  denominations  that  when  some  crisis  came 
the  Disciple  union  would  fall  to  pieces,  and  thereby 
would  teach  the  folly  of  Christian  union  on  the  platform 
which  they  had  advocated.  It  was  a  staple  argument  of 
many  denominational  leaders  that  a  Christian  organisa- 
tion, such  as  the  Disciples  contended  for,  could  not  stand 
in  a  great  crisis.  But  these  prophecies  of  evil  were  not 
fulfilled.  The  Disciples  went  through  the  war  without 
any  serious  breach  in  their  lines,  and  when  the  war  was 
over,  the  temporary  alienations  were  quickly  healed,  while 
many  of  the  denominations  actually  divided,  and  some  of 
their  divisions  which  then  took  place  have  never  been 
healed. 

Undoubtedly,  at  certain  times  the  pressure  was  very 
great  on  the  Disciple  lines.  Their  General  Missionary 
Society  was  organised  for  a  definite  purpose,  viz.,  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  in  this  and  other  lands;  and  it 
had  been  the  policy  of  this  Society,  from  the  day  of  its 
organisation,  to  avoid  all  entangling  alliances  with  mat- 
ters which  were  not  regarded  as  its  specific  work.  Not- 
withstanding this  policy,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Society  in  October,  1861,  Dr.  J.  P.  Robison,  of  Ohio,  of- 
fered the  following  resolution: 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  sympathise  with  the  loyal  and 
patriotic  of  our  country  in  their  present  efforts  to  sustain  the 
government  of  the  United  States,  and  we  feel  it  our  duty  as 
Christians  to  ask  our  brethren  everywhere  to  do  all  in  their 
power  to  sustain  the  proper  and  constitutional  authorities  of 
the  union.* 

There  were  many  in  the  Convention  who  sympathised 
with  the  sentiment  of  this  resolution,  but  who  at  the  same 
time  deemed  it  entirely  out  of  order,  as  it  was  a  departure 
from  the  settled  policy  of  the  Society.  Without  following 
the  discussion  of  this  resolution,  and  the  action  of  the 
committee  with  respect  to  it,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  it 
was  ruled  out  of  order  by  the  chairman,  Isaac  Errett,  of 
Michigan,  though  he  himself  fully  sympathised  with  the 
resolution,  and  would  have  been  glad  to  see  it  passed. 
Two  years  later,  at  the  annual  meeting,  the  following 
resolutions  were  passed,  with  very  few  dissenting: 

*  Report  Of  A.  C.  M.  Society. 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


493 


Whereas,  "  There  is  no  power  but  of  God,"  and  "  the 
powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God  " ;  and  whereas,  we  are 
commanded  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  be  subject  to  the  powers 
that  be,  and  "  obey  magistrates  " ;  and  whereas,  an  armed  re- 
bellion exists  in  our  country,  subversive  of  these  divine  in- 
junctions; and  whereas,  reports  have  gone  abroad  that  we,  as 
a  religious  body,  and  particularly  as  a  missionary  society, 
are  to  a  certain  degree  disloyal  to  the  government  of  the 
United  States:  therefore, 

Kesolved,  That  we  unqualifiedly  declare  our  allegiance  to 
said  Government,  and  repudiate  as  false  and  slanderous  any 
statements  to  the  contrary. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  our  sympathies  to  our  brave  and 
noble  soldiers  in  the  field  who  are  defending  us  from  the 
attempts  of  armed  traitors  to  overthrow  our  government,  and 
also  to  those  bereaved  and  rendered  desolate  by  the  ravages 
of  war. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  earnestly  and  constantly  pray  to  God 
to  give  to  our  legislators  and  rulers  wisdom  to  enact  and 
power  to  execute  such  laws  as  will  speedily  bring  to  us  the  en- 
joyment of  a  peace  that  God  will  deign  to  bless.* 

At  this  Convention,  D.  S.  Burnett,  who  was  at  that 
time  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Society,  in  his  fe- 
port,  made  reference  to  the  war  in  the  following  vigorous 
but  pathetic  paragraph : 

The  disaster  of  the  nineteenth  century  has  come,  which 
white-haired  sire  and  fair-browed  son  prayed  never  to  see. 
But  it  has  come,  like  some  splendid  and  blighting  comet,  driv- 
ing commerce  and  trade  from  their  channels  and  the  blood 
out  of  our  hearts.  The  world  gazes  on  the  scene  aghast,  and 
the  religion  of  Christ,  made  for  man,  not  knowing  his  dis- 
tinctions of  tribe  and  nation  nor  his  ocean  and  mountain 
boundaries,  visits  alike  the  field  golden  with  harvest  or  in- 
carnadine with  human  gore,  and  still  brings  her  pardon- 
bearing  mercy  to  all.  Our  work,  then,  is  unchanged  except  by 
the  diflflculties  which  it  is  the  victory  of  faith  to  overcome. 
Many  of  our  churches  have  been  represented  on  the  great 
battlefields  in  the  struggle  for  the  integrity  of  the  Union,  and 
several  of  our  preachers  have  followed  their  flock  through  the 
dangers  which  environed  them  on  the  field  of  slaughter,  min- 
istering caution  to  the  living  and  comfort  to  the  dying,  while 
we  all  have  prayed  that  God  would  hide  us  from  the  evil  until 
the  storm  be  passed,  and  that  he  would  so  guide  that  storm 
that  when  the  cloud  of  war  lifted,  the  temple  of  free  con- 
stitutional government  would  stand  unscathed,  revealing  its 
beauty  and  strength  and  proportions  unshorn  tor  our  pos- 
terity, as  we  received  it  from  our  fathers.  Recognising  our 
*  Report  of  A.  C.  M.  Society. 


494    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


religious  obligations  in  its  maintenance,  let  us  address  our- 
selves to  the  duty  of  lifting  higher  the  banner  of  the  cross 
and  carrying  it  farther  than  ever  before. 

The  stress  of  the  war  influence  was  felt  more  decidedly 
within  the  border  states,  such  as  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and 
Missouri.  In  the  last  named  state,  a  number  of  the  most 
prominent  ministers  connected  with  the  Disciples  issued 
an  address,  which  as  a  matter  of  history  deserves  to  be 
preserved.    The  Address  was  as  follows: 

To  all  the  holy  brethren  in  every  State,  grace  and  peace 
from  God,  our  Father,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ: 

The  undersigned,  your  brethren  in  the  Lord,  residing  in  the 
State  of  Missouri,  in  view  of  the  present  distress,  which  is 
wringing  all  our  hearts,  and  the  danger  which  threatens  the 
Churches  of  Christ,  would  submit  to  your  prayerful  consider- 
ation the  following  suggestions : 

(1)  .  Whatever  we  may  think  of  the  propriety  of  bearing 
arms  in  extreme  emergencies,  we  cannot  by  the  New  Testa- 
ment, which  is  our  only  rule  of  discipline,  justify  ourselves  in 
engaging  in  the  fraternal  strife  now  raging  in  our  beloved 
country.  To  do  so,  therefore,  would  be  to  incur  the  dis- 
pleasure of  our  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour. 

(2)  .  It  is  our  duty  in  obedience  to  many  judgments  of 
Christ  and  the  Apostles,  and  in  compliance  with  the  last 
prayer  of  our  Saviour,  to  remain  as  we  have  thus  far  so 
happily  continued,  a  united  body.  But  this  cannot  be  if,  in 
accordance  with  our  prejudices  and  political  opinions,  we  join 
in  this  deadly  strife.  Is  not  the  "  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the 
bond  of  peace  "  more  to  be  desired  than  all  that  could  possibly 
be  gained  by  such  a  strife,  attended  as  it  must  be  by  the 
loss  of  this  unity,  and  the  reign  of  passion  in  our  hearts? 

(3)  .  Knowing,  as  all  history  teaches  and  as  the  experience 
of  many  of  us  can  testify,  that  active  military  service  almost 
invariably  destroys  the  religious  character  of  Christians  who 
are  drawn  into  it,  we  cannot  discharge  our  duty  to  Christ,  if 
we  see  our  young  brethren  rushing  into  this  vortex  of  almost 
certain  ruin  without  an  earnest  and  affectionate  remonstrance. 

(4)  .  If  we  remain  true  to  this  line  of  duty,  not  allowing  the 
temptations  of  the  time,  however  enticing,  or  however  threat- 
ening, they  may  be,  to  turn  us  aside,  we  shall  be  able  greatly 
to  glorify  the  name  of  our  Lord,  who  is  the  Prince  of  Peace. 
For  we  may  present  to  our  countrymen,  when  restored  to  their 
right  mind  by  the  return  of  peace,  a  body  of  Disciples  so 
closely  bound  by  the  Word  of  God  alone  that  not  even  the 
shock  of  Civil  War  nor  the  alarm  produced  by  religious 
systems  crumbling  around  could  divide  us.  How  rapid  and 
glorious  in  that  event  would  be  the  subsequent  triumph  of 
truth  throughout  the  whole  land  I    This  heavenly  triumph  is 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


495 


clearly  within  our  reach.  If  we  fail  to  grasp  it,  how  un- 
worthy we  shall  prove  of  the  Holy  cause  we  plead. 

(5)  .  We  are  striving  to  restore  to  an  unhappy  and  sectarian- 
ised  world  the  primitive  doctrine  and  discipline.  Then  let  us 
pursue  that  peaceful  course  to  which  we  know  that  Jesus  and 
the  Apostles  would  advise  us  if  they  were  living  once  more 
and  here  among  us.  Let  us  for  Jesus'  sake  endeavour  in  this 
appropriate  hour  to  restore  the  love  of  peace  which  he  incul- 
cated; which  was  practised  by  the  great  body  of  the  Church 
for  the  first  three  hundred  years,  in  an  utter  refusal  to  do 
military  service;  which  continuetl  to  be  thus  practised,  by  the 
true  Church  throughout  the  dark  ages,  and  which  has  been 
so  strongly  plead  by  many  of  the  purest  men  of  modern  times, 
our  own  Bro.  A.  Campbell,  among  the  number. 

(6)  .  We  conclude  by  entreating  the  brethren  everywhere 
to  study  conclusively  "  the  things  which  make  for  peace,  and 
those  by  which  one  may  edify  another."  And  the  very  God 
of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly,"  and  "  the  peace  of  God  which 
passeth  all  understanding  keep  your  kinds  and  hearts  through 
Jesus  Christ. 

B.  H.  Smith,  Samuel  Johnson,  E.  V.  Rice, 
J.  D.  Dawson,  J.  W.  McGarvey,  T.  M. 
Allen,  J.  K.  Rogers,  J.  W.  Cox,  J.  J. 
Errett,  H.  H.  Haley,  T.  P.  Haley,  J. 
Atkinson,  R.  C.  Morton,  Levi  Van  Camp. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  trying  influences  to  which  the 
Disciples  were  subjected,  during  the  war  period,  they  never 
lost  faith  in  their  great  plea  for  Christian  union,  nor  did 
they  fail  to  practise  this  union  among  themselves  wher- 
ever it  was  possible  for  them  to  do  so.  Indeed,  nothing 
that  has  ever  taken  place  in  their  history  did  more  to 
emphasise  the  strength  of  their  plea  than  did  these  un- 
settling and  trying  days  of  the  Civil  War  between  the 
North  and  the  South.  Of  one  thing  they  may  be  justly 
proud,  viz.,  the  predicition  of  their  enemies,  that  their 
union  would  not  hold  in  a  crisis,  was  clearly  proved  to 
be  a  false  prophecy. 

During  the  same  period  they  were  subjected  to  some 
very  severe  internal  contentions.  In  1860,  a  small  de- 
fection in  the  ranks  began  to  show  itself  in  Jacksonville, 
111.  W.  S.  Russell,  a  recent  graduate  of  Bethany  College, 
became  convinced  that  he  bad  a  call  to  reform  the  Reforma- 
tion. During  his  college  course  he  had  spent  much  time 
in  studying  mental  philosophy.  His  constant  companions 
were  such  writers  as  Cousin,  Morrell,  and  Sir  William 
Hamilton.    It  must  be  admitted  that  the  books  of  these 


496    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


men  furnished  rather  indigestible  food  for  undergraduates. 
But  it  was  at  this  very  time  when  Mr.  Russell  formed 
his  fundamental  convictions  with  respect  to  the  human 
mind  in  its  relation  to  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
After  he  left  college  he  began  at  once  to  preach  his  peculiar 
views  with  respect  to  spiritual  influence,  and  so  earnest 
was  he  and  so  persistent  was  his  demand  for  the  accept- 
ance of  his  views  that  it  was  not  long  until  the  church 
over  which  he  was  pastor  was  divided.  Another  preacher, 
I.  N.  Carmen,  of  Ohio,  who  was  also  a  graduate  of  Bethany 
College,  fully  sympathised  with  Mr.  Russell's  views,  and 
together  they  aimed  to  lead  a  movement  which  was  cal- 
culated to  produce  trouble,  and  even  schism,  in  all  the 
churches  where  these  views  were  propagated. 

Here  came  another  test  with  regard  to  the  fundamental 
principles  of  the  Disciple  movement,  and  as  this  principle 
is  clearly  set  forth  in  Dr.  Richardson's  "  Principles  and 
Objects  of  the  Religious  Reformation,"  it  is  thought  proper 
to  give  the  following  liberal  extract,  setting  forth  the  dis- 
tinction between  faith  and  opinion: 

This  distinction  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  lies  at 
the  very  threshold  of  religious  reformation  and  Christian 
union.  Without  a  proper  recognition  of  the  difference  be- 
tween faith  and  opinion,  it  is  impossible  to  make  any  progress 
in  a  just  knowledge  of  Divine  things,  or  to  obtain  any  clue 
by  which  the  mind  can  be  extricated  from  the  perplexed  laby- 
rinth of  sectarianism.  Notwithstanding,  however,  that  it  is  so 
important  to  distinguish  between  these  things  which  are  so 
radically  different  from  each  other,  they  are  everywhere  con- 
founded ;  the  fallible  deductions  of  human  reason  are  continu- 
ally mistaken  for  the  imerring  dictates  of  inspiration,  and  hu- 
man authority  is  blended  with  that  which  is  Divine.  Human 
opinions,  indeed,  are  the  plastic  cement  in  which  partyism  has 
imbedded  the  more  solid  yet  disconnected  scriptural  materials 
of  its  partition  walls.  Or,  to  employ  another  figure,  a  theory, 
consisting  of  any  number  of  favourite  opinions,  smoothly  in- 
tertwined, forms  the  thread  upon  which  various  Scripture 
doctrines  and  texts  are  strung  and  curiously  interwoven,  so 
as  to  assume  a  form  and  meaning  wholly  artificial  and  un- 
authorised. When  men  thus  fail  to  make  any  distinction  be- 
tween the  express  relations  of  God  and  the  opinions  which 
men  have  superadded,  and  when  they  have  already  committed 
the  great  error  of  adopting  indiscriminately,  in  the  religious 
system  of  a  party,  an  incongruous  mixture  of  opinions  with 
the  things  of  faith,  the  mistiness  and  obscurity  which  surround 
the  former  overspread  by  degrees  the  latter  also.  Hence  it 
has  come  to  pass  that  matters  of  belief  and  mere  speculations 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


497 


upon  religious  subjects  are  usually  classed  together  as  "  relig- 
ious opinions  ";  and  when  we  speak  of  a  man's  religious  opin- 
ions, we  are  constant!}'  understood  to  mean,  or  at  least,  to 
include,  his  belief.  Hence,  too,  the  divine  communications 
themselves  have  lost  much  of  the  authority  and  respect  which 
are  justly  due  to  them  by  being  thus  reduced  to  a  level  with 
human  opinions,  and  by  the  implication  that  they  are  so 
limited  in  their  range  of  subjects,  and  so  deficient  in  clearness, 
as  to  require  additions  and  explanations,  from  uninspired 
and  fallible  men,  in  order  to  render  them  intelligible  and  com- 
plete. The  question,  accordingly,  is  no  longer.  What  say  the 
Scriptures?  How  readest  thou?  What  hath  the  Lord 
spoken?  but  What  do  the  Scriptures  mean?  What  thinkest 
thou?  What  do  the  standards  of  my  Church,  or  the  leaders 
of  my  party  say? 

In  opposition  to  views  and  practices  so  erroneous,  we  urge : 

1.  That  the  Scriptures  mean  precisely  ivhat  they  say,  when 
construed  in  conformity  with  the  established  laws  of  language. 

2.  That  the  Bible  contains  the  only  Divine  revelations  to 
which  man  has  access;  and  that  these  revelations  are  perfectly 
suited  by  their  Divine  author  to  the  circumstances  and  capa- 
city of  man  to  whom  they  are  addressed. 

3.  That  true  religious  faith  can  be  founded  upon  this  Divine 

TESTIMONY  alOUC. 

4.  That  opinions  are  mere  inferences  of  human  reason  from 
insufiScient  and  uncertain  premises,  or  conjectures  in  regard 
to  matters  not  revealed,  and  that  they  are  not  entitled  to  the 
slightest  authority  in  religion  by  whomsoever  they  may  be  pro- 
pounded. 

The  measure  of  faith  is,  then,  precisely  the  amount  of 
Scripture  testimony,  neither  more  or  less.  What  this  dis- 
tinctly reveals,  is  to  be  implicitly  believed.  Where  this  is 
obscure  or  silent,  reason  must  not  attempt  to  elaborate 
theories  or  supply  conclusions,  and  impose  them  upon  the 
conscience  as  of  Divine  authority.  By  the  practical  recogni- 
tion of  this  principle,  the  theological  systems  and  theories 
which  have  distracted  religious  society,  are  at  once  deprived 
of  all  their  fancied  importance,  and,  consequently,  of  all  their 
power  to  injure.  Those  remote  speculations;  those  meta- 
physical subtleties;  those  untaught  questions  which  have  oc- 
cupied the  minds  of  the  religious  public  to  the  exclusion  of 
,all  the  important,  yet  simple  truths  of  the  gospel,  are  at  once 
dismissed  as  the  futile  reveries  of  uninspired  and  fallible 
mortals.  When  these  are  thus  dismissed,  the  human  mind  is 
left  alone  with  the  word  of  God.  It  is  brought  into  direct  con- 
tact with  the  Divine  law  and  testimony,  from  which  alone 
the  light  of  spiritual  truth  can  emanate,  and  this  light  is  no 
longer  obscured  by  the  mists  of  human  opinionism  and  specu- 
lation. 

If  this  distinction  were  truly  appreciated  by  the  Protestant 
world,  there  would  be  a  speedy  end  of  those  controversies  by 


•498    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


which  it  has  been  so  long  disturbed.  For  it  is  undeniable, 
that  there  is  an  almost  universal  agreement  among  the 
evangelical  denominations,  in  regard  to  the  great  revealed 
truths  of  Christianity ;  and  that  they  are  separated,  alienated, 
and  belligerent,  for  the  sake  of  certain  favourite  opinions, 
which  have  been  promulgated  by  their  founders.  Each  one  ad- 
mits that  there  exists  this  common  Christianity,  apart  from 
denominational  peculiarities,  and  that  salvation  is  possible 
in  any  of  these  parties ;  yet  each  continues  to  urge  its  dis- 
tinctive tenets,  and  maintain  its  peculiar  opinions,  as  though 
the  salvation  of  the  world  depended  upon  these  alone.  Human 
opinions  and  speculations,  then,  have  manifestly  too  much 
authority  with  the  religious  public,  and  are  too  highly  hon- 
oured in  being  made  the  great  objects  for  which  each  party 
lives  and  labours.  If,  then,  they  were  clearly  distinguished 
from  the  revealed  truths,  upon  which,  like  parasites,  many  of 
them  have  grown;  if  they  were  fairly  separated  from  all  con- 
nection with  the  Divine  testimony  from  which  they  derive  a 
stolen  nourishment  and  borrowed  vigour,  they  would  appear  at 
once  in  their  true  character,  as  matters  wholly  foreign  and  in- 
significant, and  would  be  allowed  to  droop  and  perish  with  all 
the  bitter  fruits  they  have  so  profusely  borne. 

It  is  preposterous  to  expect  that  men  will  ever  agree  in 
their  religious  opinions.  It  is  neither  necessary  nor  desirable 
that  they  should  do  so.  It  is  nowhere  commanded  in  the 
Scriptures  that  men  should  be  of  one  opinion.  It  is  there 
declared  that  there  is  one  faith  "  but  is  nowhere  said  there 
is  one  opinion.  On  the  contrary,  differences  of  opinion  are 
distinctly  recognised,  and  Christians  are  expressly  commanded 
to  receive  one  another  without  regard  to  them  (Rom.  xiv:  1). 
As  well  might  we  expect  to  conform  the  features  of  the  human 
face  to  a  single  standard,  as  to  secure  a  perfect  agreement  of 
men's  minds.  Hence  there  can  be  no  peace,  unless  there  be 
liberty  of  opinion.  Each  individual  must  have  a  perfect  right 
to  entertain  what  opinions  he  pleases,  but  he  must  not  at- 
tempt to  enforce  them  upon  others,  or  make  them  a  term  of 
communion  or  religious  fellowship.  They  can  do  no  harm, 
so  long  as  they  are  private  property,  and  are  regarded  in 
their  true  light,  as  human  opinions  possessed  of  no  Divine  au- 
thority or  infallibility.  It  is  quite  otherwise,  however,  when 
leading  and  ambitious  spirits  take  them  up  for  the  warp  and 
the  Scriptures  for  the  woof  from  which  they  weave  the  web 
of  partyism.  The  flimsy  and  ill-assorted  fabric  may  please 
the  taste  of  a  few,  while  it  will  be  despised  and  derided  by 
those  who  manufacture  an  article  no  better  from  similar  in- 
congruous materials,  and  thus  a  contention  is  perpetuated, 
with  which  human  selfishness  and  pride  have  much  more  con- 
cern than  either  piety  or  humanity. 

It  is,  accordingly,  one  of  the  primary  objects  of  the  present 
reformation,  to  put  an  end  to  all  such  controversies,  by  re- 
ducing human  opinions  to  their  proper  level,  and  elevating 


TURBULENT  PERIOD  499 

the  Word  of  God,  as  the  only  true  standard  of  religious  faith. 
Hence  it  was,  in  the  very  beginning,  resolved  to  "  reduce  to 
practice  the  simple  original  form  of  Christianity,  expressly 
exhibited  upon  the  sacred  page,  without  attempting  to  incul- 
cate anything  of  human  authority,  of  private  opinion,  or  in- 
ventions of  men,  as  having  any  place  in  the  constitution,  faith, 
or  worship  of  the  Christian  Church;  or  anything  as  a  matter 
of  Christian  faith  or  duty,  for  which  there  cannot  be  expressly 
produced  a  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  either  in  express  terms,  or 
by  approved  precendent."  Every  proposition  or  doctrine,  then, 
for  ichich  there  is  not  clear  Scriptural  evidence,  is  to  he  re- 
yarded  as  a  matter  of  opinion;  and  everything  for  ivhich  such 
evidence  can  be  adduced,  is  a  matter  of  faith — a  fact  or  truth 
to  be  believed. 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  extract  that  the  Disciples  have 
no  objection  to  opinions,  while  they  are  not  made  the 
means  of  division  among  the  followers  of  Christ.  Indeed, 
they  have  always  advocated  the  freest  possible  investiga- 
tion with  respect  to  all  matters,  even  hinted  at  in  the 
Word  of  God,  but  their  cardinal  principle,  viz.,  "  Where 
the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak ;  where  the  Bible  is  silent,  we 
are  silent,"  made  it  absolutely  necessary  for  them  to  re- 
ject, as  a  bond  of  union  and  communion,  any  and  every 
thing  for  which  they  could  not  find  a  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  "  in  either  expressed  terms  or  in  approved  precedent. 
Of  course  this  view  of  the  matter  would  make  Mr.  Rus- 
sell's contention  a  divisive  element  the  moment  he  insisted 
upon  it  in  his  public  addresses.  Had  he  retained  his 
opinions,  or  even  expressed  them  as  merely  opinions,  he 
would  not  have  been  regarded  as  a  schismatic,  but  W'hen 
he  exalted  these  opinions  into  clear  revelation  of  the  Word 
of  God,  and  insisted  upon  them  as  fundamental  in  the 
Divine  life,  it  was  found  necessary  to  meet  his  contentions 
with  decisive  argument.  This  was  most  effectively  done 
by  Professor  W.  K.  Pendleton,  in  the  Harbinger  for  1860, 
and  the  result  was  that  soon  the  "  tempest  in  a  teapot " 
subsided. 

But  there  was  another  contention  which  came  to  the 
front  about  this  time  which  was  much  more  serious.  This 
was  the  communion  question,  involving  the  relation  of  the 
Disciples  to  Pedo-Baptists  at  the  Lord's  Supper.  This 
question  arose  chiefly  out  of  a  correspondence  between 
Richard  Hawley,  of  Detroit,  and  Isaac  Errett,  who  was 
at  that  time  pastor  of  the  church  in  Muir,  Mich.  Mr. 
Hawley  refers  to  a  discussion  which  had  taken  place  with 


500    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


regard  to  this  matter  in  the  Millennial  Harbinger  for 
1837,  and  wishes  to  know  how  the  churches  should  act  with 
respect  to  Pedo-Baptists  who  might  meet  with  the  Dis- 
ciples at  the  communion  table.  We  give  Mr.  Errett's 
reply  in  full,  as  it  is  not  only  a  great  statement  of  the 
case  from  his  point  of  view,  but  also  shows  the  breadth 
of  the  movement  as  a  union  movement,  even  at  this  crucial 
test.    Mr.  Errett's  letter  is  as  follows : 

MuiB,  Mich.,  August  20,  1861. 

Dear  Brother  Hawley  : — Yours  of  the  15th  is  to  hand, 
and  deserves  a  much  more  complete  reply  than  I  at  present 
can  give  it.  It  is  a  hurrying  time,  and  I  can  only  take  a  few 
minutes  to  answer  your  inquiries.  As  to  the  admission  of 
unimmersed  persons  to  the  Lord's  table,  our  view  is, 

1.  That  in  primitive  times  there  is  no  doubt  that  all  who 
came  to  the  Lord's  Table,  as  well  as  all  who  participated  in 
prayer,  singing,  etc.,  were  immersed  believers;  and  we  are 
trying  to  bring  back  that  state  of  things. 

2.  But  the  corruptions  of  Popery,  out  of  which  the  Church 
has  not  yet  half  recovered,  have  made  the  people  of  God  an 
erring,  scattered,  and  divided  people. 

3.  We  are  pleading  for  further  reformation ;  our  plea  pro- 
ceeds on  the  integrity  of  previous  pleas — it  is  a  plea  for  the 
re-union  of  the  scattered  people  of  God.  It  does  not  recognise 
sects,  on  human  bases,  as  divine — but  it  recognises  a  people 
of  God  among  the  sects,  and  seeks  to  call  them  out. 

4.  We  are  compelled,  therefore,  to  recognise  as  Christians 
many  who  have  been  in  error  on  baptism,  but  who  in  the 
spirit  of  obedience  are  Christians  indeed.  (See  Rom.  ii:28, 
29).  I  confess,  for  my  own  part,  did  I  understand  the  posi- 
tion of  the  brethren  to  deny  this,  I  would  recoil  from  my 
position  among  them  with  utter  disgust.  It  will  never  do 
to  unchristianise  those  on  whose  shoulders  we  are  standing, 
and  because  of  whose  previous  labours  we  are  enabled  to  see 
some  truths  more  clearly  than  they.  Yet,  while  fully  accord- 
ing to  them  the  piety  and  Christian  standing  which  they  de- 
serve, it  is  clear  that  they  are  in  great  error  on  the  question 
of  baptism — and  we  must  be  careful  not  to  compromise  the 
truth.  Our  practice,  therefore,  is  neither  to  invite  nor  reject 
particular  classes  of  persons,  but  to  spread  the  table  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  for  the  Lord's  people,  and  allow  all  to  come 
who  will,  each  on  his  own  responsibility.  It  is  very  common 
for  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  etc.,  to  sit  down  with  us.  We 
do  not  fail  to  teach  them  on  all  these  questions,  and  very 
often  we  immerse  them.  As  to  our  practice  generally,  my 
impression  is,  that  fully  two-thirds  of  our  churches  in  the 
United  States  occupy  this  position ;  those  churches  which 
originally  were  Baptist,  are  rather  more  unyielding. 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


501 


For  myself,  while  fully  devoted  to  our  plea,  I  have  no  wish 
to  limit  and  fetter  my  sympathies  and  affections  to  our  own 
people. 

Truly  your  Bro., 

Isaac  Errett.* 

This  same  year  Isaac  Errett  became  an  associate  editor 
of  the  Harbinger^  and  during  the  next  year  he  wrote  some 
of  the  ablest  articles  that  were  written  in  defense  of  the 
position  which  he  took  in  the  letter  just  quoted.  Indeed, 
the  discussion  of  this  question  was  conducted  with  a  vigor 
scarcely  ever  equalled  in  any  of  the  discussions  which  the 
Disciples  have  conducted  among  themselves.  The  chief 
leaders  on  Mr.  Errett's  side  were  himself,  Professor  Pen- 
dleton, Dr.  Richardson,  and  A.  S.  Hayden.  Those  on  the 
other  side  were  G.  W.  Elley,  of  Lexington,  Ky. ;  Benjamin 
Franklin,  who  was  at  that  time  editor  of  the  American 
Christian  Review,  and  a  few  others  of  less  note.  The 
spirit  of  the  discussion  was  admirable,  and  it  was  really 
exhaustive  of  the  whole  question.  No  very  radical  views 
were  advocated  by  either  side.  The  position  of  Mr.  Frank- 
lin is  clearly  set  forth  in  the  following  extract,  from  an 
editorial  in  his  paper : 

There  are  individuals  among  the  sects  who  are  not  sectarians 
or  who  are  more  than  sectarians— they  are  Christians  or  per- 
sons who  have  believed  the  Gospel,  submitted  to  it,  and  in 
spite  of  the  leaders  been  constituted  Christians  according  to 
the  Scriptures.  That  these  individuals  have  a  right  to  com- 
mune there  can  be  no  doubt.  But  this  is  not  communion  with 
the  "  sects." 

What  is  the  use  of  parleying  over  the  question  of  communion 
with  unimmcrsed  persons?  Did  the  first  Christians  commune 
with  unimmersed  persons?  It  is  admitted  that  they  did  not. 
Shall  we  then  deliberately  do  what  we  admit  they  did  not  do? 

When  an  unimmersed  person  communes  without  any  in- 
viting or  excluding  that  is  his  own  act,  not  ours,  and  we  are 
not  responsible  for  it.  We  do  not  see  that  any  harm  is  done 
1o  him  or  us,  and  we  need  make  no  exclusive  remarks  to  keep 
him  away,  and  we  certainly  have  no  authority  for  inviting 
him  to  come. 

If  it  is  to  be  maintained  that  "  except  a  man  be  born  of 
water  and  of  the  Spirit  he  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of  God ;  " 
that  "  as  many  of  us  as  have  been  baptised  into  Christ  have  put 
on  Christ,"  as  we  have  it  in  the  Scriptures,  and  that  none  were 
in  the  Church  or  recognised  as  Christians  in  apostolic  times 
who  were  not  immersed,  it  is  useless  for  us  to  be  talking  about 

'Harbinger,  1861,  pp.  711 — 


502    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


unimmersed  Christians,  and  thus  weakening  the  hands  of  those 
who  are  labouring  to  induce  all  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  God 
according  to  the  Scriptures. 

We  have  nothing  to  do  with  any  open  communion  or  close 
communion.  The  communion  is  for  the  Lord's  people,  and  no- 
body else.  But  if  some  imagine  themselves  to  have  become 
Christians  according  to  the  Scriptures  when  they  have  not, 
and  commune,  as  we  have  said  before,  that  is  their  act  and  not 
ours.  We  commune  with  the  Lord  and  his  people,  and  cer- 
tainly not  in  spirit  with  any  one  who  are  not  his  people, 
whether  immersed,  or  unimmersed.  We  take  no  responsibility 
in  the  matter^  for  we  neither  invite  nor  exclude. 

Mr.  Elley's  position  is  set  forth  in  the  following  five 
questions.  He  thought  when  these  questions  are  fairly 
answered  the  whole  controversy  will  end: 

1.  Can  any  person  be  a  Christian  who  is  not  in  Christ,  or 
who  has  not  put  him  on? 

2.  If  not,  can  any  put  him  on  who  has  not  been  baptised 
"into  him"? 

3.  Can  any  one  be  freed  from  sin  who  has  not,  from  his  heart, 
"  obeyed  the  form  of  doctrine  "  delivered  to  him  by  the  Holy 
Spirit?  If  not,  can  he  rightfully  be  allowed  to  break  the  loaf 
by  the  action  of  God's  Church? 

4.  Can  an  unsaved  or  unpardoned  person  be  allowed  to  eat 
and  drink  the  Lord's  body  and  blood  by  Church  consent? 

5.  Is  baptism  demanded  of  penitents  in  order  to  pardon  or 
sonship  ? 

Mr.  Errett  in  answering  Mr.  Elley's  five  questions  asked 
a  number  himself,  and  commented  as  follows: 

1.  Can  any  person  be  a  Christian  who  is  not  in  Christ,"' 
or  who  has  not  put  him  on? 

2.  If  not,  can  any  one  put  him  on  who  has  not  been  baptised 
"  into  him  "  ? 

3.  Can  any  one  be  freed  from  sin  who  has  not  obeyed  the 
form  of  doctrine  delivered  to  him  by  the  Holy  Spirit?  If  not, 
can  he  be  rightfully  allowed  to  sing  and  pray,  and  give  money, 
by  the  action  of  God's  Church? 

4.  Can  an  unsaved  and  unpardoned  person  be  allowed  to 
sing  and  pray  and  contribute  money,  by  Church  consent  ? 

5.  Is  baptism  demanded  of  penitents,  in  order  to  pardon  or 
sonship?  Do  not  the  prayers  and  praises  and  contributions, 
and  the  Christian  sympathies  and  friendship  of  God's  house, 
belong  to  the  children?  And  shall  we  take  the  children's 
bread  and  give  it  to  the  dogs? 

6.  Did  the  first  Christians  shoiv  Christian  love  to  unim- 
mersed persons?  And  shall  we  deliberately  do  what  we  admit 
they  did  not  do? 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


503 


7.  Did  the  first  Christians  receive  money  from  unimmersed 
persons?  Did  they  ask  unimmersed  persons  to  sing,  or  pray, 
or  give  thanks?  Did  they  in  any  sense  recognise  as  Christians 
the  unimmersed? 

We  trust  our  brethren  are  not  about  to  plant  themselves 
on  that  position  of  affable  diminutiveness  occupied  by  the 
regular  Baptists — that  baptism  is  a  mere  prerequisite  to 
Church  membership  and  communion  while  every  other  (Chris- 
tian right  and  act  of  fellowship  may  be  freely  shared  with  the 
unbaptised.  Although,  in  Professor  Hawley's  letter,  the  ques- 
tion took  the  form  of  communion  in  the  bread  and  wine,  it  is 
essentially  a  question  whether  ice  shall  have  any  religious 
felloicship  whatever  with  unimmersed  persons.  The  reply  to 
this  question  must  admit  some  additional  Bible  principles  be- 
yond what  the  Review  or  Bro.  Elley  seem  to  have  in  their 
horizon. 

But  we  are  not  done  with  our  catechising.  We  want  these 
brethren  to  see  that  they  themselves  step  outside  the  strict 
construction  of  gospel  conditions,  the  moment  they  begin  to  de- 
cide on  our  relations  to  any  of  the  religious  bodies  around 
us ;  nay  they  have  already  done  so,  and  are  condemned  by  the 
things  which  they  allow.    Let  us  ask: 

1.  Do  the  Scriptures  recognise  any  as  Christians,  or  accept 
any  to  baptism,  on  the  narration  of  a  religious  experience? 

2.  Do  they  admit  any  to  baptism  who  come  with  the  avowal 
that  their  sins  have  already  been  pardoned  f 

3.  Do  they  recognise  admission  to  Church  membership  by 
subscription  to  human  articles  of  faith f 

4.  Does  the  Gospel  recognise  any  baptism  but  that  "  for  the 
remission  of  sins"? 

5.  Did  any  come  to  the  Lord's  table  in  primitive  times  who 
had  not  been  baptised  for  the  remission  of  sins? 

6.  Did  the  apostles  or  first  Christians  invite  to  the  Lord's 
table  "  all  immersed  persons  who  have  piety  "?  Did  they  have 
fellowship  with  immersed  persons,  not  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church?  Did  they  receive  persons  to  membership  ivho 
had  been  immersed  by  unimmersed  persons? 

7.  And  shall  we  deliberately  do  what  we  admit  they  did  not 
do?* 

Mr.  Richardson,  in  his  usual,  clear,  and  logical  manner, 
puts  the  case  as  follows: 

Whatever  bigots  may  argue  on  one  side,  or  latitudinarians 
urge  on  the  other,  the  usage  of  our  brethren,  the  usage  of  our 
brother  in  this  manner  is  undoubtedly  correct.  It  has  been 
found,  that  the  Scriptures  do  not  definitely  point  out  the 
actual  religious  position  of  sincere  believers,  who,  from  un- 
toward circumstances,  have  mistaken  sprinkling  for  baptism, 
or  in  helpless  infancy  have  been  irretrievably  committed  to 

*  Harbinger,  1862,  pp.  124-5. 


504    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


an  incomplete  or  perverted  form  of  Christianity.  This  being, 
then,  an  untaught  question,  it  has,  according  to  Paul's  com- 
mand to  Timothy  been  most  properly  "avoided,"  and  it  is  to 
the  discussion  of  this  question  that  I  objected  in  my  letter  to 
you,  and  not  to  the  consideration  of  the  course  which  the 
Church  should  pursue  in  relation  to  such  persons.  It  is  from 
the  inability  of  the  Church  to  determine  the  exact  status  of 
such  persons,  that  it  has  been  judged  proper  to  leave  the  de- 
cision with  their  own  consciences,  and  with  the  Searcher  of 
Hearts ;  and  hence,  they  are  neither  invited  nor  prohibited.  It 
would  amount  to  nothing  but  jangling  to  discuss  the  position 
of  any  such  individuals,  since  the  New  Testament  furnishes  no 
cases  precisely  similar,  though,  as  I  may  hereafter  show,  it 
does  not  leave  us  wholly  without  hindrance  as  to  the  spirit 
in  which  they  should  be  met.  Hence,  we  neither  discuss  nor 
decide  them,  for,  as  Brother  Franklin  very  correctly  observed 
in  noticing  your  article,  "  When  an  unimmersed  person  com- 
munes without  any  inviting  or  excluding,  that  is  his  ovra  act, 
not  ours,  and  we  are  not  responsible  for  it.  We  do  not  see 
that  any  harm  is  done  to  him  or  us,  and  we  need  no  exclusive 
remarks  to  keep  him  away,  and  we  certainly  have  no  authority 
for  inviting  him  to  come."  Again  Bro.  Franklin  very  justly 
remarks :  We  have  nothing  to  do  with  any  open  communion 
or  close  communion.  The  communion  is  for  the  Lord's  people, 
and  nobody  else.  But  if  some  imagine  themselves  to  have  be- 
come Christians  according  to  the  Scriptures,  when  they  have 
not,  and  commune,  as  we  said  before,  that  is  their  act  and  not 
ours.  We  commune  with  the  Lord  and  his  people,  and  certainly 
not,  in  spirit,  with  any  not  his  people  whether  immersed  or 
unimmersed.  We  take  no  responsibility  in  the  matter,  for  we 
neither  invite  nor  exclude."  This  is  a  plain  statement  of  our 
position  and  practice  in  the  matter,  which  no  one  has  a  better 
opportunity  of  knowing  than  Bro.  Franklin,  from  his  constant 
and  extended  communications  with  the  churches  over  the  whole 
country. 

Having  thus,  I  think,  fully  vindicated  all  that  I  have  said 
on  this  subject,  I  might  here  very  properly,  and  certainly  very 
agreeably  to  myself,  leave  the  whole  matter  to  any  who  wish 
to  prolong  the  discussion.  As  it  has,  however,  become  evident 
that  there  are  amongst  us  some  extremists  on  both  sides  of  the 
question,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  may  be  useful,  in  several 
respects,  to  pay  a  little  further  attention  to  them,  and,  by  de- 
fining their  position,  to  enable  them  to  see  a  little  more  clearly 
where  they  stand,  and,  if  practicable,  convince  them  that  they 
have  unwittingly  both  blended  questions  that  are  wholly  dis- 
tinct, and  mistaken,  in  some  degree,  the  ground  occupied  by  the 
Reformation.  No  sooner  is  it  understood  that  we  do  not  pro- 
hibit pious  persons  from  communing  who  may  belong  to  other 
religious  communities  than  both  classes  of  these  extremists  at 
once  unite  in  the  mistaken  idea  that  this  is  tantamount  to 
inviting  them,  and  the  whole  sect  to  which  they  belong  besides. 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


505 


Both  wish  to  be  so  understood — the  one  class  that  they  may 
themselves  enjoy  a  "  communion  with  the  sects " ;  and  the 
other,  that  they  may,  by  this  perversion,  render  the  wise  and 
conservative  course  of  the  brethren  odious  in  the  eyes  of  the 
uninformed,  and  so  gain  some  place  of  favour  for  their  own 
exclusivism.  Undoubtedly  this  interpretation  is  to  the  former 
almost  the  dawn  of  a  millennial  day  of  peace;  while  with  the 
latter,  it  is  "  open  communion  in  its  worst  form ;  allowing  all 
to  come,  regenerate  and  unregenerate ;  breaking  down  the 
landmarks  separating  Christ's  from  human  kingdoms;  letting 
in  all  the  Mormons,"  etc.,  etc.  That  any  intelligent  brother 
should  construe  the  absence  of  a  prohibition  in  the  case  of  a 
few  particular  individuals  into  a  general  invitation  to  all  the 
world,  or  to  all  the  sects,  would,  I  confess,  appear  singular 
to  me,  did  I  not  know  how  great  confusion  of  thought  there  is 
in  reference  to  this  whole  subject,  on  the  part  of  some  really 
estimable  brethren.  In  regard,  then,  to  the  former  of  these 
classes,  to  which  1  wish  to  devote  the  remainder  of  this  letter, 
I  would  remark,  that  they  greatly  mistake  the  nature  of  the 
concession  often  made  that  "  there  are  Christians  among  the 
sects,"  when  they  go  so  far  as  to  designate  the  individuals  in 
question;  and  still  more  when  they  suppose  this  concession 
to  sanctify  the  sect.  I  seldom  pay  any  attention  to  the  titles 
of  communications  in  our  papers,  as  they  are  often  irrelevant 
to  the  matter,  and  sometimes  given  according  to  the  fancy  of 
the  printer,  and  I  did  not  at  first  really  notice  the  heading  of 
your  article  in  the  Harbhigcr,  until  it  was  challenged  by 
Brother  Franklin.  I  must  say  that  I  think  Brother  Franklin's 
strictures  entirely  just.  Upon  the  principles  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, we  can  have  no  "  communication  with  the  sects,"  or  with 
sectarians.  So  far  from  admitting  the  claims  of  sectarianism, 
or  conceding  to  it  countenance  or  toleration,  its  great  and 
special  purpose  is  to  overthrow  and  destroy  Reformation. 
Its  principal  aim  has  ever  been  to  expose  the  wickedness  and 
folly  of  the  divisions  that  exist,  and  to  urge  all  to  abandon 
them,  and  unite  under  one  leader,  even  Christ,  the  Lord.  Such 
a  thing,  then,  as  "  communion  with  the  sects,"  would  be  at 
once  a  complete  nullification  of  our  plea,  and  a  total  abandon- 
ment of  our  position.  I  trust  that  nothing  I  may  write  on  the 
subject  will  be  put  into  the  Harbingei-  under  such  a  title,  as  I 
have  never  for  a  moment  sanctioned  or  thought  of  such  a 
thing  as  "  communion  with  the  sects,"  and  I  will  therefore 
take  the  liberty  of  designating  the  title  under  which  this  is 
to  appear,  if  published,  viz.,  "  Informal  Communion  " — which 
expresses  briefly  the  precise  case  under  consideration,  viz.,  that 
of  a  person  communing  without  being  formally  invited;  just 
as  we  may  have  informal  hospitality,  when  a  stranger  takes  a 
seat  at  a  table  with  a  family,  without  an  invitation,  yet  not 
forbidden.  Such  an  occurrence  would  not  be  regarded  as  a 
standing  invitation  to  all  the  world  to  come  and  sup  with 
the  family,  neither  would  the  members  of  the  family  be  thereby 


506    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


justified  in  abandoning  their  own  table  and  their  home,  in 
order  to  become  boarders  and  citizens  at  large. 

When  we  say  that  there  are  "  Christians  among  the  sects," 
we  do  not  mean  Christians  in  the  lull  sense,  according  to  the 
requirements  of  the  New  Testament.  We  mean  imperfect,  em- 
bryo Christians,  if  you  please,  in  certain  most  important 
points  of  the  Christian  profession,  while,  in  other  aspects, 
they  may  be  regarded  as  full-grown,  and  even  excelling  in  faith 
and  works  of  charity.  We  use  the  same  style  employed  by  the 
Lord  himself,  when  he  said  to  Paul,  persecuted  at  Corinth,  "  I 
have  much  people  in  this  city."  But  Paul  could  not  know  who 
these  people  were,  until  they  themselves  rendered  it  manifest 
by  coming  out  and  obeying  the  truth.  Neither  can  we  know 
who  are  "  Christians  among  the  sects,"  except  as  they  show  a 
willingness  to  keep  the  commandments  of  Jesus.  The  con- 
cession is  with  us  at  best  a  mere  matter  of  opinion,  which,  on 
our  own  principles,  can  never  be  made  a  ground  of  religious 
action.  The  charity  that  "  hopeth  all  things,"  may  lead  us  to 
think  that  God  has  received  many  who  have  never  properly 
understood  the  Gospel  and  its  ordinances ;  but  since  this  same 
charity  "  rejoiceth  in  the  truth,"  it  can  never  have,  where  the 
word  of  truth  is  silent,  the  guidance  and  companionship  of 
Faith.  Hence,  to  go  on  from  the  general  concession  that  there 
are  "  Christians  among  the  sects,"  to  determine  what  partic- 
ular individuals  are  Christians,  so  that  we  may  have  com- 
munion with  such  "  Christians  among  the  sects,"  is  to  overstep 
the  boundaries  prescribed  to  us.  And  to  leave  out  the  "  Chris- 
tians "  altogether,  so  as  to  come  at  last  to  "  communion  with 
the  sects,"  is  a  clear  abandonment  of  everything  that  dis- 
tinguishes the  Reformation.  This  Reformation  has  a  mission, 
which  is  clearly  to  "  restore  pure,  primitive,  apostolic  Chris- 
tianity, in  letter  and  spirit,  in  principle  and  practice,"  and 
to  gather  together  the  people  of  God  under  one  Lord,  through 
one  Faith,  one  baptism,  and  one  Spirit.  It  can  never  prove 
unfaithful  to  this  noble  purpose,  and  can  make  no  compromise 
of  principles  and  institutions  derived  directly  from  the  sacred 
word.* 

Professor  Pendlton,  in  replying  to  George  W.  Elley, 
sums  up  the  whole  argument  in  thirteen  divisions,  in 
which  he  makes  it  clearly  evident  that  the  Disciple  prac- 
tice, neither  to  invite  nor  exclude  Pedo-Baptists  at  the 
Lord's  table,  was  not  only  in  harmony  with  Disciple  his- 
tory, but  also  in  harmony  with  reason  and  the  Scriptures. 

In  his  first  article  on  this  subject,  he  makes  it  very 
plain  that  the  doctrine  of  close  communion  is  contrary 
to  the  whole  spirit  of  the  Disciple  Reformation.  He  con- 
cludes his  remarks  as  follows : 


•  Harb.  1862,  pp.  98-101. 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


507 


It  is  important  to  keep  clearly  and  always  before  the  mind 
the  great  principle  of  our  movement  in  the  Reformation.  We 
must  remember  that  we  are  labouring,  not  to  introduce  a 
totally  new  Church,  but  to  restore  the  things  which  we  are 
wanting  in  one  already  existing;  not  to  overthrow  what  is 
good,  but  to  teach  the  way  of  the  Lord  more  perfectly.  Error 
as  to  ordinances  may  exist  where  there  is  genuine  faith. 
Error  is  always  injurious,  but  not  necessarily  fatal.  In  some 
points  we  do  all  offend — and  in  humility  let  us  forbear.  To 
restore  the  erring  in  the  spirit  of  meekness,  is  the  part  of 
a  true  Christian  charity.  The  transition  from  systems  of 
error  to  the  prescribed  order  of  revelation  must  be  gradual. 
The  introduction  of  the  new  economy  by  our  Saviour  was  a 
work  of  long  preparation,  and  by  methods  of  great  forbearance 
and  prudence.  The  prayer  and  alms  of  Cornelius  Were  ac- 
ceptable to  God,  and  he  was  honoured  by  special  and  very  con- 
vincing evidences  of  the  Saviour's  confidence  and  respect,  in 
order  to  lead  him  to  a  fuller  knowledge  and  reception  of  the 
new  revelations  concerning  his  kingdom.  He  was  treated  as  a 
member,  while  yet  ignorant  of  its  regulations. — He  was  a 
disciple  in  heart,  through  faith  and  in  the  spirit  of  obedience, 
while  yet  without  the  outward  forms  of  recognition. 

If  Peter  had  been  left  to  his  Jewish  prejudices  and  ex- 
clusivism,  he  would  doubtless  have  refused  to  admit  Cornelius 
to  baptism.  It  was  the  overwhelming  evidence  of  his  recep- 
tion by  God  that  compelled  the  apostle  to  say.  Who  shall  for- 
bid that  he  shall  be  baptised?  So  ought  it  to  be  with  us. 
Can  we  deny  that  God  has  recognised,  and  is  still  recognising, 
the  truly  pious  and  full  of  faith  and  good  works  in  the  many 
divisions  of  professed  Christians  as  really  and  truly  his  peo- 
ple !  Will  any  one  take  the  absurd  position  that  the  noble  list 
of  illustrious  men  who  have  been  the  light  and  ornament  of 
religion  in  the  ages  that  ai"e  past,  and  whose  piety  and  learning 
are  still  the  admiration  and  glory  of  the  Lord's  people — that 
all  these,  because  of  an  error,  not  on  the  signiflcancy  or  divine 
authority  of  baptism,  but  what  we  must  be  allowed  to  call  its 
mode, — that  all  these,  because  of  such  an  error,  must  be  pushed 
from  our  ranks  as  reprobate — torn  from  our  Christian  affec- 
tions, as  heretics — thrust  from  the  communion  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  the  Saviour,  whom  for  a  long  life  they  so  truly  loved 
and  devotedly  served,  and  counted  no  more  worthy  of  our  Chris- 
tian fellowship  than  so  many  heathens  and  publicans?  The 
conclusion  is  too  monstrous  for  any  but  the  hidebound  zealot 
of  a  cold  and  lifeless  formalism.  I  should  feel  that  I  had  in- 
jured the  Christianity  which  I  profess  and  which  I  love,  could 
I  recall  that  even  for  a  moment  I  had  allowed  my  head  so  to 
interpret  its  pleading  mercy,  or  my  heart  so  to  restrict  its 
wide-embracing  charity.* 

The  men  who  conducted  this  discussion  were  real 
giants  in  their  intellectual  grasp  and  little  children  in 

*  Hwrh.  1861,  pp.  713-714. 


508    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  spirit  which  they  manifested.  The  discussion  did 
great  good.  It  served  to  clear  the  atmosphere.  Two 
classes  of  extremists  had  been  at  work  from  the  very  be- 
ginning of  the  movement,  viz.,  the  extreme  radical  and 
the  extreme  conservative.  The  former  was  ready  to  throw 
open  the  Lord's  table  to  all  comers,  and  to  practically 
assume  the  responsibility  for  so  doing;  while  the  extreme 
conservative  wished  to  block  the  way  against  the  pos- 
sibility of  any  unbaptised  persons  partaking  of  the  em- 
blems at  the  Lord's  table.  The  "  middle  of  the  road 
men  in  this  controversy  were  again  victorious,  as  they 
have  always  been  through  the  entire  history  of  the  Dis- 
ciples. 

After  the  discussion  had  ended  the  Disciples  settled 
down  to  the  position  they  had  always  held,  and  in  theory, 
at  least,  this  is  their  position  to-day.  However,  for  the 
truth  of  history,  it  ought  to  be  stated  that  their  practice 
in  this  respect  is  not  always  and  in  every  place  uniform. 
It  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  some  of  their  preachers 
make  it  fairly  evident  to  Pedo-Baptists  that  they  are  prac- 
tically invited  to  participate  in  the  communion  service  if 
they  choose  to  do  so.  Indeed,  in  later  years  the  churches 
seem  to  have  become  less  concerned  about  this  particular 
matter.  However,  there  are  a  very  few  places  where  there 
could  be  any  trouble  with  respect  to  this  question,  as  there 
are  very  few  Pedo-Baptists  who  care  to  bring  this  question 
to  a  test.  Very  generally  they  are  as  much  indisposed 
to  obtrude  themselves  at  the  communion  table  as  the  Dis- 
ciples are  to  receive  them.  Really  it  is  a  question  that 
settles  itself,  and  need  not  be  a  matter  of  contention  in 
any  respect  whatever. 

It  is  rather  curious  that  at  a  time  when  the  whole  coun- 
try was  stirred  from  centre  to  circumference  by  the  Civil 
War,  the  Disciples  should  be  earnestly  engaged  in  dis- 
cussing their  internal  afifairs.  As  I  have  said  in  another 
place,  usually  the  period  of  a  movement  which  brings 
with  it  introspection  brings  with  it  also  the  beginning 
of  intellectual  growth.  It  is  the  time  which  marks  the 
dawn  of  culture,  and  real,  substantial  progress,  and  at 
such  a  time  there  is  sure  to  be  considerable  conflict  between 
the  past  and  the  present.  Ignorance  is  always  the  im- 
placable enemy  of  legitimate  progress.  Hence  there  can 
be  no  real  forward  movement  in  any  religious  work  with- 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


509 


out  reaching  a  period  where  conflict  will  be  surely  de- 
veloped between  the  two  opposing  forces  to  which  I  have 
called  attention. 

As  has  already  been  intimated,  the  war  settled  several 
things.  It  at  any  rate  stimulated  activity.  It  also  tended 
to  turn  the  eyes  of  the  Disciples  from  their  religious  neigh- 
bours to  a  careful  consideration  of  their  own  faith  and 
practice. 

This  introspection,  as  I  have  called  it,  led  to  an  earnest 
desire  on  the  part  of  many  to  make  progress  somewhat 
commensurate  with  the  demands  of  the  new  conditions  of 
society  which  had  been  evolved  out  of  the  war.  These 
were  called  the  "  progressives." 

There  were  others,  however,  who  refused  to  accept  the 
changed  conditions;  or,  if  they  were  compelled  to  accept 
them,  they  utterly  refused  to  adapt  themselves  to  these 
conditions.  These  men  were  called  "  anti-progressives." 
Thus,  two  opposing  forces  were  definitely  formed;  still, 
notwithstanding  that  the  opposition  between  them  has 
sometimes  been  even  bitter,  these  parties  have,  after  all, 
contributed  to  the  vigor,  growth,  and  harmony  of  the  move- 
ment. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that  opposite  forces 
necessarily  bring  disaster.  In  commercial  life  we  do  not 
hesitate  to  say  that  competition  is  the  life  of  trade.  It 
is  really  the  life  of  everything.  Nature  teaches  us  a  great 
lesson  on  this  subject.  Where  on  the  globe  is  it  that  we 
find  the  best  developed  men  and  women,  both  intellectually 
and  physically?  Do  we  look  for  them  at  the  extreme  north 
or  at  the  extreme  south?  Certainly  not.  They  are  found 
on  a  narrow  belt  of  the  earth,  all  the  way  around,  just 
where  the  sea:.ons  are  in  eternal  conflict,  just  where  all 
the  opposing  forces  of  life  are  most  active.  The  same  is 
true  with  respect  to  the  moral  or  religious  world.  Hence 
opposition,  when  legitimately  met,  is  a  means  of  progress. 
It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the  Disciple  movement 
had  to  pass  through  the  experiences  I  have  indicated ;  nor 
is  it  strange  that  the  conflict  precipitated  became  a  form- 
ative force  in  developing  the  churches  in  the  direction  of 
legitimate  growth.  It  is  true  that  for  a  time  there  was 
a  certain  amount  of  danger  that  the  controversies  of  the 
period  would  lead  to  division.  There  is  always  danger 
in  everything  that  makes  for  life.     Death  is  the  end  of 


510    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

all  danger.  The  war  itself,  as  we  have  already  seen,  put 
a  heavy  strain  upon  the  fellowship  of  the  Disciples,  North 
and  South,  while  the  communion  question  affected  for  a 
while  the  convictions  of  the  whole  body.  Meantime,  the 
organ  question  was  beginning  to  occupy  considerable  at- 
tention. It  was  discussed  in  the  American  Christian  Re- 
vieio,  and  the  Millennial  Harbinger,  Lard's  Quarterly,  and 
other  periodicals  of  less  influence.  Such  men  as  Moses 
E.  Lard,  A.  S.  Hayden,  Benjamin  Franklin,  John  W. 
McGarvey,  and  Isaac  Errett  participated  more  or  less  in 
the  organ  discussion  during  the  period  under  considera- 
tion. These  men  for  the  most  part  wrote  temperately, 
but  there  were  evidently  underneath  what  they  said  very 
positive  conviction  and  deep  feeling. 

Those  who  opposed  the  organ  discussion,  during  this 
period,  did  so  on  the  ground  that  it  was  unscriptural, 
and  that  consequently  they  could  not  worship  where  it 
was  used.  They  held  that  those  who  advocated  its  use 
could  have  no  conscience  in  the  matter,  and  consequently 
by  the  law  of  love  they  ought  to  refuse  to  do  that  which 
wounded  their  brethren. 

But  the  advocates  of  the  organ  contended  that  their 
plea  was  not  contrary  to  Scripture,  even  if  there  was  no 
precept  or  example  for  the  use  of  the  organ  in  worship. 
There  were  some,  however,  who  contended  that  a  legitimate 
interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  really  yields  a  support  to 
the  use  of  the  organ.  They  also  contended  that  they  had 
a  conscience  in  the  matter  just  as  much  as  their  anti- 
organ  brethren ;  and  consequently  they  felt  it  to  be  their 
duty  to  contend  for  the  use  of  it. 

As  a  practical  matter,  the  organ  question  was  more 
threatening  in  its  influence  upon  the  union  of  the  Disciples 
than  was  the  communion  question.  Indeed,  some  preach- 
ers utterly  refused  to  occupy  the  pulpit  where  an  organ 
was  played,  and  in  some  cases  the  brethren  of  a  church 
separated  from  each  other  on  this  very  question.  Still, 
even  when  this  separation  took  place,  there  was  no  formal 
breaking  of  a  general  fellowship.  The  organ  churches 
and  the  anti-organ  churches  alike  maintained  their  posi- 
tion among  the  Disciples,  and  continued  to  fellowship  each 
other. 

Other  disturbing  elements  were  also  prominent  at  this 
time,  though  for  the  most  part  these  were  insignificant 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


511 


in  their  influence,  compared  with  the  communion  question 
and  the  organ  question.  Mr.  Lard  was  now  publishing 
his  Quarterly,  and  it  gave  no  uncertain  sound  with  respect 
to  the  importance  of  maintaining  extreme  conservative 
grounds.  He  was  himself,  in  his  personality  and  conten- 
tion, a  complete  contradiction.  From  one  point  of  view 
he  was  an  intense  radical,  having  little  or  no  patience 
with  any  one  who  was  unwilling  to  follow  his  extreme 
radical  views.  But  from  the  point  of  view  of  maintaining 
the  ground  which  had  formerly  been  occupied  by  the  Dis- 
ciples he  was  an  extreme  conservative,  and  he  maintained 
this  position  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  though  some 
time  before  his  death  he  advocated  a  doctrine  of  the  future 
life  which  came  perilously  near  to  universalism,  and  in 
this  he  illustrated  his  tendency  to  radicalism,  to  which 
reference  has  already  been  made.  In  his  Quarterly  he 
was  inclined  to  take  pessimistic  views  of  many  things, 
and  especially  of  little  things.  The  word  "  reverend  "  on 
a  doorplate  was  itself  evidence  of  unsoundness  in  the  faith 
of  the  man  who  lived  in  the  house,  while  the  publishing 
of  a  "  synopsis  "  of  the  principles  and  aims  of  a  church 
was  exactly  equivalent  to  a  renunciation  of  the  faith  once 
for  all  delivered  to  the  saints.  Referring  to  a  synopsis 
of  this  kind,  he  says: 

There  is  not  a  sound  man  in  our  ranks  who  has  seen  the 
"  Synopsis "  that  has  not  felt  scandalised  by  it.  I  wish  we 
possessed  even  one  decent  apology  for  its  appearance.  It  is  a 
deep  offence  against  the  brotherhood — an  offence  tossed  into 
the  teeth  of  the  people  who  for  forty  years  have  been  working 
against  the  divisive  and  evil  tendency  of  creeds.  That  it  was 
meant  as  an  offence  by  the  brethren  who  have  issued  it,  I  can- 
not think.  Still  their  work  has  a  merit  of  its  own,  a  merit 
which  no  lack  of  bad  intention  on  their  part  can  affect.  Our 
brethren  will  accept  this  "  Synopsis  "  for  what  it  is,  not  for 
what  it  may  possibly  not  have  been  designed  to  be.  We  are  told 
that  this  "  Declaration  "  is  not  to  be  taken  as  a  creed.  But 
will  this  caveat  prevent  its  being  so  taken?  Never.  When 
Aaron's  calf  came  out,  had  he  called  it  a  bird,  still  all  Israel, 
seeing  it  stand  on  four  legs,  with  horns  and  parted  hoofs,  would 
have  shouted,  A  calf,  a  calf,  a  calf.  The  brethren  "  meeting 
at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  Ave.  and  Beaubien  Street,  Detroit," 
may  call  their  work  in  classic  phrase  a  "  Synopsis,"  or  gently, 
a  "  Declaration  " ;  but  we  still  cry,  a  creed,  a  creed.  It  is  not 
the  mere  title  of  the  work  that  constitutes  it  a  creed,  but  its 
matter  and  form,  together  with  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
issued,  and  the  sanctions  by  which  it  is  accompanied.  This 


512    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


"  Synopsis  "  is  a  creed  without  the  appropriate  label — a  genu- 
ine snake  in  the  grass,  wearing  a  honeyed  name. 

On  its  appearance  in  the  American  Christian  Review,  Bro. 
Franklin  expressed  his  strong  disapprobation  of  this  "  Synop- 
sis," while  "  John,"  an  anonymous  writer,  in  his  burlesque  of 
it  has  left  us  in  no  doubt  as  to  the  estimate  in  which  he  holds 
it.  With  these  sound  men  I  fully  agree,  except  in  so  far  as 
they  seem  inclined  to  treat  the  "  Synopsis  "  as  a  small  matter. 
With  the  writer  of  this  it  has  a  painful  significance — painful, 
because  symptomatic  of  the  following  items : 

(1)  .  That  some  of  our  brethren  have  lost  their  former  well- 
grounded  opposition  to  creeds,  and  now  are  ready  to  traflSc  in 
these  unholy  things.  This  indicates  a  diseased  state  of  the 
body.  How  far  this  disease  extends  will  be  seen  by  the  extent 
to  which  the  "  Synopsis  "  is  endorsed. 

(2)  .  That  these  brethren  are  no  longer  willing  to  be  styled 
heretics  for  the  truth's  sake,  but  now  wish  to  avoid  that  odium 
by  adopting  the  customs  and  views  of  the  sects  of  the  day  and 
thus  to  become  themselves  a  sect. 

(3)  .  That  what  the  world  needs  in  order  to  learn  the  faith 
of  these  brethren  is  not  the  Bible  alone,  but  the  Bible  and  a 
"  Synopsis  of  their  faith  and  practice."  With  them,  then,  the 
Bible  is  an  insufficient  enlightener  of  the  human  family. 

For  all  these  sjanptoms  of  degeneracy  our  brotherhood  will 
feel  something  more  than  mere  regret.  They  will  feel  pro- 
foundly ashamed.* 

Both  Mr.  Lard  and  Benjamin  Franklin  continued  to 
emphasise  these  infinitesimal  matters  until  it  looked  at 
one  time  as  if  the  whole  movement  might  be  wrecked  by 
an  undermining  of  microbes.  The  foregoing  extract  from 
the  Quarterly  shows  the  spirit  of  the  advocacy  of  this  very 
able  but  extremely  conservative  magazine.  Sometimes 
things  have  to  get  worse  before  they  get  better.  The  Dis- 
ciple movement  was  passing  through  a  dark  period  just 
as  the  country  was.  But  there  was  a  brighter  day  close 
to  hand,  as  there  was  also  for  the  country,  when  the  war 
ended  in  the  spring  of  1865.  This  brighter  day  will  be 
considered  in  subsequent  chapters. 

Meantime  we  have  to  record  the  death  of  three  of  the 
greatest  men  connected  with  the  Disciple  movement.  The 
first  one  to  fall  was  Walter  Scott.  He  had  been  in  some- 
what failing  health  for  a  year  or  two,  but  really  continued 
to  be  actively  engaged  in  the  Master's  work  up  to  the 
very  last.  His  earthly  career  was  closed  April  23,  1861. 
His  life  and  character  have  already  been  sketched  in  an 
earlier  part  of  this  work,  but  the  following  description 

*  "  Lard's  Quarterly." 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


513 


of  Scott  as  a  preacher  will  doubtless  be  interesting  to  the 
reader.  It  was  written  by  William  Baxter,  his  biogra- 
pher, who  personally  heard  the  discourses  to  which  refer- 
ence is  made: 

He  was  about  middle  height,  quite  erect,  well  formed,  easy 
and  graceful  in  all  his  movements;  his  hair  black  and  glossy, 
even  to  advanced  age;  he  had  piercing  black  eyes,  which 
seemed  at  one  time  to  burn,  at  another  to  melt ;  his  face  was 
a  remarkable  one,  the  saddest,  or  gladdest,  as  melancholy  or 
joy  prevailed;  his  voice  was  one  of  the  richest  I  ever  heard, 
suited  to  the  expression  of  every  emotion  of  the  soul — and 
when  his  subject  took  full  possession  of  him,  he  was  an  orator. 
I  have  heard  Bascom,  and  Stockton,  and  many  other  gifted 
ministers,  but  none  to  compare  with  him;  he  stands  alone. 

Once,  on  what  might  be  termed  an  ordinary  occasion,  when 
there  was  no  special  interest,  or  expectation,  he  began  to 
describe  the  gathering  of  the  saints  to  their  final  glorious 
home;  he  was  for  a  time  sweet  and  tender,  but  all  at  once  his 
form  dilated,  and  his  face  glowed  as  if  he  had  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  King  himself,  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  I  shall 
never  forget  his  attitude,  as,  with  face  upturned,  and  hand 
outstretched,  he  stood  describing  the  scene  he  really  seemed 
to  behold.  I  have  often  wondered  since  how  any  speaker  could 
even  venture  on  such  an  attitude  as  he  assumed,  and  wondered 
that  even  he  could  maintain  it  so  long — but  the  end  was  not 
yet ;  he  cried  out :  "  It  reminds  me  of  a  scene  in  the  moun- 
tains of  my  native  north ;  "  and  then  dashed  off  in  a  life-like 
description  of  the  gathering  of  the  clans  in  the  Highlands  of 
Scotland  at  the  call  of  some  renowned  and  beloved  chief.  On 
a  mountain  summit  stood  the  chieftain,  and  as  the  wild  notes 
of  the  bugle-horn  re-echoed  from  rock  and  ravine,  and  spread 
over  the  valley,  the  whole  plain  below  was,  in  a  moment,  filled 
with  his  devoted  followers,  who,  wrapped  in  their  plaids,  had 
been  concealed  in  the  blooming  heather;  every  eye  in  that  host 
was  turned  to  the  chief  whose  summons  they  had  heard  and 
whose  form  stood  out  clearly  defined  on  the  mountain  top, 
and  upward  to  him  in  a  living  stream  they  went;  he  shouted 
a  welcome  as  they  came,  and  back  from  the  thronging  host 
came  an  answering  shout,  for  they  were  not  only  his  soldiers 
but  his  kinsmen ;  and  when  they  reached  the  place  where  their 
leader  stood  they  were  happy  and  invincible. 

This  was  the  figure  used  to  illustrate  the  glad  awakening  of 
those  who  long  had  slept  in  the  dust,  and  their  rising  to  meet 
the  Lord  in  the  air.  No  description  can  do  justice  to  his 
manner,  or  reproduce  the  scene  which  he  described,  but  he 
made  his  hearers  see  it;  for  my  own  part,  I  distinctly  heard 
the  notes  of  that  wild  music  and  clearly  and  distinctly  saw  the 
tartans  stream  as  up  the  warriors  pressed  to  meet  their  be- 
loved chief. 

The  next  discourse  that  I  shall  notice  was  under  far  dif- 


514    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ferent  circumstances.  The  audience,  in  the  instance  just 
given,  was  composed  of  some  two  or  three  hundred  people,  and 
the  scene  he  described,  which  made  sucli  an  impression  on  me, 
was,  doubtless,  one  that  flashed  upon  his  mind  at  the  moment. 
But  now  he  had  before  him  as  many  thousands  as  he  had 
hundreds  in  the  former  instance.  The  vast  assembly  met  in  a 
beautiful  grove.  Many  of  them  had  known  the  speaker  for  a 
score  of  years,  and  not  a  few  of  them  had  been  brought  into 
the  fold  of  Christ  under  his  ministry ;  others  had  come  from  a 
great  distance,  attracted  by  the  fame  of  the  preacher,  and  I 
doubt  not,  that  he  had  made  careful  preparation  to  meet  the 
expectation  of  the  thousands  who  thronged  to  hear. 

His  theme  was  the  Transfiguration  of  Christ,  which  he  de- 
scribed with  such  marvellous  power,  that  his  audience  seemed 
to  be  witnesses  of  the  wonderful  scene  which  transpired  upon 
the  holy  mount.  He  set  forth  the  meeting  of  the  Saviour, 
Moses,  and  Elijah,  as  a  glimpse  vouchsafed  to  mortals  of  the 
heavenly  state,  or  a  living  tableau  of  translated,  resurrected, 
and  transformed  humanity,  of  which  classes,  translated  Elijah, 
the  resurrected  Moses,  and  the  transfigured  Lord,  were  the 
respective  types ;  and  to  this  task  he  brought  a  power  of 
description  so  new,  forcible,  and  impressive,  that  many,  while 
they  listened  with  wonder,  mingled  with  awe,  felt  like  Peter, 
who,  in  the  presence  of  the  magnificent  display,  which  the 
preacher  made  to  seem  a  reality,  exclaimed,  "  Master,  it  is 
good  for  us  to  be  here;  let  us  make  three  tabernacles,  one  for 
thee,  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias,"  and  numbers,  I  doubt 
not,  felt  themselves  that  day  nearer  heaven  than  ever  they 
had  been  before.  For  an  hour  that  grove  seemed  holy  ground, 
solemn  and  joyful  as  the  summit  of  Tabor,  for  there,  with  the 
wondering,  glad  disciples,  we  seemed  to  stand,  and,  like  them, 
to  see  and  hear  the  glorious  immortals ;  we  saw  the  Man  of 
Sorrows  with  face  brighter  than  Moses  when  he  descended 
from  Sinai ;  we  saw  him  lay  away  his  seamless  coat  and  put 
on  garments  of  light  and  beauty,  more  glorious  far  than  the 
robes  of  Aaron  when  he  stood  before  the  mercy  seat,  while  the 
pearly  cloud  overshadowed  all,  and  from  its  snowy  depths  came 
the  words  of  Jehovah,  as  he  presented  to  the  faith  of  the 
apostles  and  the  world  the  glorified  One  in  the  impressive 
words,  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  ye  him.'' 

The  reader  will  observe  that  I  make  no  attempt  to  reproduce 
the  sermon,  that  is  impossible;  but  to  show  the  impression 
that  it  made  upon  my  own  mind  and  that  of  others.  It  is 
not  many  sermons  that  people  will  remember  for  twenty  years 
or  more,  but  this  was  one  of  the  few  of  which  the  impression 
is  never  effaced.  No  man  there  could  remember  the  glowing 
words  used  to  paint  the  glorious  scene,  but  many  I  know  will 
never  forget  the  glowing  picture  while  life  and  memory  endure. 

The  last  discourse  that  I  shall  notice  was  delivered  during 
the  State  meeting,  held  at  Georgetown,  Kentucky,  in  1846. 
Quite  a  number  of  able  preachers  were  present,  among  them 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


515 


President  Shannon,  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  R.  C.  Ricketts,  R.  H. 
Forrester,  R.  C.  Rice,  and  tlie  Kendricks,  Most  of  these  had 
preached  during  the  meeting,  and,  near  its  close,  it  was  an- 
nounced that  Walter  Scott  would  preach  on  Sunday  night. 

The  audience  was  large  and  intelligent,  composed  of  per- 
sons from  all  the  principal  towns  of  the  Blue  Grass  region. 
Lexington,  Frankfort,  Richmond,  Paris,  Harrodsburg,  Shelby- 
ville,  and  others  were  represented.  It  was  my  lot  to  accom- 
pany the  preacher  into  the  pulpit,  which  gave  me  an  oppor- 
tunity of  observing  the  effect  of  the  sermon  on  the  listening 
throng.  His  theme  was  the  Golden  Oracle,  as  he  termed  it, 
as  set  forth  in  the  declaration  of  Simon  Peter — Thou  art  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  His  exordium  was  solemn, 
impressive,  grand;  his  language  reminding  me  of  the  finest 
passages  of  Milton,  and  almost  with  his  first  sentence  I  saw 
that  he  had  established  a  warm  sympathy  between  himself 
and  his  hearers.  He  spoke  of  the  nature  of  Christ,  as  gold 
mingled  with  clay — the  fine  gold  of  Divinity,  with  the  clay  of 
humanity ;  and  then  from  the  Old  and  New  Testament  gathered 
all  the  glorious  names  which  prophets  and  apostles  applied  to 
the  Son  of  God — names  of  power,  excellency,  and  glory,  and 
sho\v;ed  how  they  set  forth  the  nature  of  him  around  whom 
they  clustered,  who  not  only  wore,  but  was  worthy  of  them 
all. 

All  felt  that  he  was  giving  expression  to  their  own  highest 
conceptions  of  the  Saviour  which  they  had  never  been  able  to 
embody  in  words,  and  so  fixed  and  intense  became  the  atten- 
tion, that  the  entire  audience  would  unconsciously  sway  to 
and  fro,  as  waves  at  the  will  of  the  wind,  with  every  gesture 
of  the  speaker ;  if  he  cast  his  eyes  upward,  his  hearers  seemed 
gazing  up  into  heaven ;  now  a  glad  smile  would  light  up  every 
face,  and  anon  every  eye  would  be  dim  with  tears ;  and,  at  the 
close  of  some  marvel  of  description,  a  deep  murmur  or  sigh 
might  be  heard,  as  though  all  had  held  their  breath  under  the 
spell  of  his  eloquence. 

The  interest  was  sustained  throughout,  and  some  of  the 
passages  were  the  finest  I  ever  heard  from  the  lips  of  a  man. 
In  one  portion  of  his  discourse  he  spoke  of  Christ  as  the 
Prophet,  Priest,  and  King.  He  sought  the  Prophet  among  all 
those  who  had  delivered  the  messages  of  God  to  men ;  but 
found  him  not  at  Sinai,  nor  at  Carmel,  where  God  owned 
Elijah  by  fire;  nor  among  the  long  line  of  those  who  wept  over 
Israel's  sorrows  and  captivity  like  Jeremiah ;  or  who,  like 
Isaiah,  heralded  the  dawning  of  a  brighter  day ;  but  bowing  in 
agony  in  the  Gethsemane,  the  Great  Prophet  he  sought  was 
found.  He  bade  kings  and  conquerors,  in  pomp  and  majesty, 
march  by — we  saw  Nimrod,  and  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  David, 
and  Solomon  in  all  his  glory;  Cyrus,  and  Alexander,  and  the 
great  Julius,  swelled  the  procession;  but  the  King  he  sought 
was  found  in  Pilate's  Judgment  Hall,  a  soldier's  purple  cloak, 
thrown  over  him  in  mockery,  for  a  regal  robe;  his  sceptre,  a 


516    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


reed ;  for  a  diadem,  a  cruel  crown  of  thorns,  for  subjects,  rude 
soldiers  with  knees  bent  in  scorn,  and  crying  in  derision, 
"  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews." 

Next  a  procession  of  priests  passed  by — Abel,  who  reared  his 
altar  not  far  from  the  gates  of  Eden;  Melchisedec,  wearing 
crown  and  mitre ;  Aaron,  in  priestly  robes,  bearing  the  names 
of  the  chosen  tribes  on  the  breastplate  near  his  heart,  with  all 
who  had  ministered  to  God  in  tabernacle  or  temple,  who  had 
offered  sacrifice  at  the  altar,  or  sprinkled  the  blood  of  atone- 
ment on  the  mercy-seat,  but  the  Priest  he  sought  he  found  (m 
Calvary,  offering  himself  up  to  God  on  a  bloody  cross,  at  once 
both  priest  and  victim,  praying  for  those  who  nailed  him  there, 
and  from  whose  bleeding  heart  the  viler  soldier  soon  plucked 
his  vile  spear  away.  But  he  left  us  not  weeping,  at  least  not 
in  sorrow,  for  he  showed  us  the  risen,  glorified  One,  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high,  where  he  ever  liveth  to 
make  intercession  for  us.* 

Another  hero  and  close  associate  of  Scott  died  April 
7,  1863.  This  was  William  Hayden,  the  sweet  singer, 
who  accompanied  Scott  in  many  of  his  evangelistic  tours, 
and  was  himself  one  of  the  most  effective  evangelists  of 
his  day.  Both  of  these  men  died  in  the  triumphs  of  the 
faith  which  they  had  so  successfully  preached. 

Closely  following  the  death  of  these  two  men  was  that 
of  Alexander  Campbell.  March  4,  1866,  will  always  con- 
tain a  sad  message  for  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  On  that 
day  Alexander  Campbell,  the  acknowledged  leader  of  the 
Disciple  movement,  passed  into  his  rest.  Mr.  Campbell 
had  been  a  most  indefatigable  worker.  It  is  almost  in- 
credible that  one  man  should  have  accomplished  so  much. 
For  forty-five  years  he  labored  with  an  energy  rarely,  if 
ever,  equalled,  and  certainly  never  excelled.  In  addition 
to  numerous  sermons  and  addresses  and  travels  from 
continent  to  continent  and  state  to  state,  during  which 
time  he  was  speaking  and  talking  almost  constantly,  he 
produced  a  real  library  of  controversial  essays,  and  dis- 
sertations which  are  as  remarkable  for  their  vigor  of 
style,  comprehensiveness,  and  wide  reading  as  any  simi- 
lar literary  productions  of  any  other  man;  and,  per- 
haps, when  regarded  from  the  point  of  view  of  quality, 
they  must  take  rank  in  the  highest  class  of  theological 
polemics. 

It  has  been  truly  said  of  him  that  his  character  was 
without  a  spot.     His  bitterest  enemies  failed  to  find  a 
•"Life  of  Scott,"  pp.  343-349. 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


517 


flaw  in  his  character  for  truth,  integrity,  and  goodness. 
To  those  who  knew  him  well,  he  was  most  cheerful,  gentle, 
genial,  just,  and  devout;  and  was  as  dearly  beloved  for 
his  goodness  as  he  was  venerated  for  his  greatness.  And 
it  was  in  his  social  life,  in  the  midst  of  his  friends  and 
relatives,  especially  around  his  own  ever-thronged  and 
ever-hospitable  fireside,  that  Mr.  Campbell  was  most  truly 
loved  and  honoured — and  there  the  vacuum  can  never  be 
filled.  His  manner  towards  the  humblest  domestic  of  his 
household  was  kind  and  engaging.  Never  were  the  in- 
born characteristics  of  a  gentleman  more  certainly  and 
happily  manifested  than  in  him.  Children  loved  the  sight 
of  him.  None  knew  him  but  to  love  him.  His  amiable 
disposition  made  him  a  native  gentleman.  Mr.  Campbell 
was  not  self-assertive,  but  deferential  and  devout.  He 
belonged  to  that  class  of  men  who  will  lead  under  any 
circumstances,  whether  they  desire  it  or  not.  It  will  ever 
be  remembered  to  his  honour,  that  with  an  almost  un- 
bounded personal  influence  over  a  religious  community, 
numbering  hundreds  of  thousands,  he  never  sought  the 
least  ecclesiastical  control.  Although  the  telegram  from 
Wheeling,  announcing  his  death,  spoke  of  him  as  "  Bishop 
Campbell,''  it  will  surprise  many  to  learn  that  he  was 
merely  one  of  the  bishops  of  the  congregation  meeting 
in  Bethany,  and  that  outside  of  this  he  never  sought  and 
never  exercised  the  least  ecclesiastical  authority. 

Nature,  education,  and  circumstances  made  him  a  lumi- 
nous, radiating  centre,  but  his  position  also  made  him 
equally  a  focal  point,  where  were  concentrated  the  rays 
emitted  by  a  thousand  minds — his  correspondents  on  both 
continents.  The  suggestion  and  queries  of  every  mail  were 
invaluable.  No  man  ever  more  scorned  the  idea  of  im- 
posing his  name  upon  a  party  than  he  did.  He  felt 
humbled  when  any  one  would  put  "  ite  "  to  the  syllables 
which  designated  him,  or  the  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  from  among  other  men.  In  the  newspapers  which 
have  lately  alluded  to  him,  he  is  generally  spoken  of  as 
the  talented  founder  of  the  Christian  Church.  Neither 
he,  nor  those  who  have  been  stigmatised  as  his  followers, 
have  felt  flattered  by  that  word  founder.  He  founded 
nothing  that  he  called,  or  they  call,  religion.  He  was 
often  at  special  pains  to  show  not  only  that  the  things 
which  he  taught  were  in  the  Bible,  but  that  they  had  been 


518    HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


severally  recognised  by  leading  authors,  at  different 
periods  in  the  history  of  the  Church.* 

In  another  volume  I  have  considered  what  will  be  his 
place  in  history ;  and  this  is  what  I  have  said : 

It  may  be  too  early  to  determine  yet  with  definite  cer- 
tainty just  what  this  place  will  be.  Perhaps  we  are 
not  yet  suflSciently  removed  from  the  controversies  in- 
volved in  the  religious  movement  in  which  he  was  en- 
gaged to  enable  us  impartially  to  consider  his  whole  in- 
fluence upon  the  religious  world.  However,  I  think  the 
following  points  may  be  mentioned,  even  if  it  is  not  safe 
to  emphasise  them : 

He  was  the  apostle  of  true  religious  liberty.  I  empha- 
sise the  word  which  qualifies  "  religious  liberty,"  and  I 
do  this  for  the  reason  that  this  phrase  has  been  much 
abused.  Luther  struck  for  religious  liberty,  but  he  after- 
wards tied  the  very  hands  he  had  set  free.  He  broke 
the  power  of  the  pope,  but  in  doing  this,  like  Samson  in 
the  temple  of  Dagon,  he  himself  fell  while  he  destroyed 
his  enemies.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Vatican  was  ex- 
changed for  Augsburg.  While  he  proclaimed  liberty  of 
conscience  to  the  people,  he  at  the  same  time  allowed  him- 
self to  be  bound  hand  and  foot  by  the  Augsburg  Confession 
of  Faith. 

Mr.  Campbell's  plea  was  for  complete  liberty.  Hence 
he  not  only  persistently  opposed  human  creeds  and  con- 
fessions of  faith,  on  the  ground  that  they  had  produced 
divisions  and  disaster  in  the  Christian  world,  but  he  also 
opposed  any  attempt  at  making  a  creed  for  his  own  people, 
however  imperative  at  times  the  need  may  have  seemed  to 
be.  Having  become  free  himself,  he  utterly  refused  to 
again  be  bound,  nor  was  he  willing  to  bind  any  one  else 
with  the  chain  which  he  himself  had  cast  off.  His  was 
a  plea  for  true  liberty,  and  we  do  not  doubt  that  history 
will  ultimately  recognise  the  fact. 

He  was  a  great  discoverer  of  truth.  He  was  not  a 
creator.  He  was  not  what  most  critics  would  call  a 
philosopher.  He  was  certainly  not  specially  gifted  for 
what  is  generally  understood  as  originality  of  thought. 
Probably  he  was  not  original  at  all.  But  who  is?  Some- 
times what  is  called  originality  is  nothing  more  than 
obscurity  of  thought,  or  else  it  is  only  a  new  way  of  stat- 

•  See  "  Lectures  on  the  Pentateuch." 


SOME  CAMPBELL  PICTURES 


\.  Alexander  Ciinipbell's  Study  at  Bethany.  2,  Interior  of  Campbell 
Study.  .3,  Alexander  Canipbell  when  a  young  man.  4,  ^Mr.  and  !Mrs. 
Alexander  Campbell  (from  a  photo  made  in  Cincinnati  in  1801).  o, 
Alexander  Campbell,  aged  about  4L  0,  Mr.  Campbell's  home  at  Bethany, 
W.  Va.  7,  Dr.  W.  T.  .Moore  at  the  graves  of  the  Campbells.  (The  low 
stone  in  the  center  of  the  picture  marks  the  grave  of  Alexander  Campbell. 
His  two  wives  were  buried  to  the  right  of  this  stone.  The  large  head- 
stone by  the  author  is  that  of  Thomas  Campbell,  and  the  grave  beyond 
that  is  his  wife's.  The  monument,  which  was  erected  in  memory  of  Alex- 
ander Campbell  especially,  is  of  Italian  marble,  and  the  granite  base 
weighs  four  thousand  pounds.) 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


519 


ing  what  is  not  true.  Mr.  Campbell  had  one  source  from 
which  he  started  with  everything.  The  Bible  was  the 
fountain  whence  all  living  streams  emanated  that  ran 
through  his  mind. 

He  did  not  try  to  be  original.  He  was  too  humble  for 
that.  He  did  not  try  to  create;  there  was  too  much  al- 
ready created  which  needed  only  orderly  arrangement. 
He  was  satisfied  to  uncover  the  hidden  treasures  which 
he  found  on  nearly  every  page  of  the  book  of  revelation. 
Hence  what  Newton,  Davy,  Galvani,  and  others  were  to 
nature,  Alexander  Campbell  was  to  the  Bible.  He  came 
to  it  reverently,  asking  simply  to  know  what  the  Bible 
taught.  He  did  not  ask  the  Bible  to  say  what  he  said, 
but  to  tell  its  own  story  in  its  own  words,  and  he  was 
perfectly  willing  to  listen  and  follow  its  teaching  without 
any  questioning  whatever.  In  short,  Mr.  Campbell  was 
a  man  of  faith,  and  in  everything  he  sought  to  be  governed 
simply  by  a  "  thus  saith  the  Lord."  This  disposition  made 
it  impossible  for  him  to  deal  in  philosophy  for  a  religion. 

Such  in  brief  is  an  outline  of  Mr.  Campbell's  character 
and  work.  The  former  was  incomparable  in  almost  every 
respect,  the  latter  is  still  on  trial,  but  so  far  it  has  stood 
some  of  the  severest  tests,  and  at  present  it  is  believed 
to  contain  little  that  may  be  regarded  as  wood,  hay,  and 
stubble,  and  much  that  is  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones. 
In  the  fiery  trials  to  which  every  man's  work  must  be 
subjected,  that  which  is  true  will  endure,  while  that  which 
is  false  will  perish.  In  my  judgment  the  future  record 
of  the  historian  will  emphasise  the  fact  that  Alexander 
Campbell  did  a  work  which  will  endure  for  all  genera- 
tions.* 

D.  S.  Burnett,  himself  a  preacher  of  rare  gifts,  thus 
described  Mr.  Campbell  as  a  preacher: 

Mr.  Campbell  was  a  remarkable  preacher.  Not  an  orator, 
such  as  Whitefield,  Summerfield,  or  the  Irish  Kirwan.  He  had 
not  the  voice,  gesture,  or  pathos  of  either  of  them.  He  could 
not,  like  them,  raise  a  storm  and  quell  it  at  will ;  and  yet  he 
would  draw  as  large  a  congregation,  hold  them  longer,  and 
leave  tliein  furnished  with  much  more  comprehensive  views  of 
truth  and  duty.  He  spoke  more  sensibly,  more  rhetorically, 
and  more  scripturally  than  either  of  them,  and  his  work  on 
earth  will  abide  longer.    We  can  imagine  few  more  pleasurable 

*  "  Eeformation  of  the  Nineteenth  Century," 


520    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


sights  than  this  grand  preacher,  delivering  an  extempore  dis- 
course, while  supporting  himself,  enfeebled  by  dyspepsia,  on 
his  cane,  in  the  midst  of  the  largest  and  most  intellectual 
audiences  our  country  could  afford.  Thus  he  stood  like  Paul 
on  Mars'  Hill,  among  the  orators  and  statesmen  of  Kentucky, 
at  an  early  day,  in  the  largest  hall  of  Lexington;  thus  he  en- 
tranced the  61ite  of  Richmond  in  1830,  and  of  Nashville  shortly 
after;  thus,  shortly  before  that,  he  held  spell-bound  for  two 
hours,  the  Legislature  of  Ohio,  before  breakfast,  ready  to  de- 
part ;  it  was  thus,  in  1833,  he  addressed,  with  great  power,  the 
sceptics  of  New  York,  two  successive  evenings,  in  their  own 
Tammany  Hall,  with  such  suavity  as  to  draw  praise  from 
every  lip,  and  secure  a  vote  of  thanks  from  the  men  whose 
air-built  castle  he  demolished.  These  speeches  flowed  from  his 
lips  like  the  water  from  the  rock  smitten  by  the  prophet,  and 
the  people  felt  like  famished  Israel  as  they  drank  the  cooling 
draught,  that  a  hand  of  power  had  relieved  their  thirst.  All 
were  charmed  with  the  man,  and  impressed  with  the  majesty 
of  the  Scripture.* 

He  was  not  an  orator  in  the  popular  sense  of  that 
term,  but  according  to  Archbishop  Whately's  definition 
he  was  an  orator.  If  the  orator  is  the  man  who  can  by 
honourable  means  carry  his  point  before  an  audience,  then 
undoubtedly  Mr.  Campbell  has  high  claims  to  be  ranked 
among  the  great  orators  of  the  world. 

But  it  is  not  from  this  point  of  view  that  our  estimate 
of  him  must  be  made.  Orators  come  and  go  and  often 
they  are  soon  forgotten;  but  Mr.  Campbell's  influence  will 
remain;  his  work  will  be  permanent.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  no  theologian  of  the  United  States  has  accomplished 
as  much  as  he  did.  It  is  true  he  had  associated  wath 
him  some  noble  souls  and  great  commanders  of  the  people. 
But  his  ability  to  hold  these  to  his  standard  and  make 
them  available  in  his  work  were  not  among  the  least  of 
his  powers.  Very  few  men  who  accepted  the  plea  which 
he  was  making  ever  deserted  him.  Of  course,  any  cause 
will  suffer  from  the  loss  of  men  for  one  reason  or  another ; 
but  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  throughout  the  whole 
history  of  the  Disciple  movement  there  have  been  very 
few  desertions,  and  even  in  the  few  cases  that  might  be 
mentioned,  these  men  were  governed  by  considerations 
over  which  Mr.  Campbell  and  other  leaders  had  no  con- 
trol. 

Perhaps,  after  all,  one  of  his  finest  characteristics  was 

•Horlinger  1866,  p.  317. 


TURBULENT  PERIOD 


521 


his  extreme  humility.  While  he  had  self-assertion  when 
this  was  needed,  it  was  at  the  same  time  tempered  with 
a  courtesy  which  was  born  of  a  genuine  humility.  At 
almost  any  time  he  would  have  been  assigned  by  those 
associated  with  him  to  the  highest  place;  but  he  never 
sought  this  distinction,  and  utterly  refused  to  sanction 
the  name  which  outsiders  gave  to  the  Disciples,  i.e., 
"  Campbellites."  Perhaps  no  one  connected  with  the  move- 
ment was  more  averse  to  this  name  than  he  was  himself. 
He  laid  all  honours  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  the  living  God.  During  the  last  years  of  his  life 
he  seemed  to  take  little  interest  in  talking  about  any- 
thing else  than  the  matchless  leader  to  whose  great  cause 
he  had  devoted  his  life.  Among  the  last  words  which  he 
uttered  on  earth  were  praises  to  him  who  is  Prophet, 
Priest,  and  King. 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD 

4  FTER  the  close  of  the  war  and  the  death  of  Mr. 
/-%  Campbell,  the  Disciple  movement  entered  fully  upon 
its  reconstruction  and  development  period.  We 
have  now  followed  it  through  its  Creative  period,  its 
Chaotic  period,  and  partially  through  its  Organic  and  De- 
velopment period,  and  we  must  now  follow  it  through  the 
completion  of  this  last  period,  under  the  leadership  of 
many  new  men.  To  change  the  figure,  we  have  seen  the 
movement  in  the  blade,  then  in  the  ear,  and  now  we  must 
look  for  the  full  corn  in  the  ear. 

In  186G,  the  number  of  Disciples  had  reached  not  very 
far  from  450,000,  perhaps  as  many  as  500,000.  It  is  im- 
possible to  secure  many  trustworthy  statistics  with  respect 
to  either  the  number  of  churches,  or  the  number  of  com- 
municants at  this  time,  but  the  estimate  given  is  suffi- 
ciently accurate  to  show  that  very  great  progress  had  been 
made,  notwithstanding  the  violent  opposition  which  the 
movement  had  received  from  nearly  all  the  denominations. 
It  has  already  been  seen  that  the  movement  was  intensely 
aggressive;  but  for  the  first  fifty  years  it  was  practically 
without  any  very  definite  organic  direction.  The  Mis- 
sionary Society  was  the  only  general  organisation  that 
offered  any  possible  contact  for  comprehensive  co-opera- 
tion, and  as  this  was  held  strictly  to  simply  missionary 
work,  nearly  all  other  matters  connected  with  the  move- 
ment were  left  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and  had  little 
or  no  general  oversight.  A  number  of  religious  journals 
and  magazines  had  from  time  to  time  sprung  up,  the  life 
of  some  of  which  was  of  short  duration,  but  others  con- 
tinued to  circulate  among  the  brethren  and  exert  con- 
siderable influence.  The  Millennial  Earhinger  had  been 
the  chief  organ  of  the  movement,  after  the  Christian  Bap- 
tist was  discontinued.  At  the  death  of  Mr.  Campbell 
Professor  Pendleton  became  the  editor-in-chief,  and  he 
was  also  elected  President  of  Bethany  College,  to  take 

522 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  523 


the  place  of  Mr,  Campbell.  The  editors  of  these  maga- 
zines and  papers  came  to  be  practically  general  bishops, 
and  exercised  nearly  as  much  power  as  the  bishops  do  in 
some  of  the  religious  denominations.  During  the  lifetime 
of  Mr.  Campbell,  his  editorial  advice,  with  respect  to  the 
direction  of  the  movement,  was  very  generally  accepted 
without  question.  But  even  before  his  death  some  other 
editors  had  begun  to  share  with  him  the  position  which 
he  had  so  long  held  without  competition.  Moses  E.  Lard, 
the  editor  of  Lard's  Quarterly,  has  already  been  referred 
to.  Benjamin  Franklin  was  at  that  time  editor  of  the 
American  Christian  Review^  published  at  Cincinnati.  This 
position  he  continued  to  hold  as  long  as  he  lived,  and 
his  paper  became  a  most  influential  factor  in  directing 
the  movement  and  giving  it  a  certain  type  which  it  began 
to  receive  soon  after  the  Civil  War  was  ended.  Many, 
however,  began  to  feel  that  the  reactionary  tendency  of 
Mr.  Franklin's  paper  was  not  conducive  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  Disciple  movement.  In  the  special  type  of 
the  movement  for  which  he  contended  he  had  the  support 
of  Mr.  Fanning,  who  was  the  editor  at  this  time  of  the 
Gospel  Advocate.  While  these  two  men  differed  with  re- 
spect to  several  things,  their  united  influence  made  the 
advocacy  of  their  journals  a  very  decided  force  in  the 
development  of  what  a  considerable  number  of  Disciples 
believed  was  wholly  contrary  to  the  spirit  and  aim  of 
the  Disciple  movement,  while  it  was  directed  by  the  pio- 
neers. Mr.  Franklin  was  a  splendid  type  of  the  kind  of 
man  adapted  to  the  special  work  he  undertook  to  do. 
He  spoke  in  the  language  of  the  people.  His  character 
was  above  reproach,  and  he  was  indefatigable  in  his 
labours  and  unselfish  in  his  devotion  to  the  cause.  For 
a  time  he  seemed  to  be  in  hearty  sympathy  with  a  forward 
movement,  but  it  was  not  long  until  the  influence  of  his 
journal  was  thrown  right  across  the  lines  of  progress,  as 
a  great  many  Disciples  understood  what  progress  meant. 

At  this  juncture  a  new  leader  and  a  new  journal  came 
to  the  front.  Isaac  Errett  has  already  been  referred  to 
as  both  a  distinguished  preacher  and  a  forcible  writer. 
His  articles  in  the  Millennial  Harhinger  and  in  other 
papers  clearly  indicated  that  he  had  the  litrerary  gifts 
equal,  if  not  superior,  to  those  belonging  to  any  other  man 
of  that  period.    At  any  rate,  it  was  the  opinion  of  many 


524    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

of  his  brethren  that  his  viewpoint  of  the  movement  was 
just  what  should  be  advocated,  and,  consequently,  he  was 
urged  to  start  a  paper  that  would  represent  his  conception 
of  the  needs  of  the  hour.  Accordingly,  in  1866,  the  first 
issue  of  the  Christian  Standard  was  published  from  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  in  which  an  obituary  notice  of  Mr.  Campbell 
appeared  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Errett,  who  had  been  elected 
by  the  company  as  the  editor-in-chief.  The  directors  of 
the  company  were  J.  A.  Garfield,  W.  S.  Streator,  J.  P. 
Robison,  T.^W.  Phillips,  C.  M.  Phillips,  G.  W.  X.  Yost, 
and  W.  J.  Ford.  In  the  prospectus  of  the  Standard  it 
was  declared  that  it  would  be  "  Scriptural  in  aim,  catholic 
in  spirit,  bold  and  uncompromising,  but  courteous  in 
tone;  would  seek  to  rally  the  hosts  of  spiritual  Israel 
around  the  Bible  for  the  defence  of  truly  Christian  in- 
terests against  the  assumptions  of  popery,  the  mischiefs 
of  sectarianism,  the  sophistries  of  infidelity,  and  the  pride 
and  corruptions  of  the  world.'' 

The  position  which  Mr.  Errett  now  occupied  gave  him 
a  new  prominence  among  his  brethren.  His  superior  abil- 
ity was  recognised  everywhere,  and  as  he  now  had  control 
of  a  medium  through  which  he  could  advocate  a  genuine 
forward  movement  of  the  Disciples,  he  called  to  his  assist- 
ance an  able  staff  and  began  what  proved  to  be  the  great 
work  of  his  life.  In  view  of  the  importance  of  his  sub- 
sequent relation  to  the  Disciple  movement,  it  is  believed 
that  there  is  justification  for  publishing  the  following  ad- 
dress, which  was  delivered  January  24,  1909,  at  Ionia, 
Mich.,  during  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  church  at 
that  place,  of  which  Isaac  Errett  was  the  first  pastor, 
and  from  which  have  been  sent  out  such  distinguished 
workers  as  Herbert  L.  Willett,  Fred  Arthur,  Arthur  Wil- 
lett,  Leslie  Willett,  Bert  Salmon,  Errett  Gates,  Clarence 
Daniels,  Will  Ward,  Frank  Taylor,  and  the  Missionaries, 
Royal  and  Eva  Dye.  Another  reason  for  publishing  the 
address  is  that  it  contains  much  matter  that  will  throw 
light  upon  the  Disciple  movement  which  is  under  con- 
sideration in  this  volume.    The  address  is  as  follows : 

ISAAC  errett;  the  man  and  his  work 

By  W.  T.  Moore 

Biography  is  the  highest  reach  of  historical  writing. 
To  describe  wars,  battlefields,  governments,  empires,  etc., 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  525 


may  be  very  interesting,  and  even  instructive;  but  these 
have  no  real  meaning  until  we  come  to  personality.  Things 
were  made  to  serve  men,  but  men  were  made  to  serve 
God.  A  world  without  personality  would  be  as  a  body 
without  life — a  mere  framework  without  potentiality. 
Personality  must,  therefore,  be  regarded  as  the  sublime 
end  in  view  in  the  creation  of  the  whole  universe,  and 
character  is  the  end  of  personality. 

Next  to  the  greatest  personality  in  the  universe  is  a 
real  man.  In  the  ascending  scale  of  creation  he  stands 
next  to  God.  We  may  not  be  able  to  measure  the  distance 
between  them,  but  we  know  that  no  other  being  inter- 
venes. The  Scriptures  are  content  with  telling  us  that 
"  man  was  made  a  little  lower  than  God,"  and  that  is  all 
we  know  about  the  matter.  Exactly  what  the  phrase  "  a 
little  lower  "  may  imply  perhaps  no  one  can  tell.  Never- 
theless, this  phrase  forcibly  suggests  the  highest  position 
which  man  occupies,  and  it  also  augments  our  conception 
of  this  position  when  we  realise  the  fact  that  no  man  is 
able  to  measure  himself.  His  capabilities  are  no  doubt 
largely  finite,  yet,  after  all,  they  are  measureless ;  and  this, 
for  practical  purposes,  places  man  within  the  reach  of 
the  infinite.  It  has  been  truly  said  that  "  man  is  the 
highest  product  of  his  own  history.  The  discoverer  finds 
nothing  so  grand  or  tall  as  himself,  nothing  so  valuable 
to  him.  The  greatest  star  is  that  at  the  little  end  of  the 
telescope — the  star  that  is  looking,  not  looked  after,  nor 
looked  at."  It  has  been  again  said  that  "  man  was  sent 
into  the  world  to  be  a  growing  and  exhaustless  force.  The 
world  was  spread  out  around  him  to  be  seized  and  con- 
quered. Realms  of  infinite  truth  burst  open  above  him, 
inviting  him  to  tread  those  shining  coasts  along  which 
Newton  dropped  his  plummet,  and  Herschel  sailed — a 
Columbus  of  the  skies." 

But  I  have  used  the  phrase  "  a  real  man  "  advisedly. 
There  are  men  and  men.  Some  are  not  real,  and  this  is 
true  of  them,  no  matter  from  what  standpoint  we  may 
look  at  them.  They  are  simply  of  the  masculine  gender, 
but  are  not  men;  the  most  we  can  say  of  them  is  that 
they  are  big  babies.  They  may  not  cry  as  a  baby  does. 
It  would  be  all  the  better  for  them  if  they  did.  Tears 
would  compensate  to  some  extent  for  the  want  of  manly 
character.    A  real  man  presupposes  normal  development 


526   HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


— genuine,  intellectual,  moral,  and  religious  culture.  This 
is  what  makes  a  real  man,  and  finally  shows  itself  in  that 
magnificent  term  we  call  manhood.  But  manhood  does 
not  always  necessarily  belong  to  masculinity.  Manhood 
implies  certain  characteristics  which  cannot  be  predicated 
of  any  one  who  is  not  a  real  man. 

Isaac  Errett  was  a  real  man.  He  possessed  the  quality 
and  attributes  of  a  genuine  manhood.  Indeed,  this  was 
so  much  the  case  that  no  mistake  will  be  made  if  he  is 
called  a  noble  man;  for  in  many  respects  he  was  truly 
noble.  In  this  statement  it  is  not  implied  that  he  had 
no  faults.  He  would  not  have  been  a  man  at  all  if  we 
could  in  truth  say  that  he  possessed  no  weakness.  In 
some  things  he  was  like  the  rest  of  us,  and  most  of  us, 
at  least,  will  plead  guilty  to  some  weak  places  in  our 
characters.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Errett's  towering  manhood 
commanded  the  admiration  of  all  who  knew  him  inti- 
mately, while  his  genuine  manliness  won  the  affection  of 
many  who  did  not  always  agree  with  him  in  everything 
he  taught  or  did. 

I  cannot  at  present  enter  into  the  facts  of  his  early  his- 
tory. This  is  not  needful  on  an  occasion  like  this.  Still 
it  is  interesting  to  know  that  the  conditions  of  his  early 
life  did  much  to  make  the  character  which  he  possessed 
during  the  days  of  his  most  mature  manhood.  Carlisle 
was  right  when  he  said  substantially  that  Dante  could  not 
have  written  as  he  did  had  he  not  passed  through  the  ex- 
perience which  practically  gave  him  a  vision  of  Hell.  He 
was  right,  also,  when  he  said,  "  experience  does  take  dread- 
fully high  school  wages,  but  it  teaches  like  no  other." 
God's  great  men  have  all  passed  through  the  fiery  furnace, 
but  all  the  time  he  was  saying  to  them : 

"  The  flame  shall  not  hurt  you,  I  only  design 
Your  dross  to  consume  and  your  gold  to  refine." 

Isaac  Errett's  early  character  was  forged  out  of  the 
white  heat  which  always  separates  the  pure  gold  from 
the  dross.  He  had  not  the  advantages  of  a  university 
education,  and  yet  he  was  a  thoroughly  educated  man. 
However,  this  statement  needs  some  explanation.  I  dis- 
tinguish sharply  between  education  and  learning.  A  man 
may  be  scholarly  and  yet  not  educated  in  any  true  sense. 
No  one  is  a  better  friend  than  I  am  to  our  colleges  and 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  527 


universities.  Still,  it  is  possible  to  make  too  much  of 
these.  In  my  judgment,  we  are  just  now  suffering  from 
a  want  of  preachers  to  supply  our  pulpits,  largely  because 
it  is  coming  to  be  understood  that  unless  a  man  has  a 
college  or  university  education,  he  is  practically  unfit  to 
be  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  at  all.  Now,  this  is  an  ex- 
treme view  of  the  matter,  and  as  it  is  deterring  young 
men  from  entering  the  ministry,  it  ought  to  be  severely 
denounced,  and  I  take  this  occasion  to  enter  my  protest 
against  the  prevalence  of  such  an  idea.  Some  of  the 
greatest  preachers  in  all  the  history  of  the  Church  never 
spent  a  day  in  a  college  or  university.  But  these  men 
were  all  highly  educated,  nevertheless,  and  educated  espe- 
cially with  respect  to  the  matters  of  their  high  and  holy 
callings.  Of  course,  I  believe  in  a  college  or  university 
education  for  our  preachers  whenever  this  is  possible,  but 
I  protest  against  creating  the  impression  that  young  men 
must  have  this  high  academic  training  before  they  can 
be  useful  as  preachers  at  all.  My  own  conviction  is  that 
there  are  hundreds  of  young  men,  worthy  of  earnest  en- 
couragement, who  are  deterred  from  entering  the  ministry 
simply  because  they  are  unable  to  secure  a  degree  from 
some  college  or  university.  I  will  go  even  further  than 
this,  and  affirm  without  the  fear  of  successful  contradic- 
tion, that  not  a  few  of  those  who  have  obtained  academic 
degrees  give  less  promise  in  the  ministry  than  would  those 
young  men  who  are  kept  out  of  the  ministry  chiefly  be- 
cause they  feel  that  they  must  necessarily  take  a  sub- 
ordinate place,  even  if  they  obtain  any  place  at  all,  on 
account  of  their  inferior  scholastic  attainments.  It  is 
really  not  needful  that  all  ministers  shall  be  scholarly  in 
the  technical  understanding  of  that  term.  Of  course,  a 
certain  amount  of  academic  training  may  be  regarded  as 
necessary  in  order  to  secure  the  highest  usefulness  in  the 
ministerial  calling.  But  the  education  of  toil  and  ex- 
perience in  the  world  of  struggle,  of  temptation  and  trial, 
of  suffering  and  rejoicing,  will  be  worth  more  to  many 
men,  for  real  service,  than  even  ten  thousand  degrees  from 
colleges  or  universities. 

Isaac  Errett  was  in  many  respects  what  we  call  a  self- 
made  man,  and  yet  he  was  not  self-made.  I  prefer  the 
phrase  "  God-made."  He  was  very  much  the  result  of 
forces  which  may  be  properly  attributed  to  Providence. 


528   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


God  had  special  use  for  him,  and  throughout  his  early 
career,  God  was  leading  him  to  the  development  of  that 
character  which  subsequently  became  such  a  great  power 
for  good. 

In  a  brief  address,  such  as  this  must  necessarily  be, 
it  is  impossible  to  do  more  than  sketch  a  few  important 
phases  of  the  man  and  his  work.  We  have  already  seen 
that  he  was  a  real  man,  but  it  may  be  well  to  look  a  little 
more  minutely  into  some  of  his  leading  characteristics. 

(1.)  He  was  a  man  illustrating  Paul's  triad  of  graces — 
faith,  hope,  and  love.  Perhaps  no  higher  compliment 
could  be  paid  him  than  this  statement.  In  the  first  place, 
the  men  who  have  moved  the  world  have  been  men  of 
faith.  Intellectual  attainments  should  not  be  despised. 
Undoubtedly,  all  other  things  being  equal,  a  man  of  brains 
will  always  outstrip  his  less  intellectual  competitors. 
Nevertheless,  brains  are  not  everything;  they  are,  indeed, 
not  even  the  chief  thing  in  a  successful  career.  Not  only 
is  it  impossible  to  please  God  without  faith,  but  it  is 
equally  impossible  to  be  strong  in  the  elements  of  a  true 
manhood  unless  we  heartily  believe  in  the  principles  by 
which  we  profess  to  be  guided.  It  is  our  faith  that  over- 
comes the  world.  Some  men  never  believe  in  anything. 
They  are  professional  doubters;  and  yet  these  men  are 
generally  credulous  to  a  degree  that  is  simply  painful  to 
contemplate.  They  find  fault  with  those  who  honestly 
believe  something,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  they  themselves 
cannot  move  a  single  step  without  exercising  the  very 
faith  which  they  assume  to  criticise. 

Truly  it  has  been  said — 

"  Fault-finders  are  a  dismal  set, 

Negations  are  their  life  and  food. 
Their  words  are  nearly  always  rude, 
And  with  them  faith's  an  epithet. 

All  honest  doubt  aflSrms  its  'nay,' 
Just  as  the  Christian  does  his  *  yes,' 
Yet  doubters  seldom  will  confess 

That  in  this  thing  they  go  astray. 

We  must,  therefore,  be  bold  to  speak. 
And  put  agnostics  in  the  place 
Where,  when  we  meet  them  face  to  face, 

Their  logic  will  appear  quite  weak. 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  529 


This  seems  an  easy  thing  to  do, 

If  men  are  fair  with  good  and  right. 
And  know  the  nature  of  the  tight, 

Between  what's  true  and  what's  untrue." 

Isaac  Errett  was  a  man  of  unwavering  faith.  He  not 
only  had  faith  in  God,  in  Christ,  and  in  the  right;  but 
he  also  believed  firmly  and  constantly  that  these  would 
ultimately  triumph  over  all  opposition.  But  he  w'as  also 
a  man  of  Hope.  Just  here  we  touch  a  most  important 
element  in  the  formation  of  character.  No  one  can  be 
strong  who  does  not  believe  in  the  success  of  the  cause 
which  he  represents.  Dean  Stanley,  after  he  returned 
from  America  to  England,  stated  that  one  of  the  most 
characteristic  features  of  American  life  was  the  faith  of 
the  people  in  the  almost  infinite  possibilities  of  their 
country.  He  said  he  heard  no  whisper  anywhere  which 
had  in  it  the  most  remote  sign  of  pessimism.  Every  one 
seemed  to  believe  heartily  that  America  must  necessarily 
continue  to  grow,  and  become  greater  and  greater  in  all 
that  relates  to  both  material  and  spiritual  development. 
Doubtless  this  optimistic  view  by  the  American  people  has 
had  much  to  do  in  strengthening  the  present  forces  of  our 
material  life.  Pessimism  is  essentially  sickly.  It  invites 
inroads  of  evil  because  it  always  leaves  a  gate  open  at 
the  strongest  citadel  of  defence.  It  is  a  philosophy  with- 
out hope ;  and  yet  the  apostle,  in  his  letter  to  the  Romans, 
was  evidently  right  when  he  said  "  we  are  saved  by  hope." 
It  is  readily  conceded  that  there  is  much  in  pessimism  to 
attract  certain  abnormal  souls.  Nothing  marks  the  dif- 
ference between  Tennyson  and  Browning  more  emphat- 
ically than  the  peculiar  tinge  which  characterises  their 
respective  writings.  There  is  nearly  always  a  sombre 
background  in  Tennyson's  poems,  while  here  and  there 
are  dark  lines  which  may  generally  be  regarded  as  the 
keys  with  which  to  unlock  the  meaning.  It  is  true  that 
his  plaintive  notes  are  the  sweetest.  Perhaps  this  is  be- 
cause these  notes  strike  a  common  chord  in  humanity. 
In  most  of  these  there  is  a  feeling,  sometimes  at  least, 
that  coquettes  with  the  sunshine.  We  look  for  the  sombre 
cloud,  and  although  we  realise  that  behind  the  cloud  the 
sun  is  still  shining,  at  the  same  time  we  know  that  in 
spite  of  it  all  some  days  must  be  dark  and  dreary.  How- 
ever, Tennyson  dwells  too  much  upon  this  sombre  side, 


530    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


and  his  poetry,  therefore,  is  often  enervating  rather  than 
strengthening. 

It  is  quite  different  with  Browning.  He  is  the  poet  of 
brightness.  He  always  sings  in  the  sunshine.  Or  to  put 
it  in  another  form,  he  makes  the  sunshine  sing  in  him. 
His  optimism  is  vigorous,  and  the  atmosphere  he  creates 
is  positively  health-giving  and  inspiring.  Tennyson  often 
leaves  you  in  dreamy  sadness.  He  chides  you  for  having 
failed  to  reach  his  ideals.  He  lashes  the  slave  because 
he  is  not  free,  and  scolds  the  weakling  because  he  is  not 
strong.  Not  so  Browning.  He  helps  every  struggling 
heart  into  hope,  and  stands  sponsor  for  every  soul  that 
looks  up  to  higher  things.  While  reading  the  former,  we 
are  constantly  sorrowful  that  men  are  so  weak;  while 
reading  the  latter,  we  are  constantly  glad  that  men  are 
so  strong. 

Isaac  Errett  had  the  spirit  of  Browning.  His  over- 
mastering faith  made  him  hopeful.  He  always  fought 
for  a  winning  cause.  He  never  doubted  the  ultimate  re- 
sult when  he  knew  he  was  in  the  right.  Perhaps  his  great 
conviction  of  truth  had  much  to  do  in  developing  this 
prominent  characteristic.  He  knew  in  whom  he  believed ; 
and  not  only  saw,  but  he  had  a  very  comprehensive  under- 
standing of  the  environment  in  which  he  lived.  He  was 
able  to  read  the  signs  of  the  times  in  the  light  of  a  burning 
faith,  and  this  fact  gave  him  great  advantage  as  an  edu- 
cator, counsellor,  and  man  of  affairs.  He  had  not  a  par- 
ticle of  pessimism  in  his  whole  nature,  though  he  was  some- 
times led  to  conclusions  which  made  others  think  he  was 
losing  heart.  But  he  did  not  lose  heart.  He  saw  a  rain- 
bow in  every  cloud,  and  heard  a  joy-note  in  every  cry  of 
distress. 

He  not  only  illustrated  faith  and  hope  in  the  apostles' 
triad  of  graces,  but  he  also  illustrated  the  one  which  is 
greatest,  namely,  love.  Love  is  always  enterprising.  It 
seeks  channels  for  expending  energy.  It  does  not  wait 
for  something  to  turn  up,  but  it  enters  the  field  of  contest, 
and  struggles  for  the  mastery.  But  in  doing  this,  it  is 
a  model  of  discretion.  "  It  beareth  all  thing,  believeth 
all  things,  hopeth  all  things,  endureth  all  things."  This 
was  eminently  characteristic  of  Mr.  Errett.  I  knew  him 
intimately.  Perhaps  more  intimately,  for  several  years 
at  least,  than  any  other  man  of  that  period.    I  saw  him 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  531 


tried  with  respect  to  bearing,  believing',  hoping,  and  en- 
during; and  in  all  these  things  he  was  conqueror,  and 
more  than  conqueror,  through  Him  that  loved  us  and 
gave  Himself  for  us. 

(2.)  He  was  a  man  of  great  moral  courage.  The 
Apostle  Peter  exhorts  to  add  to  faith,  courage,  as  the  first 
step  in  that  ascending  scale  which  he  builds  from  faith 
up  to  love.  It  is  true  that  the  authorised  version  uses 
the  word  virtue  instead  of  courage,  but  it  is  well  known 
that  the  original  is  a  military  term,  and  means  courage. 
It  is  easy  to  see  how  this  addition  is  necessary.  The 
Christian  life  is  a  constant  conflict.  It  has  to  be  de- 
veloped in  a  state  where  no  element  for  good  generalship 
is  more  needed  than  a  high  moral  courage.  The  coward 
has  nearly  always  the  worst  of  it  in  battle.  The  most 
destructive  hour  of  an  engagement  is  when  a  rout  begins. 
It  is  just  then  that  the  retreating  army  is  sure  to  lose 
most  lives.  The  place  of  real  safety  is  at  the  front.  It  is 
better  to  be  on  the  firing  line  than  to  be  a  skulking  coward. 
It  is  not  always  true  that — 

"  He  who  fights  and  runs  away 
Will  live  to  fight  another  day." 

Indeed,  it  is  more  probable  that — 

"  He  who  fights  and  runs  away 
Will  lose  his  life  on  that  same  day." 

But  no  matter  how  this  may  be,  it  cannot  be  doubted 
that  courage  is  a  great  factor  in  every  strong  character. 
Many  lives  are  failures  simply  because  they  have  not 
the  courage  to  meet  opposing  forces,  and  yet  it  is  by 
opposing  forces  that  all  worthy  progress  is  achieved.  Life 
itself  is  held  in  that  strange  equilibrium  which  is  pro- 
duced by  what  Coleridge  calls  "  sustaining  opposites." 
The  words  victory,  triumph,  success,  etc.,  all  clearly  in- 
dicate that  every  worthy  achievement  is  through  struggle, 
and  without  courage  there  can  be  no  patient  endurance 
to  the  end. 

"  We  cannot  even  walk  unless  our  feet 
The  solid  earth  and  they  do  somewhere  meet ; 
Each  step  opposed,  the  next  one  helps  to  take, 
And  thus  opposing  forces  really  make 


532    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


What  we  call  progress,  and  a  reason  give 
Why  nearly  all  great  men  and  women  live 
Within  that  narrow  belt  of  earth  where  life 
And  all  the  seasons  are  at  endless  strife." 

To  meet  these  opposing  forces  in  the  battle  of  life,  next 
to  faith  a  true  moral  courage  is  of  supreme  impor- 
tance. Isaac  Errett  was  certainly  endowed  with  this 
courage.  W^hen  there  were  battles  to  fight,  he  was  always 
at  the  front.  At  such  a  time  he  was  an  implacable  Rad- 
ical. But  when  the  battle  was  over,  and  the  victory 
won,  he  was  among  the  first  to  treat  with  clemency  his 
conquered  foes.  When  the  time  for  organisation  iand 
development  came,  he  was  eminently  conservative.  In 
many  conditions  it  takes  as  much  courage  to  say  no  " 
as  to  say  yes."  Indeed,  the  most  courageous  man  is 
not  unfrequently  the  one  who  refuses  to  follow  the  wild 
cry  of  unrestrained  radicalism. 

We  mistake  entirely  the  real  facts  of  the  case  when  we 
attribute  more  courage  to  the  martyrs,  who  have  been 
burned  at  the  stake,  than  to  those  who  have  stood  fast 
in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  has  made  them  free,  and 
have  earnestly  contended  for  the  faith  once  for  all  de- 
livered to  the  saints,  in  the  face  of  a  frowning  world,  and 
the  opposition  of  an  apostate  Church.  Isaac  Errett  could 
have  easily  stepped  into  one  of  the  most  popular  and  re- 
munerative pulpits  of  the  land  had  Tie  chosen  to  do  so. 
As  a  public  speaker  he  had  few  equals  and  scarcely  any 
superior.  He  was  simply  matchless  in  the  pulpit;  and 
his  chaste,  impressive  style  would  have  secured  for  him 
almost  any  position  which  he  might  have  desired  to  obtain. 
But  he  had  the  moral  courage  to  say  no  to  all  the  whis- 
perings of  avarice,  and  the  blandishments  of  popular 
applause.  Like  Moses,  he  chose  to  suffer  with  the  people 
of  God,  rather  than  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin  for  a 
season. 

It  is  easier,  in  mj  judgment  at  least,  to  give  up  life  itself 
at  the  stake,  in  one  supreme  sacrifice,  than  to  liA-e  on  from 
day  to  day  in  a  constant  contact  with  elements  where  all 
that  tests  a  true  moral  heroism  is  brought  into  play.  The 
mother  that  watches,  with  ceaseless  vigilance,  over  her 
darling  child  exhibits  quite  as  much  fortitude,  or  courage, 
as  he  who  dies  in  attestation  of  his  faith.  What  we  call 
"  little  things "  are  sometimes  more  trying,  especially 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  533 


when  they  are  a  constant  irritation,  than  the  big  thing 
which  may  be  disposed  of  in  a  moment. 

Time  and  again  I  had  occasion  to  notice  this  high  quality 
in  the  subject  of  this  address.  He  was  always  very  con- 
siderate of  the  feelings  of  his  brethren.  He  was  very  fond 
of  them,  and  nothing  gave  him  more  pleasure  than  to 
have  their  undisturbed  friendship.  Nevertheless,  when 
duty  called  him  to  take  a  course  of  action  contrary  to  those 
he  loved  best,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  take  the  step  that 
was  needed.  In  a  controversy  wherein  your  present 
speaker  was  involved,  and  where  very  intimate  personal 
relations  were  likewise  involved,  Isaac  Errett  did  not 
hesitate  to  contend  for  the  right,  and  though  I  was  at 
that  time  living  in  a  foreign  country,  no  one  could  have 
done  more  valiant  service  in  my  defence  than  did  the 
subject  of  this  address.  Knowing  him  as  I  did,  it  was 
just  what  I  expected,  but  all  the  same  I  was  none  the  less 
grateful  for  his  magnificent  defence,  and  especially  when 
he  uttered  that  memorable  sentiment  in  one  of  his  edi- 
torials, wherein  he  declared  that  he  would  as  soon  suspect 
himself  of  being  untrue  to  the  Gospel  as  to  suspect  your 
humble  speaker. 

This  characteristic  rarely  ever  failed  him.  He  was 
necessarily  much  involved  in  a  conflict  with  not  only  the 
world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  but  with  opposing  religious 
influences  and  religious  men;  the  latter  being  unable  to 
appreciate  the  lofty  position  which  he  occupied  in  con- 
tending for  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints; 
and  some  of  these  were  his  own  brethren.  Notwithstand- 
ing he  Avas  frequently  misrepresented,  and  occasionally 
assailed  with  bitterness  of  spirit,  his  courtesy  and  kindness 
never  failed  him.  To  even  those  who  most  stubbornly 
opposed  him  he  was  the  very  embodiment  of  a  noble 
charity.  He  constantly  illustrated  in  his  relation  to  these 
the  prayer  of  our  Divine  Lord,  "  Father  forgive  them,  they 
know  not  what  they  do." 

(3.)  He  was  a  lover  of  men,  as  well  as  of  God.  This 
gave  his  ministry,  both  with  tongue  and  pen,  a  human- 
itarian aspect,  which  greatly  enlarged  his  usefulness.  He 
recognised  the  fact  that  religion  is  a  compound  of  at 
least  two  ingredients,  namely,  Divinity  and  Humanity. 
Jesus  Christ  Himself  is  "  God  with  us  " — the  Theanthro- 
pos.    His  belief  in  this  fact  showed  itself  in  all  he  said 


534    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


and  did.  His  theology  recognised  fully  both  the  divine 
side  and  the  human  side  in  the  plan  of  salvation.  He 
had  no  "  alones and  "  on\ys "  in  his  religious  system. 
With  him  God  and  man  must  co-operate  in  all  the  affairs 
of  the  present  life,  and  in  this  fact  he  found  the  chief 
glory  of  God,  as  well  as  the  dignity  of  man. 

No  man  loved  his  friends  with  a  more  ardent  affection 
than  did  Isaac  Errett.  Indeed,  this  was  so  much  the  case, 
that  it  was  difficult  to  make  him  believe  that  any  of  his 
friends  could  go  wrong.  Nevertheless,  this  characteristic 
was  a  most  valuable  asset  in  his  public  ministry.  A  man 
cannot  in  a  personal  way  help  his  fellow  man,  as  he  ought 
to  help  him,  unless  he  is  himself  in  deep  sympathy  with 
him  and  his  personal  needs.  We  can  usually  find  a  way 
to  help  those  we  love,  and  there  is  never  any  easy  way  to 
help  those  we  do  not  love.  Altruism  may  not  be  the  best 
word  with  which  to  express  the  idea  I  am  now  seeking 
to  enforce,  but  this  word  may  give  us  a  sort  of  working 
basis  from  which  we  may  rise  to  higher  things. 

Isaac  Errett's  love  for  his  fellow  men  was  not  a  mere 
sentimental,  perfunctory  matter;  it  carried  with  it  a 
genuine  heart-beat  and  a  helping  hand,  and  even  a  vigor- 
orous  defence,  though  the  latter  might  cost  him  practically 
everything  he  possessed.  He  was  no  summer  friend.  His 
friendship  stood  the  winter  storms,  and  his  generous  treat- 
ment, of  even  his  enemies,  manifested  itself  in  silence  with 
respect  to  their  wrong  doing,  even  when  he  did  not  illus- 
trate the  Saviour's  teaching  with  regard  to  them,  by  pray- 
ing for  them  when  they  despitefully  used  him. 

( 4. )  He  had  an  open  mind  to  exerj  truth  in  the  universe. 
He  realised  that  the  time  is  past  when  the  highways  of 
truth  may  be  blockaded  by  the  interposition  of  fossilized 
methods  or  creeds.  He  at  once  recognised  that  his  age 
was  one  that  invited  free  investigation.  His  innate  love 
of  liberty  accentuated  this  open-mindedness.  What  he 
claimed  for  himself  he  freely  granted  to  others.  He  wrote 
no  "  ne  plus  ultra  "  across  the  pathway  of  his  own  progress, 
and  he  did  not,  therefore,  limit  the  possibilities  of  others. 
As  he  claimed  perfect  freedom  for  himself,  he  left  every 
other  man  free  to  seek  truth  and  to  find  it  wherever  and 
in  whatever  way  he  might  think  best.  He  was  himself  a 
truth  lover.  He  was  always  ready  to  sacrifice  everything, 
if  needs  be,  for  this  precious  good.    He  could  have  been 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  535 


rich  if  he  had  sold  the  truth;  he  coukl  have  been  famous 
if  he  had  compromised  it;  but  he  chose  the  better  part, 
namely  to  buy  truth,  and  not  to  dispose  of  it  at  any  price, 
and  also  to  refuse  all  overtures  to  change  the  truth  so  that 
it  might  be  more  acceptable  to  those  who  could  not  endure 
its  demands  without  adulteration.  He  was  always  ready 
for  a  clearer  revelation  of  the  truth,  or  for  more  truth 
than  that  which  he  possessed.  He  believed  that  no  one 
had  a  mouopolj^  of  the  truth,  and  that  no  age  had  been 
able  to  comprehend  its  whole  area  in  its  latitude  and 
longitude.  He  had  no  patience  with  those  who  contend 
that  there  is  an  irreconcilable  conflict  between  nature  and 
revelation,  or  science  and  the  Bible.  He  heartily  believed 
that,  when  these  are  both  understood,  they  will  speak  the 
same  voice  in  praise  of  Him  who  is  the  author  of  both. 
He  recognised  that  our  present  imperfect  knowledge  of 
the  Bible,  as  well  as  the  physical  universe,  must  be  taken 
into  account  in  all  our  reasoning,  and  that  there  is,  there- 
fore, no  place  for  dogmatism  with  respect  to  any  conflict 
unless  it  be  a  conflict  on  account  of  our  ignorance.  But 
in  any  case,  he  was  willing  to  wait  with  an  open  mind, 
believing  with  an  unfaltering  faith  that  no  truth  in  the 
universe  is  to  be  feared  by  any  one  except  where  his 
prejudices  are  more  sacred  than  the  truth  itself. 

(5.)  He  was  non-professional  and  non-conventional  in 
all  that  he  did.  He  had  a  supreme  contempt  for  stilted 
manners,  or  even  a  stilted  style  in  literary  composition. 
Few  men  have  written  with  more  grace,  and  none  have 
excelled  him  in  simplicity.  I  do  not  believe  that  there 
was  a  writer  or  speaker  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived 
who  used  the  genuine  Anglo-Saxon  terms  more  copiously 
than  he  did.  His  vocabulary  was  largely  limited  to  the 
simplest  terms,  and  this  fact  serves  to  illustrate,  not  only 
the  clearness  of  his  literary  work,  but  also  emphasises 
his  non-conventional  habits  in  reference  to  everything. 

With  respect  to  this  characteristic,  he  had  a  striking 
example  for  a  pattern  in  our  Divine  Lord.  He  was  the 
impersonification  of  simplicity  and  genuineness  in  all 
that  He  did.  He  came  to  do  His  Father's  will,  and  His 
whole  earthly  mission  constantly  represented  the  relation 
of  a  child  to  its  parent.  He  knew  nothing  of  a  stereotyped 
formality.  He  knew  only  the  needs  of  men,  and  He  con- 
stantly sought  to  minister  to  these  needs.     He  often 


536   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


shocked  the  professional  and  conventional  Pharisees  of 
His  day  by  His  disregard  of  formal,  traditional  etiquette. 
He  even  dared  to  eat  with  publicans  and  sinners,  and 
showed  scant  respect  for  anything  that  stood  in  the  way 
of  His  helping  hand  for  the  poor  and  needy. 

Isaac  Errett's  sense  of  humour  was  inimitable.  This  of 
itself  would  have  kept  him  from  being  a  pessimist.  He 
saw  sunshine  in  everything,  and  his  humour  was  a  peren- 
nial stream,  watering  the  dry  land  where  the  sunshine  had 
become  too  intense.  I  trust  that  some  one  will  one  of 
these  days  give  us  a  volume  illustrating  this  side  of  his 
nature.  I,  myself,  could  furnish  many  incidents  and 
anecdotes  that  would  make  many  a  soul  that  is  weary  and 
sad  in  the  struggle  of  life  take  heart  again. 

His  humour,  however,  was  never  coarse.  He  had  no 
respect  for  a  class  of  anecdotes,  sometimes  indulged  in 
by  even  preachers,  wherein  the  Word  of  God  is  used  to 
inculcate  frivolity,  and  wherein  coarseness  is  the  only 
thing  that  gives  the  anecdote  any  special  point.  It  has 
been  said  that  "  humour  is  a  quality  which  dwells  in  the 
same  character  with  pathos,  and  is  always  mingled  with 
sensibility,  being  the  offspring  of  a  sympathising  fancy." 
Undoubtedly  Mr.  Errett  possessed  both  of  these  in  a  high 
degree.  He  was  capable  of  very  deep  feeling,  and  in  some 
of  his  addresses  his  pathos  was  over-mastering  on  his 
hearers.  But  these  qualities  helped  him  to  be  non-con- 
ventional. He  was  spontaneous.  While  he  was  an  omniv- 
orous reader,  he  often  depended  upon  the  inspiration 
of  an  occasion  for  some  of  his  greatest  speeches.  Indeed, 
it  is  my  opinion  that  most  of  his  greatest  pulpit  efforts, 
as  well  as  other  addresses,  have  been  practically  lost  to 
the  world,  because  they  were  spontaneous  utterances  on 
a  great  occasion,  and  no.  record  was  made  of  them. 

His  non-conventional  habits  held  such  a  mastery  over 
him  that  in  the  social  circle,  where  Lord  Chesterfield 
reigns,  he  was  generally  awkward,  and  scarcely  ever  did 
himself  justice,  though  in  conversation  he  was  always 
bright  and  interesting.  His  love  of  freedom  was  too  great 
for  him  to  allow  himself  to  be  trammelled  with  conven- 
tional rules  and  regulations  by  which  society,  as  it  is 
called,  is  supposed  to  be  governed.  He  was  Nature's  own 
child,  though  he  had  improved  on  nature  by  the  severe 
training  he  had  imposed  upon  himself,  as  the  artist  im- 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  537 


proves  upon  nature  when  he  puts  into  the  picture  some 
touches  that  are  not  in  the  landscape  he  is  painting. 

(6.)  He  possessed  a  humble,  child-like  spirit.  Chris- 
tianity is  full  of  paradoxes.  One  of  the  most  striking  of 
these  is  that  the  way  to  go  up  in  it  is  to  go  down.  "  He 
that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted.''  In  order  to  enter 
the  kingdom  of  God,  we  must  become  as  little  children — 
we  must  possess  the  child-like  spirit.  This  was  eminently 
characteristic  of  Mr.  Errett.  And  this  fine  quality  made 
him  an  easy  prey  of  certain  parasites  which  hung  about 
him  and  derived  their  chief  importance  from  the  recogni- 
tion which  he  gave  them.  He  was  not  pre-eminently  a 
judge  of  character.  If  he  trusted  at  all,  it  was  without 
reservation.  If  he  was  a  friend,  he  was  a  friend  indeed. 
His  own  spirit  was  guileless  and  wholly  unaffected.  The 
simplicity  of  a  child  was  in  his  every  action. 

This  characteristic  lent  a  peculiar  charm  to  his  manners 
and  added  an  indefinable  sweetness  to  all  his  friendly  over- 
tures. As  has  already  been  intimated,  he  was  the  em- 
bodiment of  courtesy  towards  even  his  enemies,  though 
when  aroused  he  could  use  the  lex  talionis  with  consider- 
able force,  if  there  was  occasion  for  it.  There  were  those 
who  felt  his  heavy  blows,  as  well  as  those  who  received 
his  gracious  smiles. 

It  was  his  child-like  spirit  which  bound  him  to  me 
so  closely.  He  was  an  elder  of  the  Central  Christian 
Church  of  Cincinnati,  for  several  years,  and  during  all 
these  years  he  was  one  of  the  most  tolerant  of  all  my 
hearers,  while  no  one  gave  me  a  heartier  support  than 
did  he.  He  seemed  to  delight  in  holding  up  my  hands 
and  making  my  pastorate  an  eminent  success.  Never 
did  I  see  in  him  the  slightest  tinge  of  jealousy..  He  seemed 
always  pleased  when  I  was  honoured.  In  all  this  he  had 
a  noble  yoke-fellow  in  the  person  of  Father  Challen. 
These  two  men  were  both  elders  of  the  Central  Church 
during  the  greater  part  of  my  ministry  there,  and  I  can 
truly  say  that  no  two  men  could  have  been  more  unselfish 
helpers. 

I  have  referred  to  this  matter  not  only  because  it  illus- 
trates the  point  I  am  making,  as  regards  the  character 
of  Mr.  Errett,  but  also  for  the  lesson  which  it  teaches 
with  respect  to  the  position  which  preachers,  who  have 
no  pastorates,  should  occupy  in  the  churches  where  they 


538   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


hold  their  membership.  Sometimes  there  are  two  or  three 
of  these  preachers  in  the  same  church,  and  it  not  infre- 
quently happens  that  these  men,  instead  of  being  a  blessing 
to  the  church,  and  a  help  to  the  pastor  in  charge,  are 
actually  a  disadvantage  to  both.  They  make  themselves 
officious,  meddlesome,  and  not  seldom  aggressive  in  fault- 
finding, ungenerous  criticism  and  invidious  comparison. 
In  short,  they  show  themselves  to  be  little  men  with  smaller 
souls,  while  they  create  an  atmosphere  which  is  surcharged 
with  the  whisperings  of  envy  or  the  maledictions  of  hate. 
This  is  no  exaggerated  picture.  I  fear  it  is  too  often 
literally  illustrated  in  some  of  our  churches.  Isaac  Errett 
was  the  freest  man  I  ever  saw  from  this  ugly  spirit.  He 
was  the  very  opposite  of  the  picture  I  have  drawn.  He 
was  a  brother  to  the  regular  preacher  in  the  truest  and 
noblest  sense,  and  this  made  my  association  with  him  in 
the  church  a  perpetual  delight. 

( 7. )  He  was  a  man  of  insight  and  vision.  Perhaps  noth- 
ing characterised  him  more  than  this,  and  it  is  certain 
that  nothing  contributed  to  his  great  manhood  more  than 
this.  Most  people  can  see  the  surface  of  things.  But  to 
go  down  underneath  the  surface  and  see  what  is  invisible 
is  altogether  another  matter;  and  yet  we  can  scarcely 
claim  to  be  men  unless  we  can  stand  the  test  with  respect 
to  at  least  three  things:  We  must  see  the  invisible,  knoio 
the  unknoicahle,  and  do  the  impossible.  Almost  any  one 
can  accomplish  the  ordinary ;  but  only  a  magnificent  char- 
acter can  accomplish  the  extraordinary.  It  is  precisely 
at  this  point  where  true  greatness  is  separated  from 
mediocrity. 

Isaac  Errett  stood  this  test  well.  He  was  especially 
gifted  with  respect  to  insight  and  vision.  He  was  almost 
a  prophet  in  his  ability  to  interpret  the  facts  of  the  day 
in  which  he  lived.  He  saw  at  a  glance  the  needs  of  the 
religious  movement  with  which  he  had  become  identified, 
and  he  at  once  set  for  himself  the  task  of  providing  for 
these  needs. 

What  do  I  mean  by  seeing  the  invisible?  First  of  all, 
I  mean  the  insight,  or  sight  that  looks  within,  or  sees 
down  beneath  the  mere  glamour  of  the  outside,  that  pene- 
trates to  the  causes  of  things,  that  perceives  the  relation 
of  things;  that  leads  noble  souls  into  spiritual  environ- 
ments ;  that  "  looks  not  to  the  things  that  are  seen,  but 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  539 


to  the  things  that  are  unseen,  for  the  things  that  are  seen 
are  temporal,  but  the  things  that  are  unseen  are  eternal." 
I  mean  by  vision  the  power  to  do  this.  The  power  to  leave 
the  mere  things  of  sight  and  catch  glimpses  of  the  spiritual 
world.  No  man  can  be  a  true  minister  of  the  Gospel,  or 
even  a  power  in  the  world  for  good,  whose  vision  never 
goes  beyond  the  sensuous.  He  must  sometimes  be  prac- 
tically translated,  as  Paul  was,  into  the  third  heaven, 
where  he  may  see  things  that  are  unlawful  to  mention. 
The  one  fault  of  our  twentieth  century  ministry  is,  perhaps, 
the  lack  of  this  quality.  Our  preachers  are  so  absorbed  in 
the  questions  of  economics,  social  life,  articles  of  faith, 
and  addition  and  subtraction,  that  their  vision  is  largely 
limited  to  these  transient  matters.  Oh,  for  a  ministry 
that  is  endowed  with  the  faculty  of  insight  and  vision, 
for  when  this  ministry  dawns  upon  this  grey  old  earth  it 
will  then  be  ready  to  be  truly  the  footstool  of  God,  while 
the  firmament  above  it  will  be  full  of  stars  in  preparation 
for  the  final  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light. 

It  would  be  most  agreeable  to  me,  and  would  no  doubt 
be  agreeable  to  you,  if  I  should  continue  to  dwell  upon 
other  characteristics  which  were  prominently  manifested 
in  the  man  we  are  considering.  But  as  there  are  other 
things  to  be  said  along  the  line  of  his  work,  and  as  these 
will  supply  some  of  the  details  in  his  character,  which 
have  been  necessarily  omitted,  I  must  at  once  proceed  to 
the  consideration  of  the  work  which  he  was  specially  called 
to  do,  and  which,  after  all,  speaks  for  him  more  eloquently 
than  anything  I,  or  anyone  else,  could  say  with  respect 
to  his  character. 

As  regards  the  religious  movement  in  which  he  was 
engaged,  he  occupied  a  unique  position.  Coming  into 
active  service  exactly  at  the  time  he  was  needed,  it  is 
impossible  not  to  believe  that  he  had  been  raised  up,  under 
the  guidance  of  Providence,  for  the  very  work  which  he 
accomplished.  At  present  we  can  notice  only  a  few  of 
the  special  things  which  he  emphasised,  and  in  which  he 
led  the  forces  of  the  Reformation  to  a  higher  and  better 
position  than  had  been  occupied  before  his  advent. 

(1.)  He  did  much  to  deliver  the  Disciple  movement  from 
a  despotism  which  was  evidently  settling  upon  it  at  the 
time  he  began  his  public  advocacy.  There  is  nothing 
clearer  to  the  mind  of  a  sound,  logical  thinker  than  that 


540    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


there  is  an  irreconcilable  antagonism  between  fixed 
theological  definitions  and  individual  Christian  liberty. 
Nature  abhors  a  duplicate  as  much  as  she  does  a  vacuum. 
Hence,  there  are  no  two  things  exactly  alike  in  the  world 
of  either  matter  or  mind.  Intellects  differ  as  much  as 
physical  appearances;  and  this  difference  in  intellects  is 
the  parent  of  different  conceptions  of  any  given  fact  or 
truth. 

Just  here  we  touch  a  most  vital  matter,  and  it  is  just 
at  this  point  that  Mr.  Errett's  influence  upon  the  religious 
movement  with  Avhich  he  was  identified  was  most  powerful 
for  good.  The  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  of  the  Camp- 
bells plead  for  individual  liberty,  and  was  as  clearly  a 
declaration  of  independence  for  the  soul  as  the  "  Decla- 
ration "  by  Thomas  Jefferson  was  for  the  body.  But  soon 
after  this  "  Declaration  and  Address "  was  made  the 
Campbells  changed  very  materially  their  own  attitude 
toward  the  movement  they  had  inaugurated.  Several 
things  were  practically  covered  up  in  the  Declaration 
and  Address "  by  "  glittering  generalities,"  and  when 
these  were  differentiated  and  made  practical  elements  in 
the  plea  which  was  advocated,  they  became  sources  of 
antagonism  at  some  of  the  points  where  individual  liberty 
had  been  proclaimed  in  the  beginning. 

To  illustrate  what  I  mean,  it  is  only  necessary  to  refer 
to  the  change  of  ground  which  the  Campbells  made  with 
respect  to  baptism.  At  first  neither  the  subject,  action, 
nor  design  of  baptism  was  considered.  The  plea  which 
they  made  was  mainly  against  the  usurpation  of  opinion- 
ism  in  producing  divisions  among  the  people  of  God,  and 
right  valiantly  did  they  contend  for  a  demolition  of  specu- 
lative theology,  because  of  its  divisive  tendency. 

However,  it  was  not  long  until  it  was  found  that,  if  they 
followed  the  dictum  "  where  the  Bible  speaks  we  speak, 
and  where  the  Bible  is  silent  we  are  silent,"  they  must 
necessarily  discard  some  of  the  things  they  had  in- 
herited, however  sacred  these  things  may  have  seemed 
to  be  in  view  of  their  associations.  Among  these  things, 
infant  baptism  and  affusion  for  baptism  could  no  longer 
be  tolerated.  Hence  the  Campbells  put  into  practice  just 
what  their  teaching  clearly  implied.  We  are  compelled 
to  admire  their  honesty,  and  also  the  courage  of  their 
convictions  which  carried  them  forward  into  practice 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  541 


what  they  announced  in  theory.  At  the  same  time  it  must 
be  confessed  that,  when  they  attempted  to  impress  this 
radical  change  upon  the  religious  world,  they  were  met 
with  a  stern  refusal  on  the  part  of  many  who  would  per- 
haps have  accepted  nearly  every  position  advocated  in 
the  ^'  Declaration  and  Address."  Of  course  the  Campbells 
themselves,  and  those  immediately  associated  with  them, 
had  no  desire  to  impinge  in  any  way  upon  individual 
liberty,  for  it  was  this  very  thing,  most  of  all,  that  perme- 
ated from  beginning  to  end  the  great  paper  which  they 
had  given  to  the  world.  But  the  men  who  subsequently 
came  into  the  movement  soon  began  to  narrow  its  dimen- 
sions by  a  dogmatic  interpretation  which  came  nigh  drift- 
ing the  movement  into  a  sectarianism  equally  as  bad,  if 
not  worse,  than  that  from  which  the  movement  had  sprung. 
Perhaps  this  is  only  another  illustration  of  that  atavism 
which  seems  to  prevail  everywhere,  and  which  in  this  case 
showed  itself  in  a  tendency  to  recur  to  the  ancestral  type 
of  sectarianism  out  of  which  the  movement  sprang.  We 
must  not  forget  that  progress  has  always  been  in  zigzag 
courses.  Sometimes  to  the  right,  sometimes  to  the  left. 
Sometimes  forward  and  sometimes  backward.  The  Camp- 
bellian  religious  movement  went  forward  at  first,  it  then 
went  to  the  right,  then  to  the  left,  and  finally  began  to  go 
backward,  recurring  to  the  sectarian  type  which  had 
cursed  the  world  before  the  movement  was  inaugurated. 

It  was  just  here  that  Mr.  Errett's  work  was  most  effec- 
tive. Without  going  into  details,  it  is  sufficient  to  say 
that  his  advocacy  did  much  to  put  the  movement  on  the 
right  basis,  and  to  deliver  it  from  a  narrowness  with  which 
it  was  characterised  when  it  reached  the  organic  period 
where  introspection  began  to  take  the  place  of  aggressive 
evangelism  for  the  conversion  of  the  world. 

It  is  only  fair  to  say,  in  this  connection,  that  this  sec- 
tarian tendency  was  both  augmented  and  accelerated  by 
the  ugly  opposition  which  the  movement  received.  Like 
produces  like  is  a  law  of  grace,  as  well  as  nature.  Ugli- 
ness begets  ugliness,  and  this  was  especially  true  with 
regard  to  the  Disciples  during  the  middle  of  the  first 
half  of  the  last  century.  They  were  persecuted  by  their 
religious  neighbours,  and  this  persecution  often  drove 
them  into  extreme  positions  which  they  would  not  have 
occupied  had  it  not  been  for  the  ugly  spirit  with  which 


542    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tliej  were  persecuted.  Everything  produces  after  its 
kind. 

I  do  not  stop  now  to  discuss  the  probable  consequence 
of  this  unseemly'  opposition,  if  it  had  not  been  arrested. 
Doubtless  it  was  unavoidable  at  the  time  when  it  so  dis- 
tinctly prevailed.  It  may  have  been  the  best  thing  that 
could  have  happened  at  that  particular  time.  Evil  some- 
times may  be  an  important  factor  on  the  way  to  an  un- 
mistakable good.  Lord  Macaulay  says  there  was  a  time 
in  the  history  of  England  when  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  was  practically  the  salvation  of  the  people,  though 
he  himself  was  a  strong  Nonconformist,  and  consequently 
was  bitterly  opposed  to  Roman  Catholicism.  It  is  easy 
for  us  to  find  fault  with  the  grand  men  who  fought  the 
battles  of  the  early  days,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  a  different 
type  of  advocacy  would  have  succeeded.  I  believe  the 
movement  has  been  guided  by  Providence  all  the  way 
through,  and  consequently  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion 
that  the  very  thing  that  now  looks  ugly  in  the  advocacy 
of  those  days  was  just  what  saved  the  movement  from 
collapse.  I  cannot  at  present  show  the  reasons  for  this 
conclusion,  but  I  believe  there  are  reasons  of  a  most  con- 
vincing character  with  respect  to  this  very  matter. 

However,  at  the  crucial  time,  a  new  leader  came  to  the 
front,  whose  mission  was  to  lift  the  movement  into  a 
broader  plain,  and  to  a  more  comprehensive  view.  This 
leader  was  Isaac  Errett,  and  right  valiantly  did  he  per- 
form this  work. 

It  is  certainly  true  that,  theoretically  at  least,  the 
Campbells  struck  at  every  form  of  religious  despotism. 
Every  line  of  the  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  throbs  with 
the  spirit  of  freedom.  They  were  especially  hostile  to 
human  creeds,  because  they  regarded  these  creeds  as  not 
only  unscriptural,  but  as  also  fraught  with  danger  to 
religious  liberty.  But  one  of  the  difficulties  which  met 
the  movement  was  that  many  of  the  men  associated  with 
the  Campbells  did  not  seem  to  understand  what  religious 
liberty  meant.  Alexander  Campbell  was  the  very  em- 
bodiment of  hostility  to  theological  dogmas,  and  hence 
he  waged  a  relentless  war  upon  everything  like  speculative 
theology.  It  would  be  untrue  to  say  that  he  at  least 
did  not  understand  the  true  conception  of  the  liberty  for 
which  he  contended.    In  my  judgment,  his  celebrated 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  543 


reply  to  a  lady  from  Lunenburg  makes  it  evident  that  he 
had  a  very  clear  vision  as  to  the  spirit  which  should  char- 
acterise the  movement  of  which  he  was  the  most  prominent 
leader.  But  for  this  very  reply  he  was  severely  criticised 
by  some  of  the  men  associated  with  him.  Indeed,  their 
opposition  to  his  liberal  views  was  so  pronounced  that 
at  one  time  it  looked  as  if  there  would  be  a  conflict  between 
Mr,  Campbell  and  his  legalistic  friends.  It  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  some  very  illiberal  elements  came  into 
the  movement  at  the  very  beginning,  and  these  elements 
had  much  to  do  with  bringing  about  the  reaction  toward 
sectarianism.  The  whole  movement  was  influenced  by 
elements  from  at  least  three  different  sources:  First,  the 
Campbells  themselves;  second,  the  Christians,  under  the 
leadership  of  B.  W.  Stone ;  and  third,  the  Scotch  Baptists, 
who  more  or  less  became  associated  with  nearly  all  the 
more  important  churches  of  the  early  days  of  the  move- 
ment. These  Scotch  Baptists  had  much  to  do  with  giving 
the  movement  the  narrow  caste  it  had  at  the  time  Mr. 
Errett  began  his  definite  work. 

Mr.  Campbell's  plea  for  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone, 
as  a  sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  was  well  enough 
when  legitimately  construed ;  but  with  many  it  meant  that 
there  must  be  practically  no  interpretation  of  the  Bible 
at  all.  To  quote  the  language  of  those  days,  it  was  de- 
clared that  "  the  Bible  said  what  it  meant  and  meant  what 
it  said."  This  summary  method  was  supposed  to  be  con- 
clusive against  every  one  who  claimed  to  follow  some 
interpretation  of  the  Bible,  whether  that  interpretation 
was  in  a  confession  of  faith  or  anywhere  else. 

Mr.  Errett  was  not  slow  to  see  that  this  kind  of  an 
argument,  though  fatal  to  human  creeds,  was  a  dangerous 
boomerang.  While  it  might  be  conclusive  against  author- 
itative confessions  of  faith  it  was  equally  conclusive 
against  individual  liberty.  He  saw  that  every  man  must 
follow  the  Bible  as  he  understands  it,  or  else  he  must 
blindly  accept  the  interpretations  made  for  him  by 
others. 

I  do  not  say  that  Mr.  Errett  discovered  this  important 
fact,  but  I  do  say  that  he  called  attention  to  it,  and  showed 
its  consequences  upon  the  religious  movement,  as  no  one 
else  did.  Really  it  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  this  im- 
portant matter  did  not  leap  to  the  first  place  at  the  very 


544    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


beginning  of  the  Campbellian  reformation.  It  ought  to 
be  evident  to  every  tyro  in  logical  analysis  that  there  are 
at  least  two  Bibles  in  every  man's  house.  First,  the  Bible 
as  it  really  is;  and  second,  the  Bible  as  each  man  sees 
it  or  understands  it.  Practically  the  same  may  be  said 
of  Christ.  There  is  undoubtedly  a  Christ  who  is  the  same 
yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever;  but  each  man's  conception 
of  Christ  is,  after  all,  the  Christ  which  he  follows.  The 
general  conception  is  what  we  may  not  inappropriately 
call  the  composite  Christ,  and  it  is  an  interesting  inquiry 
as  to  the  aggregate  conception  of  Christ  at  the  beginning 
of  this  twentieth  century.  If  we  could  get  the  aggregate 
of  all  the  conceptions  of  what  the  Christ  really  is  in  each 
individual  case,  we  would  have  the  composite  Christ,  or 
an  accurate  photograph  embodying  all  the  varied  views 
of  Him  entertained  by  different  persons.  This  picture 
would  be  a  curious  compound.  Nevertheless,  this  is  pre- 
cisely the  vision  of  our  great  Redeemer  which  is  needed 
in  order  to  understand  His  present  position  in  the  world. 
His  uniA'ersality  is  conceded,  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  each  individual  has  his  own  picture  of  Christ,  and 
that  this  differs  from  every  other  individual  picture. 
Practically,  therefore,  there  are  as  many  Christs  as  there 
are  individuals  who  have  formed  a  conception  of  Him. 
What  w^e  would  like  to  see  clearly  drawn  is  the  composite 
result  of  the  combination  of  all  these  pictures.  Perhaps 
to  obtain  this  is  impossible,  but  an  approximation  to  it 
is  certainly  within  the  range  of  human  effort.  We  might 
reduce  the  individuals  into  several  classes,  and  by  com- 
bining these  classes  we  might  reach  an  approximation  of 
the  ideal  we  have  before  us.  A  mention  of  a  few  of  these 
will  help  you  to  understand  my  meaning.  The  following 
groups  will  at  least  be  suggestive :  The  Theological  Christ, 
or  the  Christ  in  the  Creeds;  the  Pictorial  Christ,  or  the 
Christ  in  Art;  the  Emotional  Christ,  or  the  Christ  in 
devotional  service;  The  Ritualistic  Christ,  or  the  Christ 
in  liturgy ;  the  Conventional  Christ,  or  the  Christ  in  social 
intercourse;  the  Commercial  Christ,  or  the  Christ  in 
business  affairs;  the  Political  Christ,  or  the  Christ  in 
human  government.  This  list  might  be  extended  much 
further,  but  the  enumeration  is  sufficient  to  indicate  my 
meaning.  Even  the  Christs  I  have  mentioned  would  make 
a  curious  composite  picture,  but  I  must  leave  my  hearers 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  545 


to  work  out  the  results  as  best  they  can.  My  object  has 
been  to  indicate  the  diversity  of  conceptions,  even  as  re- 
gards the  very  foundation  of  our  faith. 

From  the  foregoing  considerations  it  is  evident  that  the 
creed  question  is  not  so  easily  disposed  of  as  some  have 
thought.  While  the  reformers,  with  whom  Mr.  Errett 
was  associated,  did  not  write  a  creed,  they  came  very  near 
adopting  an  unwritten  creed  which  would  have  been  de- 
structive to  individual  liberty.  Mr.  Errett  did  as  much, 
if  not  more,  than  any  other  man  to  stay  this  tendency, 
and  he  thereby  helped  to  free  the  religious  movement  from 
the  spirit  of  dogmatism  which  at  one  time  began  to  show 
itself  in  several  quarters. 

(2.)  Mr.  Errett  did  much  to  inculcate  a  better  concep- 
tion of  Christian  Union  than  that  which  threatened  to 
fasten  itself  upon  the  movement  sometime  after  it  was 
started.  I  have  already  referred  to  the  tendency  of  re- 
ligious movements  to  revert  to  the  very  things  against 
which  they  at  first  protested.  The  Campbellian  movement 
was  not  an  exception  to  this  rule.  At  the  beginning  it 
was  characterised  by  a  generous  catholic  spirit,  and  its 
great  plea  for  Christian  Union  was  perhaps  its  noblest 
and  most  effective  commendation.  But  following  the 
course  of  what  seems  to  be  the  law  of  evolution,  the  point 
was  finally  reached  where  the  plea  for  Christian  Union 
did  not  mean  much  more  than  the  subjugation  of  religious 
parties,  and  their  absorption  into  the  organisation  repre- 
sented by  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  This  was  the  theory 
of  the  Union  of  the  Anaconda  and  the  Rabbits.  If  the 
denominational  Rabbits  were  willing  to  be  swallowed  by 
the  young,  vigorous,  and  rapidly  growing  Anaconda,  then 
the  latter  was  quite  prepared  to  have  Christian  Union 
on  those  terms.  But  this  plan  did  not  suit  the  Rabbits,  and 
so  Christian  Union  did  not  seem  to  make  mvtch  progress 
from  the  Disciple  point  of  view,  notwithstanding  their 
earnest  pleading  for  it,  and  the  Scriptural  ground  of  much 
of  their  contention.  It  is  true  that  the  Disciple  leaders 
tried  to  make  their  plea  consistent.  In  any  case  they 
were  able,  in  the  main,  to  demonstrate  that  it  was  at  least 
Scriptural.  But  it  did  not  take  into  consideration  all 
the  facts  of  the  case.  It  expected  too  much  to  be  accom- 
plished at  once.  It  failed  to  recognise  the  fact  that  the 
apostasy  was  a  gradual  development,  and  that  conse- 


546    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


quently  the  return  from  this  apostasy  must  necessarily 
be  gradual. 

Mr.  Errett  soon  saw  that  his  brethren  had  not  con- 
sidered sufficiently  the  genesis  of  denominationalism ;  that, 
at  least,  many  of  them  came  to  regard  it  as  all  bad; 
as,  indeed,  without  anything  to  commend  it  whatever. 
Mr.  Errett  took  a  different  view.  He  perceived  that  de- 
nominationalism was  the  result  of  an  effort  of  earnest 
souls  to  restore  the  Christianity  which  had  been  lost  dur- 
ing the  apostasy,  and  which  apostasy  had  "  begun  to 
work  "  even  in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  He  saw  that  grad- 
ually the  Church  went  down  into  Babylon.  It  was  not 
a  sudden  lapse.  Step  by  step  the  downward  road  was 
travelled,  until  at  last  the  sombre  nightshade  of  religious 
despotism  huug  over  the  prostrate  form  of  the  Christian 
Church.  With  Wyclif,  Luther,  and  their  associates  a 
reaction  began.  This  was  also  gradual.  Two  or  three 
important  things  were  restored  by  each  successive  move- 
ment, until  the  Reformation  inaugurated  by  the  Campbells 
was  reached.  Mr.  Errett  recognised  that  the  latter  move- 
ment would  have  been  impossible  without  those  which  had 
preceded  it,  and  he  therefore  felt  that  a  great  deal  was  due 
to  such  men  as  Wyclif,  Luther,  Calvin,  Wesley,  Knox, 
and  others,  who  had  been  pioneers  in  bringing  the  Church 
out  of  the  apostasy.  He  did  not  believe  that  they  had 
accomplished  everything  that  was  needed  to  be  done,  but 
he  was  quite  prepared  to  give  them  full  credit  for  having 
done  a  great  deal.  The  respective  movements  which  they 
represented  had  crystallised  into  denominations,  but 
these  even  held  to  much  of  the  truth  for  which  he  and  his 
associates  contended.  He  made  these  points  of  agreement 
the  starting  point  for  Christian  Union,  rather  than  a 
sharp  discussion  of  differences  which  could  only  tend  to 
separate  him  and  his  brethren  more  widely  from  the  de- 
nominations into  which  Christendom  was  divided.  .He 
held  strongly  to  the  notion  that  the  union  movement,  with 
which  he  was  identified,  could  be  advanced  more  easily 
and  certainly  by  emphasising  points  of  agreement,  than 
by  emphasising  points  of  difference.  He  did  not  believe 
that  the  denominations  occupied  the  best  ground,  or  advo- 
cated the  best  Scriptural  views  of  the  Church  or  its  gov- 
ernment. Still,  he  believed  that  the  best  way  to  secure 
Christian  Union  was  by  recognising  all  the  good  that  was 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  547 


in  these  denominations,  and  then  trust  to  "  sweetness  and 
light "  for  a  fuller  vision  of  the  whole  truth.  He  further- 
more believed  that  Christian  Union  could  not  be  attained 
except  by  gradual  approaches,  and  consequently  he  advo- 
cated co-operation  with  all  the  Christian  forces  as  far 
as  this  could  be  done,  without  sacrificing  principle,  as  a 
preliminary  step  to  a  better  understanding,  and  to  reach 
finally  the  one  foundation  of  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus 
Christ  Himself  being  the  chief  cornerstone.  In  short, 
he  did  not  believe  that  Christian  Union  could  be  accom- 
plished by  a  sort  of  tomahawk  system  of  advocacy.  His 
notion  was  to  contend  for  the  truth,  the  Avhole  truth,  and 
nothing  but  the  truth,  but  to  recognise  this  truth  whenever 
it  was  found,  even  though  it  might  be  associated  with 
much  that  was  not  true. 

He  saw  clearly  the  fact  that  the  denominations  already 
existed.  They  were  in  possession  of  the  field.  They  held 
much  in  common  with  the  faith  of  the  Disciples,  though 
in  some  things  they  occupied  a  very  different  position. 
Nevertheless  these  denominations  had  to  be  reckoned  with 
and  could  not  be  remanded  to  the  mother  of  harlots  with- 
out doing  them  great  injustice,  and  at  the  same  time 
proclaiming  his  own  brethren  as  a  narrow  proscriptive 
sect.  He  believed,  therefore,  that  it  was  wiser  and  better 
to  recognise  these  denominations  as  partial  growths  of 
the  true  Church  out  of  the  apostasy  which  had  so  univer- 
sally obtained  during  the  Middle  Ages.  He  did  not  re- 
gard this  concession  as  justifying  denominational  organ- 
isations ;  it  only  suggested  the  toleration  of  these  until  all 
could  see  their  way  to  accept  the  higher  ground  to  which 
the  Campbellian  movement  invited  them.  In  the  mean- 
time, he  believed  that  to  cultivate  a  friendly  spirit  with 
respect  to  these  denominations,  and  to  co-operate  with 
them  in  every  possible  way,  would  hasten  to  their  absorp- 
tion into  the  one  family  of  the  living  God  where  all  are 
brethren. 

Undoubtedly  this  was  a  somewhat  new  point  of  view 
from  which  to  consider  the  question  of  Christian  Union. 
It  evidently  recognised  the  doctrine  of  evolution,  though 
it  is  possible  that  Mr.  Errett  and  those  associated  with 
him  did  not  perceive  this  fact ;  nor  did  they  for  a  moment 
recognise  the  legitimacy  of  denominationalism ;  at  any 
rate  they  certainly  did  not  recognise  the  continued  legiti- 


548    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


macy  of  a  divided  Christendom.  They  did,  however,  admit 
that  the  position  of  the  religious  movements,  to  which 
reference  has  been  made,  were  well  enough  when  first 
taken.  It  was  then  perhaps  impossible  to  do  any  better; 
but  Mr.  Errett  contended  that  it  was  worse  than  folly 
to  rest  in  this  partial  development  whenever  it  was 
possible  to  reach  a  higher  position  where  the  Apostolic 
Church  could  be  restored  in  its  faith,  doctrine,  and  life.  He 
argued  that  these  denominations  were  only  justifiable,  if 
justifiable  at  all,  just  as  long  as  it  was  impossible  to  reach 
any  higher  ground;  but  he  believed  also  that  the  ground 
which  had  been  reached  should  be  used  honestly  as  a  basis 
from  which  to  reach  the  higher  ground  of  the  ideal  Church, 
or  the  Church  distinctly  portrayed  in  the  New  Testament 
Scriptures.  He  claimed  for  the  movement  with  which 
he  was  identified  that  it  aimed  to  represent  this  higher 
position,  and  consequently  he  felt  the  time  had  come 
when  denominationalism  ought  to  be  given  up,  and  when 
all  who  love  our  Divine  Lord  in  sincerity  and  truth  should 
stand  together  and  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once 
for  all  delivered  to  the  saints. 

Surely  this  great  plea  which  he  made  for  truth  in  the 
love  of  it,  for  union  in  the  reasonableness  of  it,  and  for 
the  conversion  of  the  world  as  the  result  of  it,  was  worth 
all  it  cost  to  advocate  it.  This  position  I  believe  is 
impregnable.  It  will  stand  against  all  assaults.  Further- 
more, I  believe  that  the  time  has  now  come  when  de- 
nominationalism should  be  given  up.  However  justifiable 
it  may  have  been  for  a  time,  there  is  no  good  reason  why 
it  should  be  continued,  and  there  are  many  good  and 
excellent  reasons  why  it  should  be  abandoned.  There  are 
also  many  signs  that  indicate  that  this  is  the  feeling  of 
the  best  men  and  women  to  be  found  in  all  of  these  re- 
ligious parties. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  why  should  the  Protestant  churches 
still  occupy  the  low  ground  of  sectarianism  when  it  is 
now  possible  for  them  to  step  up  higher?  As  well  might 
an  army  refuse  to  march  forward  after  a  number  of  battles 
have  gained  for  it  the  best  strategic  position. 

Suppose  a  general  is  commanded  to  capture  a  strongly 
fortified  citadel.  He  goes  up  near  enough  to  make  an 
observation,  and  finds  that  he  cannot  storm  it.  He  at 
once  begins  a  series  of  what  military  men  call  "  parallel 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  549 


approaches."  He  plants  some  guns  iu  the  most  favourable 
position  that  can  be  obtained,  and  opens  fire  upon  the 
fortress.  His  guns  do  some  execution,  but  not  a  great 
deal.  But  he  "  keeps  the  enemy  employed,"  and  is  thereby 
enabled  to  secure  for  his  men  a  more  favourable  place 
from  which  to  operate. 

He  now  pulls  his  guns  up  higher  and  closer,  and  begins 
to  fire  from  the  advanced  position  with  decidedly  better 
effect  than  before.  Still  he  does  not  capture  the  strong- 
hold. But  with  the  advantages  he  now  possesses,  he  is 
soon  able  to  gain  a  platform  from  which  he  can  almost 
command  the  works  of  the  enemy.  He  immediately  pulls 
up  his  guns  to  this  higher  ground,  and,  under  their  cover, 
is  enabled  to  gain  a  point  where  he  is  thoroughly  master 
of  the  situation.  Now  what  would  you  say  of  him  if 
he  were  to  keep  his  guns  and  men  at  the  first,  second  or 
third  positions?  I  think  you  would  say  he  would  act 
very  unwisely;  and  so  he  certainly  would.  But  like  a 
competent  general,  that  he  is,  he  brings  all  his  forces  up 
to  the  highest  and  best  point  from  which  to  operate,  and 
from  this  commanding  position  makes  short  work  of 
the  business  before  him. 

Now  this  illustrates  the  relative  value  of  what  has  been 
accomplished  by  the  religious  movements  of  the  past.  The 
Protestant  organisations  have  fought  through  many  ter- 
rific battles,  and  gained  some  splendid  victories ;  and  these 
victories  have  generally  secured  more  advantageous  re- 
ligious positions — positions  which  enabled  the  hosts  of 
God  to  come  nearer  and  nearer  the  Divine  platform,  and 
to  more  thoroughly  command  the  enemy's  works.  And 
now,  just  as  the  highest  and  most  favourable  point  is 
within  reach,  from  which  it  will  be  possible  to  demolish 
the  very  citadel  of  sin  itself,  and  proclaim  union  and 
peace  to  our  present  divided  and  troubled  Zion,  is  it  not 
worse  than  folly  to  continue  in  the  old  denominational 
positions  where  little  more  can  be  accomplished  than  has 
already  been  done? 

If  such  a  position,  as  that  indicated,  is  attainable,  surely 
all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  should  heartily  work 
for  it,  for  this  alone  will  bring  us  to  the  "  unity  of  the 
faith,"  and  give  the  answer  to  the  Saviour's  earnest  prayer, 
when  He  said :  "  Neither  pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for 
them  also  who  shall  believe  on  me  through  their  word; 


550    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


that  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and 
I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us;  that  the  world 
may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me." 

(3.)  Mr.  Errett's  work  contributed  largely  to  a  better 
conception  of  the  Church  and  its  responsibilities.  During 
the  years  preceding  his  advocacy  the  reformers  had  been 
mainly  concerned  in  preaching  the  Gospel  and  converting 
the  people.  At  first  the  movement  was  distinctly  and 
emphatically  evangelistic.  It  was  a  proclamation  of  good 
news  to  the  people,  not  only  with  respect  to  religious 
freedom,  but  with  respect  also  to  freedom  from  sin.  The 
early  advocates  who  led  the  movement  gave  little  attention 
to  the  Church  in  its  organisation  and  work.  Of  course 
this  part  of  the  movement  Avas  not  entirely  neglected,  but 
it  did  not  receive  the  consideration  which  was  necessary 
in  order  to  hold  the  ground  that  was  gained.  Even  when 
Church  matters  came  under  discussion,  very  little  prog- 
ress was  made,  for  the  reason  that  it  was  difficult  to  lift 
the  discussion  up  to  a  high  plane.  Very  few  of  the  men, 
who  had  been  so  fully  absorbed  in  what  was  called  "  first 
principles,"  were  able  to  move  forward  to  "  second  prin- 
ciples," without  involving  themselves  with  impracticable 
definitions  which  stood  right  in  the  way  of  Christian 
progress.  The  whole  movement  of  the  Disciples  involved 
at  least  three  things: 

(a.)  A  movement  back  to  the  personal  Christ;  or,  as 
I  prefer  to  state  the  case,  a  movement  forivard  to  Him, 
as  contra-distinguished  from  the  theological  Christ.  It 
was  believed  that  this  would  give  to  the  world  again 
the  true  faith. 

(b.)  A  movement  back  to  the  inspired  Apostles,  who 
were  regarded  as  Christ's  vice-gerents  on  earth,  and 
through  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  carried  on  and  further 
developed  the  work  which  Christ  "  began  both  to  do  and 
teach  "  while  He  was  on  earth  in  the  flesh.  It  was  be- 
lieved that  this  would  give  the  world  again  the  true  Gospel, 
in  its  facts,  commands,  and  promises. 

(c.)  A  movement  back  to  the  New  Testament  Church, 
the  Divine  ideal  Church,  not  the  Church  of  ecclesiastical 
history.  It  was  believed  that  this  would  solve  all  the 
questions  of  our  social  environment,  and  would  ultimately 
result  in  the  conversion  of  the  world  to  Christ. 

It  was  the  last  of  these  movements  which  enlisted  much 


ORGANIC  AND  KECONSTKUCTION  PEIUOD  551 


of  the  attention  of  Mr.  Errett.  He  saw  that  this  was  the 
weak  point  in  the  Reformation  to  which  he  was  devoting 
his  energies.  He  saw,  furthermore,  that  this  was  pre- 
cisely the  point  which  was  most  difficult  to  strengthen. 

Men  are  not  usually  very  sensitive  when  the  wrongs 
of  others  are  being  corrected,  but  when  their  own  wrongs 
are  under  consideration,  then  it  is  that  they  begin  to 
show  signs  of  restlessness,  if  not  stubbornness.  While 
labouring  for  the  restoration  of  the  primitive  faith  and 
the  primitive  Gospel,  the  Disciples  found  themselves  prac- 
tically of  the  same  mind  in  regard  to  one  another,  and 
whatever  conflict  they  had  was  with  the  denominations 
and  the  world;  consequently  there  was  little  or  no  friction 
among  the  brethren  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. But  by  and  by  it  became  necessary  to  turn  the 
light  of  the  Bible  and  experience  upon  the  churches  them- 
selves, and  this  at  once  revealed  the  fact  that  much  re- 
mained to  be  done  before  these  could  be  regarded  as  in 
harmony  with  New  Testament  teaching. 

But  this  was  not  all.  There  were  many  things  con- 
stantly coming  up  concerning  which  there  was  no  specific 
direction  in  the  Bible.  These  had  to  be  decided  by  re- 
ferring them  to  general  principles,  and  what  was  called 
the  "  law  of  expediency."  It  is  just  here  that  some  sharp 
and  vigorous  discussion  was  precipitated  among  the  Dis- 
ciples themselves.  Mr.  Errett  led  the  forces  of  progress. 
He  advocated  a  forward  movement  all  along  the  line.  He 
felt  that  the  churches  had  been  so  long  and  so  constantly 
engaged  in  a  conflict  with  the  denominations,  concerning 
the  first  two  points  included  in  the  reformatory  movement, 
that  they  had  largely  neglected  their  own  development, 
and  especially  had  they  failed  to  provide  ways  and  means 
for  both  spiritual  culture  and  an  aggressive  attack  upon 
the  heathen  world. 

Not  a  few  of  the  brethren  were  extremely  sensitive  to 
any  change  in  the  established  order  of  things,  with  respect 
to  their  church  life.  Some  of  them  resisted  the  demand 
for  a  forward  movement,  and  persistently  called  for  a 
"  thus  saith  the  Lord  "  in  order  to  justify  the  most  trivial 
changes  in  the  practice  of  the  churches.  So  vehement 
were  some  of  these  in  denouncing  what  they  were  pleased 
to  call  "  innovations  "  that  they  practically  made  progress 
an  epithet  and  efficiency  a  crime. 


552    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


There  is  nothing  so  easy  as  to  float  with  the  current, 
but  sometimes  our  floating  with  the  current  is  wholly 
owing  to  an  illusion.  The  eye  is  easily  deceived,  and 
hence  the  old  Latin  proverb — ne  crede  colori — has  in  it 
a  very  suggestive  truth.  We  certainly  should  not  trust 
too  much  to  appearances.  I  was  once  standing  on  the 
Thames  embankment,  looking  over  the  stone  wall  which 
bounds  the  walk  along  the  river.  The  ice  was  breaking 
up  in  the  river,  and  was  moving  at  a  rapid  rate  with  the 
tide.  By  an  optical  illusion  it  seemed  that  the  ice  was 
not  moving  at  all,  while  I  was  moving  swiftly  in  the  very 
opposite  direction.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  com- 
plete than  this  illusion,  and  I  had  to  remove  my  point  of 
view  before  the  spell  was  broken.  So  it  is  with  respect 
to  many  things  in  our  present  environment.  The  direc- 
tion we  are  going  is  determined  wholly  by  the  standpoint 
which  we  occupy.  When  we  have  the  courage  to  move 
our  standpoints  we  then,  for  the  first  time,  realise  that 
we  have  been  labouring  under  an  illusion. 

The  traditionalists  who  opposed  Mr.  Errett  imagined 
that  they  were  moving  right  along  in  the  line  of  true 
progress,  and  that  every  one  else  was  standing  still,  or 
else  going  back  to  sectarianism.  It  probably  never  oc- 
curred to  these  earnest  souls  that  they  were  standing  still 
and  the  progress  which  they  noticed  was  wholly  owing 
to  the  motion  of  those  whom  they  opposed.  This  often 
happens  in  our  experience.  Some  men  never  move  except 
when  they  are  carried  along  by  others.  In  any  case  it 
cannot  be  denied  that  a  change  of  standpoint  has  brought 
many  of  the  "  super-sound  "  men  to  entirely  reverse  their 
former  understanding  of  things;  and  no  one  perhaps  was 
more  influential  in  bringing  about  this  change  than  the 
subject  of  this  sketch. 

But  I  must  now  conclude  this  already  extended  notice 
of  our  distinguished  brother,  whose  life  and  work  wrought 
so  mightily  upon  the  religious  movement  with  which  he 
was  identified.  Isaac  Errett  is  no  longer  with  us  in  flesh, 
but  his  work  remains  as  a  monument  to  his  foresight  and 
devotion  to  the  principles  which  he  advocated.  Like  all 
great  men,  he  thought  in  advance  of  his  age.  He  saw 
much  and  felt  much  that  he  did  not  even  advocate.  He 
knew  that  his  brethren  could  not  bear  all  that  he  had  in 
his  heart  to  say  to  them.    He  was  too  conservative  on 


ORGANIC  AND  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD  553 


one  side  to  allow  the  expression  of  some  things  of  his 
highest  conception.  Nevertheless,  the  seed-truths  which 
he  planted  are  already  bearing  abundant  fruit  in  educa- 
tion, missionary  work,  spiritual  development,  etc.,  among 
the  brethren  whom  he  so  ardently  loved. 

In  closing  this  address,  I  should  like  to  indulge  in  some 
personal  reminiscences,  but  I  fear  this  would  consume 
too  much  time,  for  I  have  already  trespassed  upon  your 
patience ;  but  I  cannot  see  how  I  could  have  said  less,  and 
at  the  same  time  done  justice  to  this  occasion.  Many  of 
the  people  who  are  gathered  here  now  knew  him  inti- 
mately; but  perhaps  few,  if  any  one,  knew  him  as  I  did. 
He  was  an  elder  in  the  church  for  many  years  where  I 
was  pastor.  I  had  the  honour  to  succeed  him  in  Detroit, 
and  was  also  intimately  associated  with  him  in  literary 
work.  In  all  these  relations  he  was  more  than  a  brother 
to  me.  I  was  with  him  during  his  visit  to  the  Orient, 
and  was  a  personal  witness  of  the  accident  which  doubtless 
cost  him  his  life.  He  was  always  a  hero,  never  com- 
plaining, even  when  he  had  great  cause  for  complaint. 
He  bore  the  ugly  criticisms  of  even  his  brethren  without 
retaliation.  Like  his  Divine  Master,  when  he  was  reviled, 
he  reviled  not  again.  Let  us  be  thankful  that  such  a 
man  lived  and  wrought  in  this  great  world  of  ours,  and 
that  his  influence  will  continue  to  be  a  perpetual  help 
in  carrying  on  the  great  principles  of  the  Reformation  to 
which  he  devoted  his  life. 

In  the  language  of  Matthew  Arnold,  we  can  truly  say: 

"  No,  No !    The  energy  of  life  may  be 
Kept  on  after  the  grave,  but  not  begun; 
And  he  who  flagg'd  not  in  the  earthly  strife, 
From  strength  to  strength  advancing — only  he, 
His  soul  well-knit,  and  all  his  battles  won, 
Mounts,  and  that  hardly,  to  eternal  life." 


CHAPTER  XXI 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS 

PRIOR  to  the  death  of  Mr.  Campbell  the  enemies  of 
the  Disciple  movement  constantly  predicted  that  it 
would  go  to  pieces  when  he  ceased  to  be  its  leader. 
They  contended  that  his  strong  personality  and  distin- 
guished leadership  made  the  movement  a  success  during 
his  lifetime,  but  that  it  would  utterly  fail  as  soon  as  this 
directing  force  ceased  to  exist. 

But  these  critics  all  proved  to  be  false  prophets.  The 
very  opposite  of  what  they  predicted  actually  happened. 
When  the  Disciples  realised  that  their  great  leader  had 
fallen,  instead  of  becoming  utterly  disorganised,  they  im- 
mediately began  to  come  closer  together,  and  to  prepare 
for  such  a  definite  organisation  and  co-operation  as  would 
compensate  largely  for  the  loss  they  had  sustained.  From 
this  time  forward  they  did  not  seek  for  the  leadership  of 
any  man.  Mr.  Campbell's  mantle  fell  on  no  one.  Indeed, 
there  was  no  one  who  could  take  his  place.  Truly  it  has 
been  said  that  "  Atlas  had  gone  to  the  Hesperides,  and 
there  was  no  one  left  to  hold  up  the  skies.  Ulysses  had 
departed  on  his  wanderings,  and  there  was  none  strong 
enough  at  Ithaca  to  bend  his  matchless  bow."  No  one 
assumed  to  take  Mr.  Campbell's  place,  for  no  one  felt 
that  he  could  wear  Mr.  Campbell's  armour.  Nevertheless, 
there  were  a  few  men  to  whom  the  brethren  looked  for 
special  help  in  their  time  of  need.  Isaac  Errett  was  one 
of  these;  Benjamin  Franklin  was  another;  tJiere  were  also 
others,  but  the  two  mentioned  were  editors  of  the  two  lead- 
ing journals  devoted  to  the  advocacy  of  the  Disciple  plea, 
and  consequently  they  occupied  an  influential  position 
which  no  one  else  held  at  this  time.  The  Millennial  Har- 
binger was  still  continued  with  Professor  C.  L.  Loos  as 
co-editor,  but  owing  to  the  rising  power  of  the  two  religious 
weeklies,  viz.,  Christian  Standard  and  American  Christian 
Review,  the  Harhingcr,  being  a  monthly  magazine,  de- 
creased in  its  circulation,  and  ceased  to  be  the  influential 

554 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS 


555 


power  it  once  was.  However,  it  was  conducted  with  great 
ability  and  in  a  noble  spirit  by  its  distinguished  editors. 

In  addition  to  the  older  men,  both  of  the  first  and  second 
generations,  a  number  of  strong,  earnest,  and  influential 
workers  among  the  younger  men  had  now  to  be  reckoned 
with.  Some  of  these  were  preachers,  some  educators,  and 
others  editors,  and  not  a  few  business  men  who  furnished 
the  sinews  of  war.  Only  a  few  of  these  can  be  mentioned 
now,  and  some  of  them  had  already  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  movement  for  several  years.  How- 
ever, it  is  well  to  include  them  among  the  most  prominent 
men  connected  with  the  movement  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  sixth  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century: 

President  W.  K.  Pendleton,  President  Robert  Milligan 
(who  had  recently  been  elected  President  of  Bacon 
College,  at  Harrodsburg,  Ky.),  Professor  Robert  Rich- 
ardson, Isaac  Errett,  Benjamin  Franklin,  William 
Baxter,  Tolbert  Fanning,  J.  W.  McGarvey,  Professor 
Robert  Graham,  Professor  C.  L.  Loos,  Professor  A.  R. 
Benton,  Dr.  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  Moses  E.  Lard,  L.  B.  Wilkes, 
Joseph  King,  W.  H.  Hopson,  O.  A.  Burgess,  A.  I.  Hobbs, 
Thomas  Munnell,  W.  A.  Belding,  J.  S.  Lamar,  R,  L.  Cole- 
man, A.  E.  Myers,  J.  S.  Rowe,  J.  K.  Hoshour,  W.  J.  Petti- 
grew,  Jonas  Hartzell,  W.  D.  Carnes,  F.  M.  Green,  John 
Augustus  Williams,  J.  K.  Rogers,  John  I.  Rogers,  W.  C. 
Rogers,  John  S.  Sweeney,  J.  C.  Reynolds,  T.  A.  Cutler,  Dr. 
S.  E.  Shepherd,  Harrison  Jones,  Elijah  Goodwin,  Love  H. 
Jemeson,  H.  R.  Pritchard,  John  Shackleford,  T.  P.  Haley, 
Henry  H.  Haley,  Alexander  Proctor,  I.  B.  Grubbs,  G.  W. 
Longan,  Henry  T.  Anderson,  T.  W.  Caskey,  B.  W.  Johnson, 
J.  H.  Garrison,  H.  W.  Everest,  David  Lipscomb,  A.  G. 
Thomas,  Jabez  Hall,  John  A.  Brooks,  D.  R.  Lucas,  George 
Plattenburg,  D.  R.  Vanbuskirk,  Robert  Moffett,  D.  R.  Dun- 
gan,  W.  L.  Hayden,  J.  D.  Pickett,  L.  L.  Carpenter,  B.  A. 
Hinsdale,  H.  H.  White,  and  a  host  of  other  still  younger 
men,  some  of  whose  names  will  be  mentioned  in  the  subse- 
quent history. 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  list  of  noble  men  ( some  of  whom 
may  be  almost  classed  with  the  pioneers,  but  whose  names 
are  repeated  here  because  they  were  at  this  time  still 
actively  engaged  in  their  respective  fields  of  labour),  that 
the  Disciples  had  at  this  time  a  very  strong  force  of  dis- 
tinguished advocates,  and  as  these  were  mainly  working 


556    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


together  harmoniously,  and  as  most  of  them  had  a  clear 
vision  of  the  new  day  upon  which  the  movement  had 
entered,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  movement  began 
to  take  on  new  life  and  to  go  forward  with  rapid  strides. 

It  is  true  that  there  were  some  drawbacks.  The  ghost 
of  the  organ  question  kept  coming  up,  and  even  the  right 
of  missionary  societies  to  exist  became  a  prominent  ques- 
tion for  discussion  during  this  period.  Of  course  this  only 
shows,  what  has  already  been  mentioned,  and  what  is 
distinctly  indicated  in  all  history,  viz.,  that  progress  is 
never  in  straight  lines.  Sometimes  it  is  backward,  and 
in  the  present  case  the  reactionary  movements  which  took 
place  were,  in  the  long  run,  advantageous  to  final  progress. 
These  served  to  clear  the  atmosphere;  to  fix  definitely  the 
real  principles,  and  to  define  clearly  the  methods  that 
were  best  for  effective  work.  The  discussions  were  gen- 
erally very  able,  and  when  this  period  was  passed  there 
was  never  much  encouragement  to  raise  these  questions 
again.  Where  united  action  could  not  be  secured,  no 
particular  effort  was  made,  after  this,  to  convince  those 
who  still  held  out  against  w^hat  most  of  the  Disciples 
believed  legitimate  progress.  But  there  were  those  who 
believed  that  the  whole  success  of  the  Disciple  movement 
depended  upon  some  of  the  issues  that  were  raised  during 
these  controversies.  In  fact,  it  was  a  time  when  some 
were  disposed  to  quote  Paul's  remark  that  "  without  con- 
troversy great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness,"  with  special 
emphasis  on  the  word  "  controversy,"  as  meaning  discus- 
sion without  end. 

Sometime  before  this  it  was  thought  generally  that  the 
question  of  organs  and  missionary  societies  was  prac- 
tically settled,  but  the  belligerent  spirit  of  the  war  seemed 
to  have  been  transferred  to  the  religious  sphere,  and  for 
a  few  years  after  the  war  closed  the  organ  question,  es- 
pecially, held  a  prominent  place. 

Meantime,  in  1869,  a  new  journal  was  started,  entitled 
the  Apostolic  Times,  with  the  following  statement  in 
the  prospectus :  "  To  the  primitive  faith,  and  the  primitive 
practice,  without  enlargement  or  diminution,  without  in- 
novation or  modification,  the  editors  here  and  now  commit 
their  paper  and  themselves  with  a  will  and  purpose,  in- 
flexible as  the  cause  in  whose  interest  they  propose  to 
write."    Five  editors  were  announced,  viz.,  Moses  E.  Lard, 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS  557 


Robert  Graham,  Winthrop  H.  Hopson,  Lanceford  B. 
Wilkes,  and  John  W.  McGarvey.  This  was  truly  a  for- 
midable array  of  talent.  These  men  w  ere  unquestionably 
devoted  to  the  cause.  They  were  every  way  worthy  to 
carry  out  the  proposal  in  their  prospectus.  The  only 
difficulty  was  that  of  determining  just  what  the  primitive 
faith  and  primitive  practice  were.  These  men  thought 
they  knew  exactly  just  what  they  were  aiming  to  do,  and 
the  paper  became  itself  almost  as  belligerent  as  the  Civil 
War  had  been  which  had  recently  closed. 

The  following  incident  will  illustrate  the  faith  that 
these  men  had  that  their  paper  would  have  a  very  wide 
circulation,  and  would  neutralise  the  liberal  tendencies 
of  the  Christian  Standard,  edited  by  Isaac  Errett.  Just 
before  the  first  issue  of  the  Times  appeared,  one  of  these 
editors  remarked  to  an  experienced  journalist  that  a  paper, 
with  five  such  names  as  the  Times  would  display  as  edi- 
tors, could  not  possibly  fail.  He  continued  (without  in- 
cluding himself)  it  was  safe  to  say  that  no  paper  in  all 
the  land  could  boast  of  such  an  array  of  talent  in  its 
management,  and  furthermore,  the  personal  influence  of 
these  men  would  itself  secure  a  very  large  subscription 
list.  The  journalist  shook  his  head,  and  then  asked  the 
embryo  editor  how  many  copies  of  the  paper  he  supposed 
would  be  taken  by  his  own  personal  friends  simply  be- 
cause he  was  one  of  the  editors.  The  editor  hesitated 
for  a  moment  and  then  replied :  "  Of  course  I  do  not  know, 
certainly,  but  I  should  say  at  least  several  thousand." 
"  Well,"  said  the  journalist,  you  sit  down  and  count  up 
the  friends  that  you  can  be  sure  will  take  it  on  account 
of  your  personal  relations  to  it,  and  when  you  have  counted 
all  you  can  remember,  I  will  venture  the  prediction  that 
you  cannot  find  a  hundred.  Indeed,  it  is  doubtful  if  fifty 
will  take  it  from  personal  considerations.  Probably 
twenty-five  would  be  a  safe  guess  with  respect  to  this 
matter.  Then  after  the  first  year  these  twenty-five  will 
not  take  it  unless  the  paper  pleases  them.  People  do 
not  take  a  paper  to  please  the  editor,  or  because  they  are 
special  friends  of  the  editor.  They  take  a  paper  because 
it  pleases  them,  and  w^hen  it  ceases  to  do  this,  they  im- 
mediately drop  the  paper.  You  have  five  editors.  The 
most  you  can  claim  for  this  phalanx  of  personal  power 
is  a  few  people  will  take  the  paper  from  personal  con- 


558   HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


sideratioDs,  but  the  number  will  not  exceed  500,  and  that 
is,  in  my  judgment,  entirely  too  liberal  an  estimate.  Still, 
I  will  grant  that  500  subscribers  will  take  the  paper  the 
first  year  in  deference  to  the  personal  esteem  which  they 
have  for  the  editors.  At  the  end  of  that  year,  nearly 
all  of  these  will  feel  they  have  discharged  their  personal 
obligation,  and  will  immediately  discontinue  the  paper, 
unless  it  is  a  paper  they  want  on  account  of  its  intrinsic 
value." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  editor  regarded  this  jour- 
nalist's estimate  of  the  matter  as  wholly  wrong,  but  the 
subsequent  history  of  the  paper  really  demonstrated  that 
he  was  entirely  right.  The  paper  was  conducted  with 
much  ability,  considering  its  number  of  editors.  What 
the  editor  just  quoted  regarded  as  its  strong  point  was 
really  its  weak  point.  The  paper  turned  out  to  be  nearly 
all  editor.  It  was  made  up  chiefly  of  editorials  on  con- 
troversial questions,  and  was  virtually  killed  by  the  weight 
of  its  own  talent.  It  lacked  variety  and  scope,  and  above 
all  adaptation  to  the  wants  of  hungry  souls.  The  result 
was  it  had  to  struggle  for  an  existence,  and  finally  changed 
hands,  and  kept  on  changing  hands  and  title  until  at  last 
it  died  the  death  of  the  righteous.  It  was  good,  but 
too  good.  It  was  straight  from  the  shoulder,  but  it  was 
not  in  touch  with  the  demands  of  the  age,  and  while  its 
hewing  to  the  line  made  the  chips  fly,  most  of  these  flew 
in  the  face  of  the  editors  themselves. 

Meantime  LanVs  Quarterly,  to  which  reference  has  al- 
ready been  made,  ran  its  course  and  its  editor  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Apostolic  Times.  This  Quarterly  contained 
some  very  able  articles,  but  for  some  reason  it  did  not 
appeal  to  a  large  class  of  readers.  Its  spirit  was  very 
much  the  same  as  that  which  soon  possessed  the  Apostolic 
Times. 

But  now  another  quarterly,  viz.,  the  Christian  Quar- 
terly, was  launched,  which  was  of  a  different  type.  The 
first  number  of  this  was  issued  in  January,  1869.  Its 
spirit  was  somewhat  different  from  that  which  had  char- 
acterised Lard's  Quarterly.  In  its  advocacy  it  covered  a 
wide  field,  but  its  main  contention  was  for  a  liberal  in- 
terpretation of  the  Disciple  movement  and  a  support  of 
all  worthy  enterprises  in  the  interests  of  that  movement. 
However,  it  was  not  specially  controversial.     Indeed,  it 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS  559 


refused  to  admit  distinctly  controversial  articles,  espe- 
cially when  they  were  in  reply  to  other  articles  that  had 
appeared  in  its  pages.  It  was  not  a  forum,  but  a  broad, 
liberal  platform  where  the  best  talent  could  say  the  things 
that  were  supposed  to  be  needed. 

In  referring  to  this  quarterly,  Dr.  Frederick  D.  Power 
says: 

"  From  1869  to  1876  W.  T.  Moore  edited  at  Cincinnati  this 
excellent  journal.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  for  wise  editorial 
management,  for  the  ability  and  learning  of  its  contributors, 
for  the  timeliness  and  vigour  of  its  articles,  for  the  thorough- 
ness and  usefulness  of  its  book  reviews,  for  general  intellectual 
and  mechanical  make-up  and  widespread  literary  and  religious 
influence,  it  was  superior  to  anything  of  the  kind  ever  issued 
by  the  Disciples.  Lard's  Quortcrhj  is  remembered,  the  Quar- 
terly Rcvicic,  the  New  Christian  Quarterhj,  and  other  ventures, 
but  the  Christian,  Quarterly  for  dignity.  eflSciency.  and  quar- 
terliness,  has  not  been  surpassed.  During  its  whole  career 
Mr.  Pendleton  was  associated  with  Mr.  Moore  in  its  editorial 
management  and  contributed  to  its  columns  some  of  his  best 
work."  * 

The  Christian  Quarterly  undoubtedly  did  produce  a 
favourable  impression  from  the  very  first  issue.  The  press 
everywhere  gave  it  the  highest  praise.  The  iSfcw  York 
Independent,  which  was  then  at  the  acme  of  its  fame  and 
influence,  stated  frequently  that  the  literary  reviews  of  the 
Quarterly  were  better  than  those  in  any  other  periodical 
of  the  country.  The  Quarterly  was  also  noticed  favour- 
ably in  Europe;  one  German  paper,  published  in  Leipsic, 
declared  that  it  was  the  only  American  magazine  worthy 
of  notice  in  its  columns. 

These  facts  are  stated  because  they  suggest  very  im- 
portant matter.  It  certainly  must  be  regarded  as  re- 
markable that  a  periodical,  representing  so  young  a  re- 
ligious people,  historically  considered,  as  the  Disciples 
were  at  that  time,  and  also  a  people  who  had  given  very 
little  special  attention  to  literature,  should  produce  a 
(juarterly  magazine  which  was  regarded,  during  the  whole 
time  of  its  existence,  as  superior  to  any  other  magazine 
of  its  kind  published  in  America.  This  can  be  accounted 
for  only  on  the  ground  that  the  plea  which  the  Disciples 
make  is  fresh  and  free,  and  contains  the  possibilities  of 
a  literature  wholly  untrammelled  by  the  traditions  of  the 

*  "  Life  of  W.  K.  Pendleton,"  p.  384. 


560    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


past,  and  in  perfect  sympathy  with  the  needs  of  the  present 
and  the  hopes  of  the  future.  It  was  not  on  account  of 
any  superior  ability  in  the  articles  it  contained,  but  rather 
in  their  newness,  and  freeness,  and  adaptation  to  the  re- 
ligious, social,  and  civic  tendencies  of  the  age.  It  was 
practically  a  revelation  to  many  of  the  best  minds  of  the 
country,  and  it  is  believed  it  did  a  worthy  work  in  bring- 
ing the  plea  it  advocated  before  these  minds. 

There  were  other  papers  about  this  time  which  came 
into  existence.  The  Gospel  Echo,  edited  by  the  young  and 
rising  advocate  of  the  Disciple  plea,  J.  H.  Garrison,  was 
full  of  missionary  zeal,  and  at  once  became  a  stalwart 
helper  in  the  missionary  cause.  Another  paper,  entitled 
The  Christian,  was  under  the  management  of  T.  P,  Haley, 
G,  W.  Longan,  Alexander  Proctor,  A.  B.  Jones,  B.  H. 
Smith,  and  George  Plattenburg.  These  two  papers  were 
shortly  united,  and  the  union  paper  was  issued  from  St. 
Louis.  A  monthly,  entitled  the  Evangelist,  was  issued 
in  Iowa,  which  also  supported  earnestly  the  missionary 
societies. 

But  with  all  the  help  derived  from  these  sources,  as 
well  as  from  other  sources  not  mentioned,  the  American 
Christian  Missionary  Society  seemed  to  be  losing  ground, 
and  was  very  inadequately  supported.  Mr.  Franklin, 
with  his  paper  behind  him,  threw  himself  practically  in 
opposition  to  the  Society,  and  in  this  he  was  supported 
by  other  men  and  papers  of  less  note.  Finally  it  was 
decided  to  make  some  changes  in  the  constitution  of  the 
Society,  where  had  been  pointed  out  the  most  objection- 
able features.  But  these  changes  did  not  seem  to  satisfy 
the  opponents.  It  was  strongly  contended  that  all  so- 
cieties, such  as  the  American  Christian  Missionary  So- 
ciety, were  simply  human  institutions,  for  which  there  is 
no  authority  in  the  Word  of  God.  This  plea  was  easily 
made  popular.  It  at  once  exempted  Disciples  from  any 
obligation  to  contribute  funds  to  the  support  of  the  So- 
ciety, and  it  was  not  difficult  to  persuade  many  that  in 
withholding  their  funds  from  the  Society  they  were  doing 
God's  service.  An  appeal  to  selfishness  usually  smothers 
all  reason,  and  at  any  rate  it  helps  to  interpret  the  Bible 
so  that  every  man's  money  can  stay  at  home.  Truly  has 
•    Tennyson  said : 

"  The  jingle  of  the  guinea  helps  the  hurt  that  honour  feels." 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS 


561 


This  was  undoubtedly  a  crucial  time  in  the  history  of 
the  movement.  The  stoutest,  bravest,  and  most  faithful 
almost  lost  heart.  But  it  was  the  darkest  hour  just 
before  day.  It  simply  illustrates  one  of  those  backward 
tendencies  which  are  sure  to  manifest  themselves  here  and 
'fhere  in  every  progressive  movement.  It  was  a  time  of 
testing;  but  it  was  a  time  also  of  clearing  the  atmosphere 
of  certain  disturbing  elements  which  were  all  the  time 
threatening  cyclones. 

In  1869  a  reaction  from  this  state  of  things  definitely 
began.  The  course  of  the  American  Christian  Missionary 
Society  is  here  followed  because  it  was  the  only  organ- 
isation at  that  time  through  which  the  Disciples,  in  a 
general  way,  made  history.  This  Society  held  a  semi- 
annual meeting  in  May  of  the  year  mentioned,  and  during 
this  meeting  it  became  evident  to  those  in  attendance  that 
something  definite  ought  to  be  done  to  relieve  the  anxiety 
of  the  situation,  and  bring  a  hearty  support  4n  contribu- 
tions to  the  Society's  funds. 

Just  here  it  is  well  to  quote  from  a  historical  ad- 
dress delivered  by  President  W.  K.  Pendleton  with  re- 
spect to  the  origin  and  final  passage  of  what  has 
been  called  "  The  Louisville  Plan."  President  Pendleton 
says: 

This  plan,  as  we  so  well  remember,  was  adopted  at  Louis- 
ville, in  October,  1869.  It  grew  out  of  the  wear  and  tear  of 
a  protracted  prejudice  against  the  organisation  of  the  society. 
Bro.  Franklin's  assurance  in  1857,  when  he  was  Corresponding 
Secretary,  that  this  prejudice  had  considerably  abated  under 
his  counteracting  labours,  justified  a  prophecy  that  the  Society 
would  soon  rise  above  its  influence  altogether,  at  least  with  all 
who  did  not  plead  objections  as  a  cloak  for  their  covetousness. 
But  this  prophecy  had  proved  false.  The  prejudice  still  mur- 
mured against  us.  "  The  organisation  is  not  Scriptural ;  it 
is  not  founded  upon  the  Churches.  It  is  in  no  organic  sense 
representative  of  the  Churches."  These  objections  and  in- 
ferences from  them,  were  conscientiously  urged  by  some,  and 
with  much  severity  and  denunciation  by  others.  In  May,  1869, 
the  Society  held  a  semi-annual  meeting  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  here  the  effects  of  disagreement  on  this  great 
subject  were  painfully  felt  by  many  of  the  truest  friends  to 
missions  in  the  convention.  And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  at  a 
recess  in  the  sessions  for  dinner,  W.  T.  Moore  proposed  to  your 
speaker,  that  we  should  take  a  walk  and  talk  the  matter  over. 
The  result  was  a  motion  before  the  Convention,  offered  by 
Bro.  Moore,  to  refer  this  whole  matter  to  a  committee.  The 


5G2   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


resolution  read :  "  That  a  Committee  of  tw  enty  be  appointed 
to  take  into  consideration  the  whole  question  of  evangelisation, 
and  report,  if  possible,  a  Scriptural  plan  for  raising  monej-  and 
spreading  the  Gospel;  said  committee  to  report  at  the  Louis- 
ville meeting  in  October  next."  This  resolution  was  adopted 
by  the  Society.  In  order  to  secure  the  largest  measure  of 
harmony  and  the  fullest  representation  of  the  entire  brother- 
hood, the  members  of  this  committee  were  chosen  with  the  most 
careful  consideration,  and  from  all  States  that  had  been  active 
in  their  interest  in  the  cause  of  missions.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  State  Missionary  Conventions  were  requested  to  send 
delegates  to  act  with  this  committee  in  preparing  the  plan 
sought  for. 

The  members  of  the  committee  of  twenty,  appointed  at  St. 
Louis,  were  W.  T.  Moore,  Ohio;  W.  K.  Pendleton.  West 
Virginia ;  Alex.  Proctor,  Missouri ;  W.  A.  Belding,  New 
York;  R.  R.  Sloan,  Ohio;  Enos  Campbell,  Illinois;  T. 
W.  Caskey,  Mississippi;  Isaac  Errett,  Ohio;  J.  C.  Rey- 
nolds, Illinois;  J.  S.  Sweeney,  Illinois;  Joseph  King,  Penn- 
sylvania ;  Robert  Graham,  Kentucky ;  G.  W.  Longan,  Missouri ; 
Benjamin  Franklin,  Indiana;  W.  D.  Carnes,  Tennessee:  C. 
L.  Loos,  West  Virginia;  J.  S.  Lamar,  Georgia;  and  A.  I. 
Hobbs,  Iowa. 

The  delegates  appointed  by  State  Missionary  Conventions 
to  act  with  this  committee  w^ere  A.  E.  Myers,  West  Virginia; 
D.  R.  Dungan,  Nebraska;  Winthrop  H.  Hopson,  Kentucky;  C. 
G.  Bartholomew,  Indiana;  A.  B.  Jones,  Missouri;  W.  L.  Hay- 
den,  New  York;  Edwin  A.  Lodge,  Michigan;  O.  Ebert,  Michi- 
gan; N.  A.  Walker,  Indiana;  I.  B.  Grubbs,  Kentucky;  S.  E. 
Shepherd,  Ohio ;  P.  Blaisdell,  Massachusetts,  and  J.  W.  Butler, 
Illinois. 

This  movement  was  made  in  the  most  sincere  and  trustful 
spirit  of  compromise.  It  was  a  sacrifice  on  the  part  of  many 
to  the  feelings  and  judgment  of  others  in  the  desire  to  satisfy 
their  theoretical  objections  and  to  conciliate  their  prejudices. 
The  Committee  met  in  Louisville  and  spent  some  days  in  prep- 
aration of  the  report,  after  having  had  the  matter  for  months 
before  under  personal  consideration  and  advisement.  They 
were  a  body  of  the  ablest  men  among  us.  I  felt  strong  in  the 
strength  of  our  chiefs,  when  I  stood  among  them  in  council.  I 
think  we  realised  the  situation  and  felt  both  its  responsibility 
and  its  diflSculty.  But  we  went  at  the  work  prayerfully,  hope- 
fiilly,  and  courageously.  The  whole  theory  of  the  plan  was 
clearly  grasped,  and  every  detail  was  analysed,  criticised,  and 
adjusted,  till  the  whole  stood  before  us  clear,  consistent.  Scrip- 
tural, and  satisfactory.  It  was  an  earnest  and  a  careful  work. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  labours  of  the  night  which  you,  Bros. 
Errett.  and  Moore,  and  Munnell.  and  myself,  spent  on  it.  We 
had  talked  it  all  over  and  agreed  about  the  substance  of  it  in 
committee  of  the  whole,  when  it  was  referred  to  us  to  put 
into  proper  shape  and  order  and  expression.    We  had  only  a 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS 


563 


night  in  which  to  do  it.  We  met  in  an  upper  room  of  the 
hospitable  home  of  Winthrop  H.  Hopson,  and  there  wrestled 
all  night  for  the  inspiration  and  the  wisdom  and  the  wit  which 
we  needed.  Morning  came  and  with  its  light  the  end  of  our 
toil  and  counsel.  We  were  satisfied  and  bore  our  work  back 
to  the  committee — and  so  it  went  to  that  convention,  the 
grandest  we  have  ever  had. 

As  this  plan  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  the  history 
of  the  Disciples,  it  is  thought  well  to  quote  the  whole 
plan,  as  it  was  passed  by  the  Convention: 

As  a  basis  for  any  acceptable  and  efficient  system  of  co- 
oi)eration,  there  must  be  assumed  some  well  defined  and  gen- 
erally accepted  facts  and  principles.  We  therefore  submit, 
first  of  all,  the  following  propositions  of  this  class  as  the  basis 
of  the  plan  which  we  recommend. 

1.  The  conversion  of  sinners,  while  it  is  the  work  of  God,  is 
at  the  same  time  a  work  ordained  to  be  accomplished  through 
human  instrumentality. 

2.  The  accomplishment  of  all  the  philanthropic  purposes 
contemplated  in  the  religion  of  Jesus— the  realisation  of  all 
its  benevolent  designs— is  likewise  to  be  sought  through  human 
instrumentality. 

3.  The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  believes.    Rom.  i :  16. 

4.  This  Gospel  must  be  preached  since  it  pleased  God  by 
the  foolishness  of  preaching  to  save  them  that  believe."  I.  Cor. 
1:  21. 

5.  The  work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  is  committed  to  Chris- 
tians— ^the  disciples  were  to  be  taught  to  observe  all  things 
that  the  apostles  should  deliver  to  them.  Individually  they 
were  to  shine  as  lights  in  the  world,  holding  forth  the  word  of 
life  (Phil.  ii:16),  but  especially  in  their  united  capacity,  as 
the  Church  of  the  living  God  were  they  to  be  the  pillar  and 
ground  of  the  truth  (I.  Tim.  iii.  lG),  and  to  exhibit  such  a 
divine  unity  and  harmonious  co-operation  as  would  lead  the 
world  to  believe  in  Jesus.    John  xvii :  21. 

6.  The  obligation  to  preach  the  gospel  being  thus  laid  upon 
evei-y  disciple,  he  is  sacredly  bound,  in  honour  to  the  charge 
committed  to  him,  to  make  known  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ. 

7.  The  way  in  which  this  is  to  be  done  must  depend  much  on 
circumstances.    In  the  New  Testament  we  have:— 

(a)  Individual  Christians  going  forth  preaching  the  Word. 
Acts  xiii :  4. 

(b)  Single  churches  sending  out  preachers,  as  the  Church 
at  Jerusalem  sending  Barnabas — Antioch  sending  Barnabas 
and  Paul.    Acts  xi :  22,  xiii :  1-3. 

(c)  Churches  uniting  to  recommend  a  young  man  for  mis- 
sionary work.    Acts  xvi :  1-4. 


564    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


8.  \A'hile  there  is  no  record  of  associations  of  churches  oP 
of  representatives  of  churches  to  exercise  dominion  over  the 
faith  of  any,  there  are  examples  of  representative  action  and 
co-operation  of  churches  in  works  of  benevolence,  requiring 
combination  of  resources ;  and  hence,  there  were  messengers  of 
the  churches,  to  whom  this  work  was  delegated.  I.  Cor.  xvi :  1. 
II.  Cor.  viii :  18-24. 

9.  The  extent  and  manner  of  this  co-operation  were  governed 
by  the  emergency — two  churches  joining  to  send  out  a  mis- 
sionary— all  the  churches  in  a  province  entering  into  hearty 
co-operation  to  provide  for  the  poor  saints  in  a  land  of  famine. 
It  is,  therefore,  Scriptural  that  the  churches  of  a  district,  state, 
or  nation  should  unite  in  sxich  co-operation,  whenever  the  cir- 
cumstances render  it  ad\isable. 

A  wise  economy,  a  proper  regard  to  harmony,  a  due  respect 
to  the  business  experience  of  all  workers  in  the  line  of  religious 
and  benevolent  enterprise  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  in  a 
great  country  like  ours,  with  Christian  brotherhood  numbering, 
it  is  thought,  more  than  half  a  million,  and  spread  over  im- 
mense territories  without  the  possibility  of  developing  their 
resources,  except  by  some  general  sj'stem  of  co-operation 
clearly  defined  and  generally  accepted,  it  is  highly  desirable 
that  such  a  plan  should  be  adopted,  not  as  a  bond  of  fellow- 
ship, but  as  a  voluntary  and  hearty  combination  of  means  by 
which  the  strong  may  assist  the  weak,  and  all  possible  re- 
sources be  drawn  out  to  further  the  philanthropic  designs  of 
the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.  And  since  well  known  com- 
plications in  our  missionary  work  have  existed  for  years, 
arising  from  our  three-fold  system  of  general  State  and  Dis- 
trict Societies  having  separate  financial  systems,  independent 
of  each  other,  and  often  conflicting  in  their  operations,  we, 
therefore,  recommend : 

1.  That  there  be  one  uniform  financial  system  to  secure  the 
means  for  missions  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

2.  That  to  render  this  efficient  there  be:  (a)  A  General 
Board  and  Corresponding  Secretary,  (b)  A  Board  and  Cor- 
responding Secretary  for  each  state  to  co-operate  with  the 
General  Board,  (c)  District  Boards  in  each  state  and  a 
Secretary  in  each  district,  whose  duty  shall  be  to  visit  all  the 
churches  in  his  district  and  induce  them  to  accept  the  mis- 
sionary work  as  a  part  of  their  religious  duty. 

3.  There  shall  be  an  annual  convention  in  each  district,  the 
business  of  which  shall  be  transacted  by  messengers  appointed 
by  the  churches ;  an  annual  convention  in  each  state,  the  busi- 
ness of  which  shall  be  conducted  by  messengers  sent  by  the 
churches  of  the  state,  it  being  understood,  however,  that  two  or 
more  churches,  or  all  the  churches  of  a  district,  may  be  repre- 
sented by  messengers  mutually  agreed  upon;  and  an  annual 
General  Convention,  the  business  of  which  shall  be  conducted 
by  messengers  from  the  state  conventions. 

4.  The  General  Convention  shall  annually  appoint  nine 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS  565 


brethren,  who,  together  with  the  corresponding  secretaries  of 
the  states  and  the  presidents  of  the  state  boards,  shall  consti- 
tute a  General  Board,  who  shall  meet  annually  to  transact  the 
general  missionary  business  and  appoint  a  committee  of  five  to 
superintend  the  work  in  the  intervals  between  their  annual 
meeting. 

5.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  General  Board  and  corre- 
sponding secretary  to  provide  for  and  superintend  mis- 
sionary operations  in  destitute  places  not  actually  in  state 
and  district  organisations,  and  not  to  promote  the  har- 
monious co-operation  of  all  the  state  and  district  boards 
and  conventions. 

6.  There  shall  be  also  a  State  Board  and  corresponding 
secretary  in  each  of  the  states,  elected  annually  by  the  mes- 
sengers sent  to  the  State  Convention,  and  that  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  said  boards  and  secretaries  to  manage  the  missionary 
interests  in  their  respective  states  in  harmony  with  the  system 
of  general  co-operation. 

7.  Each  state  shall  be  divided  into  districts  of  suitable  limits 
by  the  State  Board ;  the  messengers  from  the  churches  of  each 
district  shall  elect,  at  their  annual  conventions,  a  board  and  a 
secretary;  and  the  business  of  each  secretary  shall  be  to  visit 
all  the  churches  in  his  district,  and  in  co-operation  with  their 
own  officers  induce  them  to  contribute  and  send  to  the  district 
treasury  money  for  the  support  of  missions. 

8.  As  our  whole  financial  system  is  based  upon  a  general  co- 
operation of  the  churches,  we  recommend  that  each  church, 
over  and  above  the  sums  it  may  contribute  for  missionary 
work  under  its  immediate  control,  give  a  pledge  to  pay  an- 
nually to  its  district  treasurer  a  definite  sum  for  other  mis- 
sionary work,  and  that  one-half  of  such  contributions  ma}'  be 
under  the  control  of  the  district  boards  for  missionary  work 
in  the  districts,  the  other  half  to  be  sent  to  the  state  boards, 
to  be  divided  equally  between  it  and  the  General  Board  for 
their  respective  works;  but  this  recommendation  is  not  to  be 
considered  as  precluding  a  different  disposition  of  funds  when 
the  church  contributing  shall  so  decide 

9.  The  churches  shall  send  reports  to  the  District  Boards  in 
time  for  the  District  Conventions;  the  districts  shall  send  re- 
ports to  the  State  Boards  in  time  for  the  State  Conventions; 
and  the  State  Boards  shall  send  up  reports  to  the  General 
Board  in  time  for  the  General  Convention,  so  that  a  report  of 
all  our  missionary  operations  may  appear  in  the  minutes  of 
our  General  Convention. 

10.  Each  State  Convention  shall  be  entitled  to  two  delegates 
in  the  General  Convention,  and  to  one  additional  delegate  for 
every  five  thousand  Disciples  in  the  state. 

This  was  signed  by  the  following,  as  these  were  all  the 
members  of  the  two  committees  present  at  the  Convention : 
W.  T.  Moore,  Ohio;  W.  K.  Pendleton,  West  Virginia; 


566    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

Alexander  Procter,  Missouri;  W.  A.  Belding,  New  York; 
R.  R.  Sloan,  Ohio;  Enos  Campbell,  Illinois;  T.  W.  Caskey, 
Mississippi;  Isaac  Errett,  Ohio;  J.  C.  Reynolds,  Illinois; 
J.  S.  Sweeney,  Illinois;  Joseph  King,  Pennsylvania — Com- 
mittee appointed  at  St.  Lonis.  A.  E.  Myers,  West  Vir- 
ginia; D.  R.  Dungan,  Nebraska;  Winthrop  H.  Hopson, 
Kentucky;  C.  G.  Bartholomew,  Indiana;  A.  B.  Jones,  Mis- 
souri; W.  L.  Hayden,  New  York;  Edwin  A.  Lodge,  Mich- 
igan; O.  Ebert,  Michigan;  N.  A.  Walker,  Indiana;  I.  B. 
Grubbs,  Kentucky — Delegates  from  States. 

This  plan  was  submitted  to  the  annual  convention  held 
in  Louisville  in  October,  1809.  Benjamin  Franklin,  who 
was  one  of  the  opponents  of  the  Society,  was  present,  and 
after  reading  the  whole  plan  before  the  Convention,  the 
chairman  asked  Mr.  Franklin  if  he  was  willing  to  endorse 
it,  and  when  the  answer  was  "  yes,"  a  murmur  of  satisfac- 
tion and  even  delight  ran  through  the  whole  audience. 
He  afterwards  wrote  in  the  columns  of  his  paper,  as 
follows : 

"  In  our  estimation,  it  is  the  most  simple,  natural,  and  wise 
arrangement  ever  made,  and  that  it  will  commend  itself  to  all 
who  desire  to  do  anything  beyond  their  own  immediate  vicin- 
ities for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  We  have  never  seen  any- 
thing proposed  that  came  near  meeting  with  the  same  appro- 
bation in  a  convention.  Nor  have  we  seen  anything  that  we 
could  give  such  an  unequivocal  approval.  We  hope  now  that 
every  friend  of  evangelising  will  put  his  hand  to  the  work 
and  push  the  work,  and  let  us  hear  no  more  about  plans  and 
societies,  but  work.  We  can  work  and  live,  or  refuse  to  work 
and  die.  .  .  .  We  need  nothing  now  but  work,  true  and 
honest  work,  with  determination,  faith,  and  love.  The  Lord 
put  it  into  the  heart  of  the  brethren  to  work  while  it  is  called 
to-day ;  and  may  his  richest  blessings  attend  all  our  efforts ! " 

For  a  time,  at  least,  it  looked  as  if  the  "  Louisville  Plan  " 
had  produced  harmony,  if  not  efficiency.  But  even  in  this 
the  friends  of  the  Society  were  soon  disappointed.  Mr. 
Franklin  very  shortly  became  disaffected  again,  and  the 
whole  weight  of  his  paper  was  thrown  practically  against 
the  Society.  It  was  not  long,  therefore,  until  a  new  crisis 
arose.  It  was  evident,  from  the  start,  to  many  friends 
of  the  Society,  and  even  to  most  of  the  Committee  who 
had  recommended  the  plan,  that  it  was  like  the  Dutch- 
man's perpetual  motion — it  would  "  run  only  mit  a 
crank,"  and  yet  the  unanimity  with  which  it  passed  (there 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS 


567 


being  only  two  dissenting  votes)  seemed  to  assure  better 
results  than  what  followed.  The  difficulty  was  not  alto- 
gether on  account  of  the  absence  of  a  "  crank,"  but  mainly 
because  there  were  a  great  many  "  cranks,''  and  of  a  kind, 
too,  which  were  of  no  advantage,  but  rather  a  disadvantage 
to  the  machine.  The  following  liberal  extract  from  an 
article  in  the  Christian  Quarterly,  written  by  the  chair- 
man of  the  Committee  of  Twenty,  and  who  reported  the 
"  Louisville  Plan  "  to  the  Convention,  will  give  an  inside 
view  to  the  whole  situation  at  this  particular  period  of 
the  Disciple  movement.  The  article  is  from  the  October 
number  of  1874,  and  is  as  follows : 

I.  The  plan  has  met  with  a  persistent  opposition  from  a 
number  of  brethren,  who  declare  it  to  be  wanting  in  Scriptural 
authority,  and  entirely  opposed  to  the  principles  of  the  reli- 
gious movement  in  which  they  are  engaged.  These  objections 
have  been  urged  with  more  or  less  ability,  through  several 
papers  of  considerable  circulation,  while  a  number  of  preachers 
have  been  outspoken  in  their  opposition  on  the  same  grcmnds. 
Many  of  the  churches  have  been  ready  listeners  to  these  special 
pleaders;  and  the  result  is,  that  only  a  portion  of  the  Disciples 
have  given  the  plan  their  hearty  support.  It  is  never  very 
diflBcult  to  convince  people  that  they  ought  not  to  do  anything. 
Opposition  is  a  force  so  easily  engendered  that  we  need  not 
be  surprised  if  we  sometimes  find  that  our  most  cherished 
projects  have  been  roughly  treated.  Some  men  seem  to  have 
been  born  in  the  objective  case,  and  it  is  quite  useless  to  ex- 
pect of  such  that  they  will  ever  be  favourable  to  anything. 
They  seem  to  be  living  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  illustrating 
the  meaning  of  the  word  protest. 

The  plan  for  co-operation  adopted  at  Louisville  gave  all  this 
class  of  men  a  fine  oportunity  to  come  to  the  front.  And  they 
were  hj  no  means  slow  in  making  their  appearance,  and  have 
been  busily  engaged  ever  since  in  trying  to  show  what  the 
plan  is  not.  They  tell  us  it  is  not  the  Lord's  plan  " ;  that  it  is 
not  in  harmony  with  the  "  original  principles  of  the  Reforma- 
tion," etc.  Now,  it  may  be  said  that  this  class  should  have  had 
little  influence  on  the  movement  proposed.  But  these  men  are 
generally  the  most  active  and  busy  opponents  any  worthy 
movement  has  to  meet,  and  activity  on  the  side  of  established 
custom  is  more  than  a  thousand  good  arguments  in  favour  of 
change. 

But  there  were  some  excellent  brethren  among  the  Disciples 
who  heartily  opposed  the  new  co-operative  system.  They  felt 
that  it  was  virtually  giving  up  the  whole  plea  which  the 
Disciples  had  made — a  surrender  of  the  principles  for  which 
they  had  so  earnestly  contended.  With  this  class  we  confess 
to  have  had  considerable  sympathy.    We  know  upon  what 


568   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


specious  reasoning  they  have  been  fed.  Failing  to  distinguish 
between  principles  and  methods,  they  supposed  that  a  change 
of  methods  involved  a  change  of  principles.  In  other  words, 
when  it  was  proposed  to  change  the  manner  of  working,  they 
supposed  tlu;  work  itself  must  necessarily  be  a  different  thing. 
Just  here  is  the  fallacy  upon  which  rests  that  "  harp  of  a  thou- 
sand strings  "  whereon  so  many  advocates  of  the  ancient  or- 
der of  things  "  have  been  playing  for  the  last  five  or  six  years. 
These  distinguished  brethren  have  failed  to  see  that  the 
churches  have  changed  their  methods  in  almost  everything  but 
missionary  work.  In  the  beginning,  none  of  the  churches  had 
pastors,  or,  if  you  prefer,  stationed  salaried  preachers;  now, 
this  is  regarded  as  quite  the  thing  in  almost  every  part  of  the 
land.  In  the  beginning,  the  houses  of  worship,  the  hymn- 
books,  the  Sunday-School  interest,  the  educational  interest, 
and  in  fact,  almost  everything  connected  with  church  life  and 
church  development,  were  as  different  from  what  we  find  these 
things  to  be  now  as  the  old  stage-coach  is  different  from  the 
steam-car.  Have  the  churches  of  the  present  surrendered  the 
principles  of  the  past?  We  think  not.  We  go  farther.  We 
believe  it  would  be  impossible  to  find  an  advocate  of  the 
general  missionary  plan  who  does  not  accept  heartily  every 
principle  contained  in  the  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  issued 
in  1809.  Why,  then,  is  the  cry  of  unsoundness,"  "•  departure 
from  the  ancient  order  of  things,"  "  going  over  to  the  sects," 
etc.,  raised  in  reference  to  those  who  plead  for  more  unity  of 
action  and  more  effectiveness  in  work?  It  has  never  been 
proved  yet,  so  far  as  we  have  seen,  that  the  "■  progressionists," 
as  they  are  called,  are  less  devoted  to  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  Church  than  those  who  style  them  thus  in  derision. 
If  there  is  any  falling  away,  we  think  it  would  not  be  difficult 
to  show  that  this  apostasy  is  chiefly  confined  to  those  who  are 
insisting  that  questions  of  expediency  shall  be  made  tests 
of  Christian  fellowship. 

In  order  to  have  a  proper  conception  of  this  whole  matter, 
it  ought  to  be  remembered  that,  in  the  earlier  days  of  the 
movement,  the  brethren  were  not  much  concerned  about 
methods,  and  consequently  gave  very  little  attention  to  the 
manner  of  doing  things.  They  stood  little  upon  the  order  of 
working,  but  icorked.  They  were  especially  interested  in  the 
principles  which  they  had  announced ;  and  their  chief  effort 
was  to  get  these  before  the  world.  Hence,  some  of  the  ques- 
tions of  order  and  co-operation  that  are  now  agitated  among 
the  Disciples  were  not  even  thought  of  in  the  beginning  of  their 
movement.  There  was  no  need  to  discuss  these  questions  then. 
There  was  no  emergency  which  called  them  up.  Now  they  can- 
not be  ignored.  To  shut  them  out  of  the  pre.sent  would  be  just 
equal  to  going  back  fifty  or  sixty  years.  And  this  would  be 
little  less  than  an  entire  surrender  of  the  plea  which  has  been 
so  earnestly  made  within  the  last  half-century.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  Mr.  Campbell  himself  ever  thought  very  seriously  of 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS  569 


many  problems  connected  with  Church  organisation  and  gov- 
ernment. It  is  certain  that  at  first  he  accepted,  with  slight 
modifications,  the  Haldane  system.  In  later  years  he  was 
evidently  in  favour  of  a  much  closer  organisation  than  that 
which  had  grown  up  in  the  Scotch-Baptist  mould.  Still,  his 
mind  was  chiefly  occupied  with  other  things.  He  was 
discussing  great  prinicples,  gathering  materials  which  were 
afterward  to  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  world  through  or- 
ganised effort.  The  men  of  his  day  had  their  special  work  to 
do;  and  now  we  have  ours  to  do.  They  sought  for  the  truth, 
and  found  it.  It  is  our  duty  now  to  take  this  truth,  and, 
through  the  most  eflicient  instrumentalities,  bring  it  to  bear 
upon  the  world.  We  cannot  repeat  their  work.  In  fact,  there 
is  no  need  of  this.  But  we  can  begin  where  they  left  off,  and 
earry  forward  the  work  ivhich  they  committed  to  our  hands. 
They  brought  the  work  through  its  formative  period ;  we  must 
now  give  it  organisation,  and  carry  it  forward  to  final  tri- 
umphs. There  is  certainly  no  ground  for  opposition  here. 
But  this  is  the  very  ground  upon  which  many  have  refused  to 
co-operate  under  the  present  plan.  True,  this  opposition  has 
now  largely  spent  its  force.  But  the  mischief  has  already  been 
done.  It  is  too  late  to  rejoice  over  a  fallen  foe  when  we  our- 
selves are  mortally  wounded.  The  opposition  has  largely  died 
out,  but  the  i)lan  itself  does  not  seem  to  be  gathering  much 
strength. 

II.  Another  reason  why  the  plan  has  not  been  successful  is, 
the  preachers  and  officers  of  the  churches  have,  for  the  most 
part,  failed  to  do  what  was  expected  of  them.  Section  6, 
Article  II.,  reads  as  follows: 

"  Each  State  shall  be  divided  into  districts  of  suitable  limits 
by  the  State  Board;  the  messengers  from  the  churches  of  each 
district  shall  elect  at  their  annual  conventions  a  board  and  a 
secretary;  and  the  business  of  each  secretary  shall  be  to  visit 
all  the  churches  in  his  district,  and,  in  co-operation  with  their 
own  officers,  induce  them  to  contribute  and  send  to  the  dis- 
trict treasurer  money  for  the  support  of  missions." 

The  object  of  the  whole  plan  is,  of  course,  to  reach  the 
churches,  and  it  was  thought  that  this  could  be  accomplished 
in  no  way  so  well  as  through  their  own  officers.  Hence,  each 
district  secretary  is  required  to  visit  all  the  churches  in 
his  district,  and,  in  co-operation  with  their  own  officers,  induce 
them  to  contribute,"  etc.  It  will  be  seen  by  this  provision,  that 
the  officers  stand  between  the  district  secretaries  and  the 
churches;  and  just  here  is  where  the  practical  difficulty  is 
developed.  The  districts  have  been  formed,  and  generally  well 
organised;  but  the  district  secretaries  have  been  unable,  in  a 
majority  of  cases,  to  secure  the  active  co-operation  of  the 
church  officials.  These  officers  do  not  keep  the  matter  before 
the  churches;  and.  as  the  churches  do  not  act  without  this 


570    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


prompting,  it  necessarily  follows  that  comparatively  little  can 
be  accomplished. 

We  think  that,  with  reference  to  this  failure,  the  preachers 
are  largely  to  blame.  It  is  useless  to  deny  the  fact  that  the 
I)reachers  can  generally  carry  their  churches  with  them  in 
any  worthy  religious  movement;  but  the  difficulty  is,  in  the 
present  case,  they  will  not  do  it.  We  do  not  mean  to  say  that 
they  will  always  find  their  churches  willing.  We  understand 
the  selfishness  of  human  nature  too  well  to  hope  for  any  large 
benevolence  from  even  Christian  men  who  have  been  taught 
to  believe,  so  far  as  missionary  work  is  concerned,  that  charity 
begins  at  home,  and  even  ends  there.  Still,  we  think  that  any 
faithful  preacher  may,  in  time,  induce  his  church  to  contribute 
regularly  to  the  cause  of  missions. 

We  are  not  unmindful  of  the  difficulties  that  lie  in  the  way 
of  preachers.  Some  of  these  are  vei\v  serious,  and  may  just  as 
well  be  understood.  Chief  among  these  difficulties  is  the  un- 
certain official  status  of  a  majority  of  the  preachers  among 
the  Disciples.  A  few  of  those  who  are  called  pastors  are 
elected  elders  in  the  churches  where  they  labour;  but  by  far 
the  greater  portion  are  called  from  year  to  year,  and  have  no 
official  relations  whatever.  There  is  another  class  of  preachers 
who  have  no  local  charge,  but  have  a  sort  of  roving  com- 
mission to  do  itinerant  work.  These  have  no  official  relations 
anywhere,  and  are,  consequently,  powerless  everywhere  to  act 
for  anybody  but  themselves.  A  curious  problem  it  is  to  deter- 
mine the  exact  status  of  these  two  classes  of  men.  They  are 
called  "preachers,"  "pastors,"  and  "evangelists;"  but  they 
are  in  fact,  officially,  nondescripts — a  sort  of  form  of  officer 
without  official  power. 

It  is  not  altogether  strange  that  men,  situated  as  these  are, 
should  be  somewhat  timid  in  urging  upon  the  churches  the 
duty  of  a  large  benevolence.  Each  man  feels  that  his  own  rela- 
tions to  his  Church  are  of  such  a  character  as  that  he  cannot, 
or  ought  not,  to  be  active  in  committing  the  Church  to  any 
movement  where  monej^  is  an  important  factor.  Then,  he 
has  heard  a  thousand  times  that  every  church  is  in  itself  a 
missionary  society.  This  is  a  very  convenient  corner  in  which 
to  hide  whenever  he  is  hard  pressed  concerning  the  duty  of 
co-operative  work.  He  will  tell  you  that  his  Church  is  already 
doing  as  much  as  it  can  do;  that  it  has  to  look  after  local 
interests,  and  has  nothing  to  give  to  the  support  of  unscrip- 
tural  officials  called  "  secretaries."  We  are  sorry  to  believe 
that  frequently,  with  these  men,  "  local  interests  "  mean  their 
own  interests.  They  are  afraid  that  money  taken  away  from 
the  Church  is  so  much  taken  away  from  them.  We  do  not 
say  that  this  feeling  is  to  be  severely  condemned.  It  grows- 
naturally  out  of  the  selfish  system  of  things  in  which  the 
preacher  has  been  educated.  Nevertheless,  it  is  certainly  not 
a  very  desirable  state  of  things,  and  must  be  remedied  before 
any  very  effective  general  co-operation  can  be  secured. 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS 


571 


Let  us  now  pass  from  the  preachers  to  the  elders  and  deacons. 
From  these  we  have  a  right  to  expect  better  things.  Their 
ofiScial  relations  are  not  doubtful.  Their  positions  are  not 
subject  to  the  same  conditions  as  the  preachers.  They  have 
official  authority  to  do  what  the  preachers  can  do  only  by 
arguments  and  motives.  But  these  are  frequently  less  in- 
clined to  co-operate  with  the  district  secretaries  than  the 
preachers  are.  And  if  they  refuse,  the  only  thing  left  for  the 
secretary  to  do  is  to  obtain  such  individual  help  as  he  may 
readily  command.  But  this  is  a  work  that  has  to  be  done 
over  and  over  again,  and  does  not  amount  to  much  even  when 
it  is  accomplished. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  churches  would  not  give  anyway. 
Doubtless,  in  a  few  instances,  this  is  true;  But  what  are  leaders 
for  unless  they  can  lead?  Why  should  men  have  the  over- 
sight of  a  church  when  they  do  not  direct  anything?  We  be- 
lieve that,  generally,  the  claurches  would  come  up  bravely  to 
the  work,  if  the  officers  would  only  do  their  duty. 

If  it  should  be  said  there  is  no  remedy  for  this,  then  the 
whole  plan  of  Church  co-operation  had  as  well  be  given  up. 
It  is  useless  to  talk  about  any  general  missionary  work  to  be 
supported  by  the  churches,  if  the  churches  cannot  be  reached. 
And,  as  they  cannot  be  successfully  reached,  except  through 
their  officiary,  it  necessarily  follows  that  if  this  officiary  can- 
not be  actively  enlisted,  it  is  simply  certain  that  no  plan,  how- 
ever perfect  it  may  be  in  itself,  can  possibly  succeed. 

III.  Another  cause  of  failure  is  an  obvious  weakness  in  the 
plan  itself.  In  the  foregoing  discussion  we  have  assumed 
all  the  time  that  the  plan  is  all  right.  But  we  can  no  longer 
conceal  the  fact  that  it  contains  one  feature  which,  we  were 
satisfied  from  the  very  first,  would  prove  fatal  to  the  whole 
system.    Section  7,  of  Article  II.,  reads  as  follows: 

"  Each  Church,  over  and  above  the  sums  it  may  contribute  for 
missionary  work  under  its  immediate  control,  shall  give  a 
pledge  to  pay  annually,  to  its  district  treasurer,  a  definite  sum 
for  other  missionary  work ;  and  one-half  of  such  contributions 
may  be  under  the  control  of  the  district  boards  for  missionary 
work  in  the  districts,  the  other  half  to  be  sent  to  the  state 
board,  to  be  divided  efjually  between  it  and  the  general  board 
for  their  respective  works ;  but  this  recommendation  is  not  to 
be  considered  as  precluding  a  different  distribution  of  funds 
when  the  Church  contributing  shall  so  decide." 

r 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  section  virtually  leaves  the  distribu- 
tion of  all  the  money  raised  in  the  hands  of  those  who  con- 
tribute it;  and  the  result  so  far  has  been  that  very  little  goes 
to  the  State  Boards.  Hence,  these  Boards  are  powerless  to 
meet  the  pressing  calls  for  help  which  come  up  from  all  quar- 
ters. And,  to  make  matters  still  worse,  the  State  Boards  can 
send  but  little  or  nothing  to  the  general  board ;  and,  as  this  is 


572   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


dependent  entirely  upon  an  equal  division  of  funds  with  the 
state  boards,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  general  board  will  not 
be  blessed  with  a  superabundance  of  means.  All  this  difficulty 
came  from  trying  to  satisfy  some  extreme  congregational 
tendencies.  Several  members  of  the  committee,  that  framed 
the  section,  were  strongly  opposed  to  it  as  it  now  stands;  but 
their  judgment  was  overruled,  while  ex^jerience  has  shown 
that  the  objections  which  they  then  urged  were  well  grounded. 

A  little  reflection  ought  to  convince  the  most  ardent  advo- 
cate of  extreme  Congregationalism  that  we  cannot  make  a 
distributing  agent  of  a  general  fund  out  of  every  one  who  con- 
tributes to  it.  This  at  once  defeats  the  objects  of  such  a  fund. 
The  whole  philosophy  of  co-operation  is  in  gathering  the  small 
contributions,  and  putting  them  together,  until  the  aggregate 
amount  is  sufficient  to  accomplish  a  work  that  could  not  be 
done  by  a  single  contribution.  Hence,  the  very  moment  the 
respective  churches,  or  even  the  districts,  retain  at  home  all 
the  money  raised  for  missionary  purposes,  that  moment  does 
co-operation  cease  to  be  possible.  Hence,  anything  like  a 
general  system,  with  this  feature  in  it,  is  simply  out  of  the 
question. 

This  very  difficulty  has  been  in  the  way  of  the  Disciples  ever 
since  they  began  to  talk  about  co-operation.  It  is  generally 
the  straw  that  breaks  the  camel's  back,  because  it  is  precisely 
the  turning  point  between  extreme  Congregationalism  and 
such  an  organisation  of  churches  as  will  enable  them  to  work 
effectively  together.  Fear  of  ecclesiasticism  has  too  long  been 
the  flaming  sword  to  guard  against  a  re-entrance  of  God's 
people  into  the  Eden  which  they  lost  through  the  apostasy  of 
the  Church.  Ecclesiastical  despotism  is  certainly  a  thing  to 
be  dreaded;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  this  is  any  worse  than 
violent  independency  that  makes  progress  an  epithet  and 
efficiency  a  crime. 

Having  now  looked  at  some  of  the  causes  that  have  operated 
against  the  success  of  the  general  plan  of  co-operation,  we 
come  to  ask  the  question.  What  must  be  done?  We  feel  sure 
that  no  more  important  question  than  this  has  ever  been  pro- 
pounded for  the  consideration  of  that  body  of  religious  people 
known  as  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  They  have  had,  in  many 
respects,  a  worthy  history.  Their  past  is  full  of  glorious  deeds, 
and  the  memory  of  a  host  of  noble  heroes,  who  once  stood  in 
the  foremost  of  the  battle,  but  have  now  gone  to  their  reward, 
come  up  to  cheer  us  as  we  contemplate  the  present  and  the 
future.  But  what  has  been  is  of  little  value,  unless  what  is 
shall  be  made  secure.  The  Disciples  have  now  reached  a 
crisis;  and  it  is  worse  than  madness  for  them  to  shut  their 
eyes  to  this  fact.  They  cannot  remain  long  in  the  position  that 
they  now  occupy.  They  must  either  go  forward  or  backward, 
and  the  sooner  they  decide  which  they  will  do,  the  better  it  will 
be  for  them  and  the  cause  which  they  represent.  That  they  can- 
not succeed  in  the  position  in  which  they  now  stand  is  simply 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS 


573 


certain.  It  would  be  far  better  to  give  uj)  all  attempts  at 
systematic  co-operation  than  try  to  press  a  system  that  is  wholly 
impracticable.  They  have  already  gone  too  far  to  work  on  the 
old  plan  without  going  back,  and  yet  they  have  not  gone  far 
enough  to  make  the  new  successful.  We  will  try  to  illustrate 
what  we  mean.  The  time  was  when  the  churches  made  con- 
siderable progress  without  the  aid  of  regular  preaching.  Now, 
the  churches  that  depend  on  the  old  plan  are  rapidly  dying 
out.  The  reason  of  this  is  obvious  to  any  reflecting  mind. 
The  two  plans  are  largely  antagonistic,  because  they  introduce 
unfavourable  contrasts;  and  it  is,  therefore,  better  to  adopt 
either  one  or  the  other.  While  we  do  not  believe  in  the  old 
system,  a  contingency  might  arise  in  which  it  would  be  better 
to  go  back  to  this,  than  to  have  only  about  half  the  churches 
adopt  the  new.  We  know  that  it  may  be  said  that  this  half, 
working  on  the  new  plan,  would  do  more  than  all  together  would 
on  the  old.  This  may  be  true,  and  we  are  inclined  to  think 
it  is  true;  but  it  is  because  this  new  plan  has  in  it  the  un- 
mistakable elements  of  success.  But  suppose  it  was  no  more 
successful  than  the  other,  then  would  it  not  be  better  to  go 
back?  Now  this  is  just  what  we  mean  by  going  back  to  the 
old  plan  of  missionary  work.  If  the  new  plan  was  unmistak- 
ably a  success,  then  we  would  say,  Hold  on  to  it ;  but  as  it  is, 
unless  something  can  be  done,  we  prefer  to  go  back  where  every 
church  worked  in  its  own  way,  as  best  it  could.  We  do  not 
say  that  going  backward  is  a  thing  to  be  seriously  thought  of; 
we  present  it  only  as  an  alternative.  It  is  certainly  not  desir- 
able; but  it  is  better  than  to  stand  still:  for  this  is  certain 
death. 

But  should  any  one  seriously  think  of  accepting  the  alterna- 
tive we  have  presented,  it  may  be  well  for  him  to  consider  what 
is  involved  in  it.  In  our  view,  it  means  to  give  up  the  strug- 
gle for  a  glorious  triumph  of  the  principles  announced  in  the 
beginning  of  the  movement.  Every  day  has  its  peculiar  work 
to  be  done.  Hence,  while  principles  remain  the  same,  methods 
must  ever  be  changing.  Just  now  Providence  is  opening  up 
great  opportunities  for  pushing  forward  the  plea  which  the 
Disciples  are  making.  But  this  work  cannot  be  successfully 
performed  by  the  old  methods.  The  country  has  changed,  so- 
ciety has  changed,  and  even  physical  things  have  changed; 
and,  in  view  of  all  this,  can  any  one  hope  to  succeed  with  the 
methods  of  fifty  years  ago?  Formerly  the  churches  could 
not  have  rapid  intercommunication.  They  were  largely 
isolated  from  each  other,  and  this  fact  made  it  necessary  for 
them  to  rely  chiefly  on  independent  action.  Now  things  are 
very  different ;  and  with  the  different  circumstances  comes  the 
necessity  for  a  change  in  the  plans  of  working. 

But  even  allowing  that  to  go  backward  is  desirable,  it  may 
be  seriously  asked,  Is  it  possible?  We  doubt  whether  very 
many  have  considered  this  question ;  and  yet  it  is  of  primary 
importance  in  the  present  discussion.    We  cannot  go  back 


574   HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


into  the  past  for  methods  icithout  accepting  all  that  is  there. 
There  are  certain  things  associated  with  every  epoch  of  his- 
tory, and  these  cannot  be  dissociated  without  extreme 
violence.  For  instance,  we  cannot  go  back  and  assume  the 
habits  of  the  aborigines  of  this  country  without  placing  our- 
selves in  their  position.  But  this  is  impossible;  hence  to  as- 
sume their  habits  is  impossible.  Can  the  Disciples  again 
place  themselves  in  the  position  of  the  pioneers  of  their  move- 
ment? Can  they  go  back  to  the  old  meeting-houses,  old  hymn- 
books,  uneducated  and  unpaid  ministry,  and  a  thousand  other 
things  that  were  prominent  in  their  past  history?  No  man,  in 
his  senses,  will  believe  such  a  thing ;  and  yet  all  this  must  be 
done  if  they  go  back  to  their  old  methods  of  working.  Change 
in  one  place  involves  change  in  another.  This  is  the  law  of 
progress,  and  it  cannot  be  violated  without  dangerous  con- 
sequences. 

The  only  thing  left,  then,  for  the  Disciples  to  do  is  to  go 
forward.  And  this  is  precisely  what  they  ought  to  do.  They 
have  already  progressed  beyond  the  possibility  of  working  on 
the  plans  of  the  past,  and  yet  they  have  too  much  of  the  past 
in  the  present  to  make  their  work  effective.  What  is  needed 
now  is  to  cut  entirely  loose  from  obsolete  things,  and  adopt 
such  measures  as  will  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  present  hour. 

But  it  may  be  asked.  What  shall  these  measures  be?  This 
brings  us  to  the  vital  point ;  and  just  here  several  answers  are 
suggested : 

1.  Throw  aside  all  the  plans  that  have  been  tried,  and  at 
once  form  such  an  organisation  of  the  churches  and  ministry  as 
will  be  strong  enough  to  do  whatever  is  needful  to  be  done. 
This  is  suggested  by  the  many  resolutions  of  the  past  that  have 
been  g)eat  on  paper,  but  could  never  be  executed.  Men  get 
tired  of  being  responsible  for  a  work  when  they  have  no  au- 
thority by  which  they  can  possibly  make  it  a  success. 

2.  It  might  help  matters  very  much  if  such  an  organisation 
of  the  preachers  only  was  effected  as  would  bring  them  fre- 
quently together  in  counsel,  and  solemnly  pledge  them  to  the 
support  of  whatever  measures  are  needful  for  the  success  of 
missionary  work.  This  would  overcome  one  of  the  difficulties 
that  has  been  prominent  in  the  way  of  the  present  plan.  We 
think  that  such  an  organisation  of  the  preachers  would  be 
beneficial  in  many  ways,  but  it  would  not  sufficiently  meet  the 
case  before  us. 

3.  We  will  now  briefly  present  what  we  believe  to  be  the  true 
idea.  We  do  not  propose  any  different  plan  from  the  one  on 
trial.  We  believe  that  this  is  all  that  is  needed,  at  least  for 
the  present.  This,  we  think,  would  succeed,  with  the  following 
modifications  and  suggestions. 

First.  Let  Section  7,  of  Article  II.,  be  changed  so  as  to  re- 
quire that  all  money  raised  for  missionary  purposes  shall  be 
sent  to  the  respective  State  Boards,  instead  of  allowing  it  to 
be  disbursed  according  to  the  notion  of  the  contributor.  This 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS  575 


will  enable  the  boards  to  establish  missions  in  the  most  im- 
portant places,  and  at  the  same  time  leave  them  something  to 
send  to  the  general  board.  The  general  board  can  then  have 
the  means  to  establish  foreign  missions — a  work  that  ought  to 
be  at  once  energetically  begun,  if  the  Disciples  would  lay  any 
claim  to  being  a  missionary  people. 

The  change  proposed  would  remedy  the  weak  point  in  the 
plan  which  we  have  already  noticed.  It  would  entirely  do 
away  with  the  idea  that  every  contributor  can  be  his  own 
missionary  society;  and  it  would,  at  the  same  time,  greatly 
strengthen  the  hands  of  those  who  have  been  appointed  to 
superintend  the  work.  Every  contribution  would  be  subject 
to  the  unembarrassed  direction  of  the  respective  boards.  This 
is  precisely  what  should  be,  and  would  scarcely  fail  to  give 
greater  efficiency  to  the  plan. 

To  assist  in  solving  this  difficulty,  it  might  be  well  to  do 
away  with  the  district  boards  entirely.  Many  reasons  could 
be  given  why  this  is  desirable ;  but  we  cannot  state  them  now. 
It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  state  boards  ought  to  have  direct 
connection  with  the  churches.  But  whether  the  districts 
should  be  abolished  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  the  money  should 
be  disbursed  by  the  state  boards.  We  understand  well  enough 
how  this  proposition  will  be  received  in  certain  quarters.  We 
know  that  some  brethren  will  regard  it  as  a  fearful  sin  against 
the  freedom  of  the  churches  to  deny  them  the  privilege  of 
saying  where  their  money  shall  be  used.  But  to  listen  to 
these  men  any  longer  is  to  compromise  success  with  the  un- 
reasonable demands  of  those  who  have  already  too  long  illus- 
trated the  fable  of  the  "  dog  in  the  manger,"  by  not  eating 
themselves,  nor  letting  any  one  else  eat. 

Second.  Let  the  plan,  as  thus  modified,  be  formally  presented 
to  all  the  churches  for  their  adoption,  with  the  distinct  under- 
standing that  such  adoption  fully  commits  the  churches  to  its 
hearty  support,  and  binds  them  to  a  faithful  observance  of  all 
its  provisions.  Let  it  be  understood,  also,  that  every  church 
coming  into  the  co-operation  shall  be  held  responsible  to  do 
its  full  share  in  bearing  the  burdens,  whatever  they  may  be, 
and  let  only  such  churches  as  will  do  this  have  representation 
in  the  conventions. 

This  is  the  only  way  in  which  the  churches  can  be  com- 
mitted to  the  work.  Heretofore  they  have  not  felt  much 
responsibility  in  the  matter.  They  have  sent  delegates  or  not, 
money  or  not,  to  the  conventions,  just  as  they  felt  inclined. 
Having  assumed  no  responsibility,  they  have  generally  acted 
with  great  indifference.  It  is  useless  to  say  that  tlie  plan  was 
adopted  by  the  respective  state  conventions,  and  therefore  the 
churches  are  committed  to  it,  when  perhaps  not  more  than 
one-third  of  the  churches  were  represented  in  these  conven- 
tions ;  and  even  those  that  were  represented  did  not  feel  bound 
by  the  action  of  their  delegates.  What  is  needed  is  to  bring 
the  matter  before  each  church,  and  have  it  decided  by  a  vote 


576   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


as  to  whether  the  church  will  co-operate  or  not.  An  aflBrm- 
ative  action  will  place  the  church  in  the  co-operation,  entitle  it 
to  representation,  and  commit  it  to  the  action  of  the  con- 
ventions. Churches  voting  in  the  negative  must  remain  out, 
and  work  as  best  they  can  in  their  own  way,  until  they  shall 
reverse  their  decision.  This,  we  think,  is  fair  to  all.  It  gives 
every  one  the  right  of  choice,  but  thoroughly  binds  those  to 
the  provisions  of  the  plan  who  formally  agree  to  work  under  it. 
In  this  way  unity  and  strength  are  secured ;  the  churches  are 
reached  without  any  difficulty,  while  the  various  boards  and 
officers  will  have  power  to  carry  out  the  resolutions  of  the 
conventions. 

Third,  and  finally.  So  soon  as  these  changes  are  made,  let 
discussions  about  plans  cease,  and  let  earnest  work  begin.  The 
Disciples  have  spent  twenty-five  years  in  considering  the  plan 
of  general  co-operation.  This  consideration  was  doubtless 
necessary;  but  it  has,  in  some  respects,  greatly  retarded  their 
work.  The  time  has  come  when  they  ought  to  have  something 
settled  with  regard  to  this  matter,  and  if  they  cannot  settle 
anything,  they  had  better  stop  the  discussion  at  once,  and  give 
up  the  whole  case  as  hopeless.  Organisation  is  certainlj^  the 
normal  state  of  the  Church,  but  active  work  is  essential  to  its 
life.  Almost  anything  is  better  than  the  present  uncertainty. 
What  is  needed  is  a  little  brave  doing.  There  has  been  brave 
talk  long  enough.  If  the  days  of  babyhood  are  passed,  let  the 
Disciples  put  away  their  playthings,  and  assume  the  responsi- 
bilities of  a  true  manhood.  We  think  the  time  for  decisive 
action  has  come.  No  matter  what  the  result  may  be,  some- 
thing must  be  done.  True,  there  may  be  danger  ahead.  There 
is  danger  in  everything.  But  the  worst  danger  is  now  to  hesi- 
tate. To  go  backward  is  impossible;  to  stand  still  is  eternal 
disgrace;  to  go  forward  has  at  least  the  promise  of  victory, 
with  all  the  inspirations  of  a  glorious  contest.  Let  every  faith- 
ful disciple  of  Christ  at  once  determine  as  to  where  the  future 
shall  find  him. 

This  extract  not  only  shows  the  weakness  of  the  plan, 
but  distinctly  adumbrates  a  new  forward  movement,  which 
would  practically  ignore  the  factious  opposition  which 
had  heretofore  stifled  every  effort  at  worthy  co-operation. 

Thomas  Munnell,  one  of  the  bravest  and  brainiest  men 
among  the  Disciples,  was  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
Society  at  this  time,  and  he  was  in  hearty  sympathy  with 
the  best  ideals  of  the  Disciple  leaders  who  were,  now  in 
front  of  the  battle.  It  has  been  represented  that  he 
was  the  author  of  the  "  Louisville  plan,"  but  this  is  not 
true.  If  there  is  any  credit  to  be  placed  to  any  one  with 
regard  to  this  plan,  he  is  only  entitled  to  share  it  with 
others,  and  if  there  is  any  blame  he  is  not  to  be  blamed 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS  577 


more  than  others.  Surely  the  chairman  of  the  Committee 
knows  how  the  plan  originated  and  who  were  its  responsi- 
ble authors.  It  was  really  the  result  of  the  concrete  wis- 
dom of  the  Committee.  In  fact,  some  features  of  the  plan 
were  not  heartily  approved  by  Mr.  Munnell,  and  this  can 
be  said  also  of  other  members  of  the  Committee.  The 
plan  was  a  compromise,  both  with  regard  to  the  members 
of  the  Committee  and  also  those  that  were  opposed  to 
missionary  societies.  It  was  a  tub  to  the  whale,  and 
as  such  it  perhaps  deserved  the  fate  which  it  finally'  re- 
ceived. Nevertheless,  as  a  historical  document,  it  deserves 
the  consideration  we  have  given  it,  but  we  must  now  put 
it  behind  us  and  step  out  upon  a  new  platform,  which 
was  already  foreshadowed  in  the  few  years'  experimenting 
with  this  somewhat  famous  plan. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  only  two  of  the  delegates 
present  at  Louisville  voted  against  the  plan.  These  were 
Dr.  L.  L.  Pinkerton  and  John  Shackleford,  both  devoted 
Christians,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  progress  of  the 
Disciple  cause,  but  they  did  not  believe  that  the  plan 
was  workable  and  so  voted  against  it. 

Dr.  Pinkerton  was  one  of  the  great  men  of  his  period. 
He  was,  however,  somewhat  eccentric  when  looked  at  from 
the  usual  point  of  view.  The  same  year  the  plan  was 
adopted,  viz.,  1869,  he  and  Shackleford  started  a  maga- 
zine, entitled  the  Independent  Monthly.  This  proved  to 
be  the  stormy  petrel  of  those  somewhat  turbulent  days. 
It  was  ably  conducted,  but  it  is  probable  its  influence 
would  have  been  greater  had  it  been  less  prolific  in  its 
use  of  personalities.  In  one  of  its  numbers  this  very 
course  of  the  magazine  was  strongly  defended  by  Dr. 
Pinkerton.  Nevertheless,  the  brethren  generally  began 
to  feel  that  it  was  a  sort  of  Ishmaelite  magazine,  and 
consequently  its  influence  was  largely  circumscribed.  It 
is  safe  to  say  that  what  it  stood  for  was  very  much  needed 
at  this  particular  time,  and  doubtless  it  had  a  certain 
value  as  representing  the  extreme  left  wing  of  the  Dis- 
ciples, by  holding  in  check  somewhat  the  extreme  right 
wing.  As  a  sample  of  its  advocacy,  the  following  in- 
cident will  serve  to  illustrate.  The  Apostolic  Times,  with 
its  five  editors,  apparently  labouring  under  the  impression 
that  the  whole  Restoration  movement  depended  upon  its 
direction,  very  gravely  announced  that  "  it  had  its  eye  on 


578   HIiSTOHY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  imsouud  men,"  and  consequently  in  due  time  they 
would  be  brought  to  judgment.  The  Independent  Monthhj 
took  this  matter  up  and  gave  the  Times  such  a  hauling 
over  as  evidently  turned  its  eye  in  some  other  direction. 

Dr.  Pinkerton  was  a  great  preacher.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  he  had  an  equal  among  the  preachers  of  that  day, 
and  it  is  very  certain  he  had  no  superior.  He  was  equally 
gifted  as  a  writer.  He  had  also  a  very  correct  view  of 
the  Christian  religion.  It  was  perhaps  his  anti-legalism 
which  made  him  the  inveterate  enemy  of  every  movement 
among  the  Disciples  that  seemed  to  limit  individual  lib- 
erty. During  the  war  he  took  actively  the  side  of  the 
union,  and  as  he  lived  in  Kentucky,  he  lost  favour,  to 
some  extent,  with  many  of  his  brethren  who  sympathised 
with  the  South.  At  the  same  time,  no  one  admired  his 
talent  and  his  fine  Christian  character  more  than  the  men 
who  were  opposed  to  him  on  the  issues  of  the  war.  As 
a  specimen  of  his  writing,  and  also  of  his  religious  point 
of  view,  we  give  the  following  from  a  sermon  of  his,  pub- 
lished in  the  "  Living  Pulpit  of  the  Christian  Church  " : 

A  knowledge  of  religion,  as  a  science,  is  not  more  necessary 
to  salvation  than  is  a  knowledge  of  geology,  mineralogy, 
botany,  physiology,  and  chemistry  to  farming  and  gardening. 
As  men  manage,  by  a  knowledge  of  simple  facts,  to  cause  the 
earth  to  yield  her  increase,  and  as  they  live  without  any 
knowledge  of  the  processes  of  digestion  and  assimilation,  even 
so  may  the  poor  and  the  uneducated  hear,  believe,  and  obey 
"  the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  blessed  God,"  and  rejoice  in  the 
"  great  salvation,"  without  having  heard  anything  whatever 
on  the  subject  of  Total  Hereditary  l)e]jravity.  Imputed  Right- 
eousness, Effectual  Calling,  the  mode  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit 
operates  in  conversion,  the  "  doctrine  "  of  the  Trinity,  or  its 
opposite,  or,  indeed,  of  any  other  of  the  vexed  questions  that 
have  originated  and  that  perpetuate  religious  parties.  Do  we 
mistake  utterly?  If  not,  then  is.it  true  that  an  overwhelming 
majority  of  all  who  are  brought  to  God  by  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel,  even  in  the  most  enlightened  communities,  know 
only  that  they  are  sinners ;  that  they  ought,  to  be  holy  in  heart 
and  life;  that  they  are  helpless;  that  they  are  di-squieted,  and 
fearful,  and  miserable. 

They  believed  that  God  has  pitied  and  loved  them;  that 
Jesus  died  for  their  sins  ;  that  God  will  forgive  them  for  Christ's 
sake;  that  he  will  comfort  and  sustain  them  through  life;  and 
that  he  will  take  them  to  a  glorious  home  in  heaven  finally,  if 
they  live  and  die  in  Jesus.  And  these,  we  may  add,  remain 
the  chief  articles  of  their  creed  through  life ;  these  and  similar 


NEW  PAPERS  AND  NEW  PLANS 


579 


simple  truths,  apprehended  with  a  clearness  and  force,  varied 
by  difference  in  temperament  and  culture. 

To  pursue  the  train  of  thought  we  are  in  yet  a  little  further. 
Let  any  one  competent  to  do  so  set  himself  to  ascertain  the 
amount  and  kind  of  "  doctrinal  "  knowledge  possessed  by  any 
congregation  of  Christians  of  average  general  intelligence  and 
of  average  piety.  Beginning  with  the  creation,  let  him  pass 
leisurely  over  the  four  thousand  years  of  Old  Testament  history 
and  prophecy.  He  will  see  what  the  merchants,  farmers, 
mechanics,  their  wives  and  children,  the  clerks,  shop  boys,  and 
the  women  of  the  various  handicrafts  know  about  "  Cosmog- 
ony," the  Science  of  the  Deluge;  what  ideas  are  entertained 
of  the  wonderful  and  astounding  providences  of  God,  as  dis- 
played in  his  dealings  with  the  Patriarchs,  with  the  Egyptians, 
with  Israel  during  their  journey  to  Canaan,  with  the  same 
people  under  their  judges  and  their  kings,  and  with  the  idola- 
trous nations  with  which  the  people  of  Israel  came  into  conflict. 
The  examiner  will,  doubtless,  find  faith  enough  in  all  that  is 
written,  so  far  as  the  record  has  been  read  and  remembered ; 
but  he  will  find,  also,  that  to  the  vast  majority,  the  things 
revealed  have  but  a  shadowy,  misty  existence,  and  that,  except 
in  rare  instances,  generalisation  has  not  been  even  so  much  as 
thought  of;  in  no  instance  quite  satisfactorily  accomplished. 
Let  the  same  course  be  pursued  with  New  Testament  revela- 
tions, the  object  being  to  determine  with  exactness  the  views  " 
entertained  by  the  masses  on  the  subjects  of  debate  among 
Protestant  Christians.  He  will  find  beautiful,  all-conquering 
faith,  triumphant  hope,  and  love  and  joy  that  pass  under- 
standing, but  very  little  "  Theology  " — none,  in  fact.  Decided 
partisans  will  have  at  hand  a  few  proof  texts,"  which  they 
will  quote  at  random,  and  often  incorrectly ;  a  few  will  remem- 
ber definitions  and  doctrines  which  they  learned  from  cate- 
chisms in  childhood,  and  of  which  they  understood  as  much  at 
ten  years  of  age  as  they  now  understand  at  thirty.  Ah,  well, 
sinners  are  saved  by  grace,  through  faith,  and  this  faith  has 
for  its  objects  persons  and  facts,  not  "  doctrines,"  not  dogmas, 
not  scientific  formulas. 

The  knowledge  absolutely  essential  to  salvation  takes  its 
range  far  within  the  limits  of  the  whole  revelation  of  God,  and 
yet  we  believe  he  has  not  spoken  one  word  in  vain.  So  we  be- 
lieve he  has  not  made  anything  in  vain,  although  the  wisest 
naturalist  fails  to  apprehend  the  uses  of  thousands  of  objects 
that  offer  themselves  to  his  contemplation.* 

*  "  Living  Pulpit  of  the  Christian  Church,"  pp.  107-109. 


CHAPTER  XXII 


MANY  TESTS,  SOME  FAILURES,  AND  SOME  VICTORIES 

HE  failure  of  the  Louisville  plan  to  bring  funds  to 


the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society  seemed 


to  give  special  license  to  the  anti- Society  men  to 
renew  their  opposition.  The  course  adopted  by  these  men 
is  almost  incredible  when  looked  at  from  the  point  of  view 
of  the  present  day.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
whole  movement  of  the  Disciples  had  to  hew  its  way 
through  a  forest  of  difficulties.  Most  of  the  ground  along 
its  historic  course  was  a  wilderness,  and  it  is  unfair  to 
the  men  who  opposed  Societies  to  charge  them  with  want 
of  devotion  to  the  main  principles  advocated  by  the  Dis- 
ciples. They  were  as  loyal  to  these  principles  as  the 
most  ardent  advocates  of  co-operation  of  the  Societies. 
The  difference  was  simply  a  difference  in  methods;  and 
the  accentuation  of  this  difficulty  was  chiefly  where  the 
cleavage  began.  The  anti-Society  men  made  too  much 
of  methods ;  they  exalted  them  into  principles,  and  thereby 
practically  antagonised  one  of  the  cardinal  principles  of 
the  Disciple  movement.  Nevertheless,  these  men  were 
thoroughly  conscientious,  and  it  yet  remains  to  be  demon- 
strated that  their  influence  upon  the  whole  was  not  salu- 
tary. There  is  always  danger  in  progress.  Of  course, 
there  is  more  danger  in  anti-progress;  indeed,  there  is 
danger  in  everything  that  has  life.  There  is  not  much 
danger  in  a  graveyard  except  for  scary  people,  who  may 
imagine  that  they  see  ghosts  in  such  a  place. 

These  were  the  days  when  great,  earnest  souls  were 
feeling  their  way  to  the  true  position  with  respect  to 
taking  the  world  for  Christ.  Every  man  of  the  men  be- 
longing to  this  period  was  conscientiously  working  for 
the  solution  of  the  problem  of  co-operation.  All  felt  that 
something  was  needed  to  bring  the  brethren  together  in 
a  great  co-operative  movement  for  the  salvation  of  the 
world.  It  was  also  a  question  of  how  that  should  be 
done. 


680 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  581 


Just  here  a  new  man  came  to  the  front.  Robert  Milli- 
gan  was  now  President  of  Kentucky  University  at  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.  He  was  a  man  of  unexceptional  character;  in- 
deed, one  of  the  best  men  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived. 
He  was  quiet  and  unobtrusive,  scholarly  and  gracious. 
He  was  a  man  of  peace;  a  soul  big  enough  to  come  into 
sympathetic  touch  with  the  whole  human  race,  and  he 
had  not  a  particle  of  captious  criticism  in  his  nature. 

In  the  Harbinger  for  18G7  he  offered  an  eirenicon  on  the 
subject  of  Missionary  Societies.  The  following  were  its 
main  points: 

I.  Jesus  Christ  is  God's  supreme  evangelical  missionary  to 
our  entire  race.  The  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour 
of  the  world."    I.  John  iv :  14. 

n.  Every  Disciple  or  follower  of  Christ  is,  therefore,  by  his 
profession  a  missionary  of  the  Cross.  "  Let  him  that  heareth 
say  come."    Rev.  xxii :  17. 

III.  Every  Disciple  is,  therefore,  to  the  full  extent  of  his 
ability  and  opportunities,  responsible  for  the  conversion  and 
salvation  of  the  world.  Gal.  vi :  10.  To  convert  and  save  men 
from  their  sins  is  certainly  to  bestow  on  them  the  chief  good. 
Matt,  xvi :  26. 

IV.  A  Church,  or  congregation,  is  but  an  association  of 
Christians  united  together,  for  the  purpose  of  doing  what  they 
could  not  so  well  do  by  each  one's  acting  in  his  own  separate 
and  individual  capacity.  Rom.  xii :  4,  8,  and  I.  Cor.  xii :  4,  27. 
And  hence  every  congregation  of  disciples  is  a  missionary 
society,  divinely  ordained  and  organised  for  the  salvation  of 
the  world.  And  to  her,  therefore,  it  belongs  to  send  out  mis- 
sionaries, whenever  she  has  the  means  and  the  opportunity  to 
do  so.    Acts  xiii :  1,  3. 

V.  There  is  no  Scriptural  limit  to  the  extent  of  this  co- 
operation for  the  salvation  of  the  world.  Whether  the  organi- 
sation shall  consist  of  all  the  disciples  within  the  limits  of  a 
village,  or  a  city,  or  a  county,  or  a  state,  or  a  nation,  or  a 
continent,  or  the  world,  is  a  matter  of  mere  expediency.  For 
be  it  remembered,  that  after  we  shall  have  made  all  the  di- 
visions and  sub-divisions  that  may  be  thought  necessary,  there 
is,  nevertheless,  still  but  one  body,  Eph.  iv:4,  and  that  it  has 
been  divinely  constituted  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth. 
I.  Tim.  iii:  15. 

VI.  And  hence  it  follows  that  the  whole  Church  is  a  mis- 
sionary society,  composed  of  an  indefinite  number  of  congre- 
gations, united  together  for  the  purpose  of  doing  what  they 
could  not  so  well  do  by  acting  separately  and  independently. 
Eph.  iv:  11,  16,  and  Isa.  Ixii,  etc. 

VII.  Whether  the  whole  Church  should  ever  actually  meei 
together,  and  co-operate  together,  either  personally,  or  through 


582    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


her  representatives,  is,  therefore,  a  question  of  expediency,  that 
must  in  every  case  be  determined  by  the  nature  and  force  of  cir- 
cumstances. The  right  to  do  so  and,  I  may  add,  the  obligation 
to  do  so,  whenever  either  her  own  interests  or  the  interests  of 
the  world  require  it,  is  clearly  implied  in  the  aforesaid  unity. 

VIII.  But  it  is  not  in  harmony  with  either  reason  or  revela- 
tion to  complicate  any  scheme  of  organisation  and  co-operation 
beyond  what  is  necessary.  It  is  not  wise  to  form  a  society 
for  the  purpose  of  doing  what  might  as  well  be  done  by  in- 
dividuals, in  their  own  proper  and  separate  capacity.  Nor  is 
it  wise  to  form  an  association  of  churches  for  the  purpose  of 
doing  what  they  could  as  well  do  separately.  So  teaches  all 
human  experience,  as  well  as  the  Living  Oracles. 

IX.  And  hence  it  follows  that  church  discipline  and  other 
purely  local  matters  should,  in  all  cases,  be  left  to  the  wisdom 
and  discretion  of  each  congregation ;  and  that  other  matters  of 
general  interest  may  be  referred  to  State  or  National  Asso- 
ciations. 

X.  As  the  representative  system  is  the  only  one  that  is 
practicable  in  such  cases,  every  such  association,  whether  it  be 
State  or  National,  should  be  composed  of  delegates  chosen  by 
the  churches,  on  account  of  their  superior  wisdom,  piety,  and 
zeal  for  the  missionary  cause.  The  number  of  delegates  sent 
might  be  made  to  depend  on  the  number  of  persons  repre- 
.sented ;  and  their  expenses  should,  in  all  cases,  be  defrayed  by 
their  respective  churches. 

XI.  In  such  an  association  no  principle  or  line  of  policy 
should  be  adopted  that  is  inconsistent  with  the  Scriptural 
rights  and  privileges  of  the  churches.  The  delegates  who  com- 
pose it  are  but  the  reprcscutativcs  of  their  respective  congrega- 
tions; and  they  have,  therefore,  no  right  to  legislate  on  mat- 
ters of  faith,  or  piety,  or  morality,  or  anything  else  on  which 
their  congregations  might  not  legitimately  legislate.  Their 
deliberations  and  proceedings  should  all  be  confined  to  such 
practical  matters  as  serve  to  promote  the  edification  of  the 
Church  and  the  salvation  of  the  world.  And  hence  it  follows, 
that  the  discussion  of  purely  secular  questions,  and  all 
attempts  to  raise  money  by  selling  life  memberships  and  life 
directorships,  are  wholly  out  of  place,  and  utterly  unwarranted 
in  every  Scripturally  organised  missionary  society. 

XII.  The  advantages  of  such  associations,  properly  organised 
and  properly  conducted,  would  be  very  great;  c.ff.: 

1.  They  would  serve  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of  unity,  and  har- 
mony, and  love,  and  co-operation  among  all  the  churches. 
This  is  proved  and  sufficiently  illustrated  by  the  good  effects  of 
the  three  Jewish  Festivals. 

2.  They  would  create  a  missionary  zeal  in  our  churches 
hitherto  unknown ;  and  would,  therefore,  very  greatly  serve  to 
promote  the  missionary  cause. 

3.  They  would  serve  to  promote  order  in  the  several  congrega- 
tions represented ;  and  also,  to  some  extent,  in  the  whole  body. 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  583 


XIII.  I  will  only  add,  that  the  state  societies  might  be  com- 
posed of  delegates  chosen  by  the  churches;  and  the  national 
society  of  delegates  chosen  and  appointed  by  the  several  state 
societies,  if  the  brethren  prefer  it.  There  is  certainly  nothing 
in  the  Scriptures  that  is  opposed  to  such  an  organisation; 
provided  that  it  can  be  made  to  work  harmoniously.  But  all 
organisations  without  the  spii-it  of  Christ  are  worse  than  use- 
less. "  Let  all  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order."  I.  Cor. 
xiv :  40.* 

To  this  very  just  and  reasonable  presentation  of  the 
ease  Mr.  Franklin  replied  in  very  much  the  same  spirit, 
though  evidently  feeling  considerable  difficulty  as  to  what 
should  be  done.    He  says : 

I.  The  Lord  requires  us  to  spread  the  gospel  to  the  extent  of 
our  ability. 

II.  To  do  this  work  successfully,  there  should  be  united, 
systematic  and  harmonious  co-operation  of  individuals  and 
churches. 

III.  This  work  has  notliing  to  do  with  churches  set  in  order, 
by  way  of  arranging  and  furnishing  preaching  for  them,  but 
is  intended  exclusively  for  the  assistance  of  weak  churches, 
needing  assistance  from  abroad,  members  residing  remote  from 
churches,  and  districts  of  country  where  there  are  no  churches 
or  brethren. 

IV.  The  law  of  God,  as  found  in  the  Bible,  is  complete, 
thoroughly  furnishing  the  man  of  God  for  all  good  works; 
still,  in  carrying  out  the  law  and  executing  the  Divine  will, 
in  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel,  there  is  an  important 
province  for  man's  judgment,  wisdom,  and  discretion,  as  well 
as  for  his  labour,  involving  great  responsibility,  and  without 
the  exercise  of  this  judgment,  wisdom  and  discretion  the  work 
cannot  go  on  at  all.  Men  must  be  selected  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  means  must  be  raised  and  sent  to  them,  for  their  sup- 
port; fields  must  be  selected  in  which  for  the  evangelists  to 
labour,  the  time  must  be  set  for  commencing,  etc.,  etc.,  all  of 
which  matters,  and  many  more  similar,  are  left  to  the  judg- 
ment, wisdom,  and  discretion,  of  the  people  of  God. 

V.  The  divine  authority  for  doing  the  work  is  vested  in  the 
Church,  and  she  is  responsible  to  the  great  head  of  the  body 
for  the  faithful  performance  of  the  work. 

VI.  The  book  of  God  knows  nothing  of  any  confederation 
of  churches  in  an  ecclesiastical  system,  culminating  in  an 
earthly  head,  for  governmental  or  any  other  purpose. 

We  have  all  the  time  since  our  first  efforts  in  the  work  of 
the  Lord  felt  some  scruples  about  Missionary  Societies,  formed 
after  sectarian  models,  but  for  years  tried  to  be  satisfied  that, 


*  Harbinger,  1867,  pp.  10-13. 


584    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


if  they  were  confined  exclusively  to  missionary  work,  they 
might  be  employed  without  objection.  But,  after  writing  more 
to  reconcile  the  brethren  to  them,  and  give  them  efficiency  than 
any  other  man  among  us,  we  were  forced  to  the  conclusion  that 
there  was  no  possibility  of  confining  them  exclusively  to  mis- 
sionary work ;  that  they  opened  the  way  for  dangerous  and  mis- 
chievous elements  to  be  thrown  in,  spreading  contention  in 
every  direction ;  that  such  confederations  were  wrong  in  them- 
selves; that  their  constitutions  were  nothing  but  annoyances, 
opening  the  way  for  amendments,  modifications,  or  changes  of 
some  sort,  distracting  our  meetings,  and  were  not  only  useless, 
but  injurious.  Having  been  compelled  to  this  conclusion  some 
four  years  ago,  we  have  been  unable  to  make  any  defence  of 
these  Societies  deserving  the  name,  or  to  advocate  them  in  any 
effective  manner  since.  If  the  time  has  come  when  we  can 
agree  on  something,  free  from  objection,  so  that  we  can,  with- 
out scruple,  advocate  it  with  our  whole  heart,  we  shall  be  truly 
rejoiced. 

Sectarians  have  no  wisdom  for  us  and  their  schemes  are  all 
nothing  to  us.  We  go  not  to  them  for  light  or  example  in 
anything.  We  are,  therefore,  ready  to  propose  a  thorough 
change  in  our  entire  mode  of  operation  in  missionary  work, 
abolishing  all  "  our  societies,"  with  their  constitutions  and 
names,  and  trying  for  a  simpler,  more  efficient  and  effective 
method  of  doing  the  same  work.  We  hope,  too,  that  this  may 
be  brought  about  without  any  cessation  of  work  in  any  district, 
state,  or  nation.  We  may  not  be  able  to  suggest  the  best 
method  of  bringing  it  about,  nor  is  it  material  whether  it  shall 
be  accomplished  in  all  cases  in  the  same  way.  We  suggest  the 
following : 

I.  We  need  an  evangelistic  committee  and  a  financal  agent, 
who  shall  do  the  work  now  done  hy  the  board  and  correspond- 
ing secretary  of  the  General  Missionary  Society  located  at  a 
central  place  in  the  nation. 

II.  We  need  an  evangelistic  committee  and  financial  agent, 
who  shall  do  the  same  work  now  done  by  the  board  and  cor- 
responding secretary  of  each  State  Missionary  Society. 

III.  We  need  a  similar  evangelistic  committee  in  all  the  dis- 
tricts where  we  now  have  district  societies. 

IV.  Churches  and  individuals  could  make  their  contribu- 
tions to  the  district  committee,  designating  what  portion  of 
their  funds  shall  go  to  the  district,  what  portion  to  the  state, 
and  what  portion  to  the  National  Committee. 

V.  We  might,  instead  of  our  present  business  meetings,  have 
one  rousing  National,  one  State,  and  one  District  Annual  Meet- 
ing, at  some  suitable  place  in  the  nation,  in  each  state,  and  in 
each  district,  for  speeches,  exhortations,  and  forming  acquaint- 
ances. These  meetings  might  be  changed  from  place  to  place 
for  the  good  of  the  different  sections.  How  is  this  to  be 
brought  about?   We  suggest  as  follows: 

1.  That  each  Society  push  on  its  work  till  its  next  annual 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  585 


meeting  when  it  can  appoint  its  evangelistic  committee  and 
financial  agent  to  serve  for  the  term  of  one  year  and  then 
abolish  the  constitution  and  society. 

2.  At  the  expiration  of  one  year,  each  church  send  one  mes- 
senger to  the  place  where  the  evangelistic  committee  for  the 
District  meets  to  make  the  necessary  changes  in  the  committee 
and  agent  to  serve  for  the  term  of  one  year,  and  let  the  churches 
thus  continue  annually  to  send  messengers  for  the  purpose  of 
making  whatever  changes  may  be  necessary  in  the  committee 
and  agent. 

3.  Each  district  committee  in  a  state  send  one  messenger  to 
the  place  where  the  state  committee  meets  to  make  whatever 
changes  may  be  demanded  and  establish  a  committee  and 
agency  for  another  year,  and  thus  continue  to  reappoint  a  com- 
mittee and  agency  annually. 

4.  Each  state  committee  send  one  messenger  to  the  place 
where  the  national  committee  meets,  to  make  the  necessary 
changes  in  the  committee  and  agency  for  the  next  year,  and 
thus  continue  to  send  messengers  from  the  state  committees  to 
reappoint  a  national  committee  and  agent  annually.* 

President  Pendleton  remarks,  as  follows: 

We  lay  the  two  preceding  articles  before  our  readers  with 
great  pleasure.  They  are  thrown  out  as  peace  offerings  by  two 
of  our  brethren,  who  are  both  friendly  to  missionary  work. 
Brother  Milligan  is  an  active  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and 
more  than  this,  an  earnest  and  able  educator  of  ministers; 
while  Brother  Franklin  is  one  of  the  most  industrious  and  suc- 
cessful missionaries  among  us.  They  are  both  prompted  to 
write  by  a  desire,  not  to  hinder,  but  to  promote  missionary 
work.  They  have  both  been  long  and  anxiously  exercised  on  the 
subject  on  which  they  write,  and  when  wise  men  and  of  large 
experience  write  on  subjects  that  deeply  concern  them,  and 
which  they  have  long  studied,  we  always  read  their  utterances, 
with  the  profoundest  respect.  In  this  spirit  we  have  read  and 
re-read  these  communications,  and  in  this  spirit  we  propose 
to  speak  of  them. 

It  is  evident  that  both  of  these  articles  have  the  same  aim, 
and  that  is,  to  propose  something  that  will  be  free  from  ob- 
jection; but  it  appears  but  too  evident  that  both  of  these 
earnest  brethren  have  fallen  into  the  mistake  of  supposing, 
that  the  disposition  to  object  exhausts  itself  on  "  Societies, 
life-memberships  and  life-directorships,"  for  these  are  the  ob- 
jections which  their  plans  are  projected  to  avoid.  We  think 
there  is  a  fatal  assumption  here.  The  objections  made  against 
our  present  mode  of  operation,  it  is  true,  are  directed  specific- 
ally against  these  features,  but  the  principle  of  the  objections 
is  much  wider,  and  covers  everything  for  which  there  is  not  a 


•  Harbinger,  1867,  pp.  13-16. 


586   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


"  Thus  saitli  the  Lord,"  either  in  precept  or  in  precedent. 
Hence,  even  should  Brother  Milligan  present  a  plan  which 
would  preclude  the  "  discussion  of  purely  secular  questions, 
and  all  attempts  to  raise  money  by  selling  life-memberships 
and  life-directorships,  as  wholly  out  of  place,"  yet  while  he 
confesses  that  "  the  Bible  does  not  contain  a  fully  developed 
scheme  for  missionary  operations,"  he  will  be  met  by  new 
objections  to  new  features,  that  have  taken  the  place  of  the  old, 
but  which  are  yet  not  in  the  Bible — and  therefore,  without 
the  required  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord." 

So  with  Bro.  Franklin's  scheme.  Of  course  he  does  not  set 
it  forth  as  in  the  language  of  Scripture.  "  Executive  Com- 
mittees "  and  '*  financial  agents  "  are  functionaries  utterly  un- 
known by  these  names  in  the  Scriptures.  Whilst  his  scheme, 
therefore,  as  the  suggested  improvement  of  a  wise  and  good 
man,  is  worthy  of  our  highest  respect,  it  can  be  worth  nothing 
as  a  silencer  of  objections,  which  proceed  from  a  principle 
that  is  violated  by  every  feature  of  it.  For  District,  State, 
and  National  Committees,  and  financial  agents,  there  can  be 
found  no  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  " — and  therefore,  says  the  ob- 
jector, "  Away  with  them." 

We  are  for  peace  and  harmony  and  efficient  missionary  co- 
operation, and  will  gladly  accept  any  improvement  or  modifi- 
cation of  our  present  organisation  that  will  more  certainly 
and  generally  promote  these  great  ends.  We  are  not  so 
wedded  to  the  means  as  to  sacrifice  or  in  any  degree  hinder 
for  them  the  divine  ends  for  which  we  labour.  If  we  do  not 
at  once  and  readily  accept  these  proposed  changes,  it  is  because 
we  cannot  see  that  they  will  be  any  improvement.  Still  if,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  brethren  generally,  it  should  appear,  upon 
a  fuller  examination,  better  to  make  the  trial,  I  shall  not  be 
at  all  hard  to  persuade  to  go  in  with  them  and  help  to  make 
the  experiment  a  success. 

I  do  not  propose,  now,  to  present  any  analysis  of  these  plans 
— further  than  to  notice  their  radical  defect  as  silencers  of 
objectors.  Already  they  have  called  out  criticism  on  the 
ground  I  have  mentioned,  and  Brother  Lipscomb,  of  the  Gospel 
Advocate,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  which  is  the  present  champion  on 
that  side,  heads  his  critique  of  them,  "  A  Humiliating  Con- 
fession." This  is  just  as  I  anticipated.  The  advance  is  met 
with  reproach,  and,  instead  of  promoting  harmony,  is  in- 
stantly treated  as  a  further  illustration  of  the  unscriptural 
nature  of  all  such  schemes.  What  will  these  brethren  say? 
We  will  not  anticipate  them.  Meantime  let  the  friends  of 
missions  "  push  all  together,"  as  Bro.  Franklin  says,  and  work 
by  the  plan  we  have,  till  we  agree  upon  another.  Wide  fields 
are  opening  for  us.  If  any  brother  wants  to  give  a  hundred 
dollars  to  the  Society,  and  does  not  want  to  become  a  life- 
director,  there  is  no  compulsion.  Let  him  give  his  money  and 
decline  the  honour.  We  know  men  who  give  their  one  hundred 
dollars  almost  annually,  and  never  think  of  the  honour  of 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  587 


directorship.  A  man  who  is  purchasing  honours  can  get  tliem 
at  a  cheaper  rate  in  other  markets.  I  trust  we  are  aiming  at 
higher  things.  For  my  part,  could  I  hinder  the  proclamation 
of  the  Gospel  by  my  opposition  to  this  Society,  to  the  loss  of  a 
single  soul  that  might  else  have  been  saved,  I  should  expect 
and  with  trembling  await  to  give  account  for  it  in  the  day  of 
judgment.  Let  us  beware  how  we  throw  stumbling  blocks  in 
the  way  of  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.* 

We  have  given  these  liberal  extracts  in  order  to  set 
before  the  reader  the  representative  views  with  respect 
to  the  Society  question,  for  this  question  was  entering 
upon  practically  its  last  stage  of  discussion.  The  ma- 
jority of  the  Disciples  w^ere  becoming  restive  under  the 
discussion,  while  nothing,  or  next  to  nothing,  was  being 
done.  The  Society  men  regarded  the  opposition  as  alto- 
gether unreasonable,  and  in  many  cases  wholly  the  result 
of  ignorance;  and  doubtless  ignorance  was  an  important 
element  in  creating  an  anti- Society  sentiment.  As  an 
illustration  of  this  fact,  the  following  incident  is  to  the 
point:  In  Indiana  the  anti-Society  men  put  up  one 
of  their  advocates  to  make  a  speech  on  the  question.  He 
took  for  a  text  I.  Cor.  xii :  25,  where  the  Apostle,  after 
saying  that  "  God  both  tempered  the  body  together,  hav- 
ing given  more  abundant  honour  to  that  part  which 
lacked,"  continues  by  saying  "  that  there  should  be  no 
schism  in  the  body."  The  preacher  called  the  word 
"  schism  "  scheme,  and  went  on  to  say  that  here  was  a 
warning  against  "  schemes."  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  you  have 
your  missionary  scheme,  and  the  Apostle  says  there  must 
not  be  any  scheme  in  the  body,"  and  he  continued  to  re- 
peat the  word  "  scheme "  until  at  last  an  old  brother 
on  the  front  seat  put  on  his  spectacles,  opened  his  New 
Testament,  and  after  looking  at  the  word  for  some  time, 
interrupted  the  speaker  by  saying,  "  Brother,  it  is  not 
*  scheme.'  "  "  Well,"  said  the  preacher,  "  what  is  it  then?  " 
"  Why,"  said  the  good  brother,  "  its  '  skism/  " 

But  after  all,  some  of  the  strongest  men  among  the 
Disciples,  such  as  Jacob  Creath,  Benjamin  Franklin, 
David  Lipscomb,  and  many  others  that  might  be  men- 
tioned, continued  their  opposition,  notwithstanding  the 
apparent  unreasonableness  of  it  to  those  who  favoured 
these  Societies. 

*  Harbinger,  1867,  pp.  18-20. 


588    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

The  communion  question  also  came  to  the  front  again. 
This  was  caused,  no  doubt,  by  a  series  of  nine  letters  writ- 
ten by  David  King,  of  Birmingham,  England,  who,  after 
the  death  of  Mr.  Wallace,  had  succeeded  him  as  editor 
of  the  British  Millennial  Harbinger.  These  letters  were 
not  only  published  in  the  Harbinger  for  1868  and  18G9, 
but  were  also  published  in  several  American  papers.  At 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  churches  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  a  committee  of  four,  consisting  of  King,  Tickle, 
Lynn,  and  McDougall,  was  appointed  to  write  these  let- 
ters. The  ostensible  occasion  of  the  letters  was  certain 
tendencies  of  the  Americans  which  were  greatly  disturb- 
ing the  English  churches.  These  churches  had  reached 
the  conclusion  that  the  American  brethren  were  practically 
"  open  communionists,"  and  the  object  of  appointing  this 
committee  was  to  make  a  protest  by  the  English  churches 
against  what  the  latter  believed  was  a  departure  from  the 
New  Testament  teaching. 

For  some  reason  three  of  this  committee  did  not  sign 
the  letters,  the  only  one  to  sign  being  David  King. 

The  letters  were  far  from  what  they  ought  to  have  been, 
in  either  matter  or  spirit.  They  were  egotistical,  legal- 
istic, unreasonable,  and  contained  misrepresentation  of 
facts.  They  did  not  help  the  cause  on  either  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  but  served  to  widen  the  breach  which  had  al- 
ready begun  to  appear  between  the  American  and  English 
brethren.  There  never  had  been  any  substantial  identity 
in  several  respects  between  the  Disciples  in  these  two 
countries.  But  Mr.  King  was  a  very  different  man  from 
Mr.  Wallace,  whom  he  succeeded  as  editor  of  the  leading 
journal  of  the  Disciples  in  Europe.  Though  an  able  man, 
he  was  dogmatic,  intolerant,  and  had  little  or  no  tact. 
The  influence  of  his  journal  from  that  time  on  till  his 
death  was  in  the  interests  of  division,  rather  than  union. 

Up  to  this  time  the  movement  in  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland  had  made  very  slow  progress,  and  these  letters  of 
Mr.  King  did  not  help  matters  in  any  respect  whatever. 
The  letters  were  commended  by  some  of  the  American 
brethren,  but  in  the  main  they  were  severely  condemned. 
The  Christian  Standard,  by  its  distinguished  editor,  did 
much  to  counteract  the  influence  of  these  letters  in  the 
American  churches.  But  in  doing  this  he  precipitated 
again  the  communion  controversy,  though  it  was  now 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  589 


fought  out  to  a  finish,  with  the  victory  on  the  side  of  those 
who  held  to  the  practice  of  "  neither  inviting  nor  rejecting 
Pedo-Baptists  "  with  respect  to  partaking  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  Since  the  close  of  that  discussion  there  has  been 
little  said  concerning  the  communion  question,  though 
the  practice  of  the  churches  has  undoubtedly  become  less 
and  less  restricted  with  regard  to  even  not  inviting  Pedo- 
Baptists  to  participate  at  the  communion  table.  It  can 
scarcely  be  truthfully  denied  that  many  of  the  ministers 
of  the  present  day,  while  not  perhaps  formally  inviting 
these  Pedo-Baptists,  do  certainly  make  it  plain  enough 
that  they  are  heartily  welcome  when  they  choose  to  par- 
take of  the  emblems  of  the  Lord's  death.  In  stating  this 
fact,  it  must  be  remembered  that  we  are  writing  history, 
not  giving  an  opinion  as  to  what  is  right  or  wrong  in  the 
case. 

During  the  year  1866  a  conference  was  held  between  the 
Baptists  and  Disciples  at  Richmond,  Va.,  with  the  view 
of  reaching  a  better  understanding  between  the  two  bodies, 
and  to  determine,  if  possible,  whether  the  time  for  pro- 
posing a  union  between  them  had  come.  It  has  already 
been  remarked  that  the  war  settled  several  things.  Among 
the  things  it  strongly  emphasised  was  the  fact  that  divi- 
sions among  the  people  of  God  were  not  only  abnormal, 
but  are  really  unnecessary,  and  probably  very  generally 
because  the  denominations  do  not  understand  one  another. 
This  was  made  very  evident  by  the  Sanitary  Commission, 
which  was  such  a  potent  factor  in  relieving  the  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers  during  the  war.  This  commission  was 
supported  by  many  of  the  religious  denominations,  and  in 
the  various  conferences  which  took  place,  during  its  opera- 
tions, leading  members  of  the  respective  denominations 
represented  came  in  close  contact  with  one  another.  In 
this  way  they  found  that  the  differences  among  the  de- 
nominations are  often  more  imaginary  than  real,  and 
where  there  are  real  differences  these  are  not  of  a  charac- 
ter that  ought  to  interfere  with  good  fellowship. 

When  it  became  evident  that  the  union  of  the  states 
would  be  preserved,  men  began  to  ask  questions  about  the 
union  of  God's  people;  and  one  question  was,  if  a  union 
of  the  states  is  important,  is  not  a  union  of  the  churches 
of  even  greater  imj  ortance?  The  result  of  this  inquiry, 
as  well  as  other  inquiries  that  were  made,  moved  Dr.  W. 


590    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


F.  Bi'oaddus  to  invite  a  conference  of  Baptists  and  Dis- 
ciples to  meet  at  Richmond  to  consider  the  question  of 
union  between  the  two  bodies.  This  conference  was  repre- 
sented by  some  of  the  ablest  men  on  each  side.  Among 
the  Baptists  was  Dr.  Jeremiah  B.  Jeter,  whose  book  en- 
titled, "  Campbellism  Examined,"  had  given  him  a  not 
verv  enviable  reputation  among  the  Disciples.  It  is  cer- 
tainly somewhat  remarkable  that  he  should  be  among  those 
who  were  seeking  a  union  between  the  two  bodies.  But 
it  is  a  pleasure  to  state  the  fact  that  Dr.  Jeter,  during 
the  latter  years  of  his  life,  became  deeply  interested  in 
bringing  about  a  union  between  the  Baptists  and  Disciples, 
and  as  editor  of  the  Religious  Herald,  published  at  Rich- 
mond, he  became  a  conspicuous  advocate  for  such  a  union, 
though  he  constantly  recogni.sed  the  difficulties  that  were 
still  in  the  way  of  its  being  accomplished.  The  following 
article,  written  by  Dr.  Jeter,  giving  an  account  of  the 
conference,  is  copied,  as  indicating  not  only  his  spirit, 
but  also  as  giving  a  clear,  unbiassed  statement  with  respect 
to  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  conference  itself: 

This  body  met.  as  was  stated  in  our  last  issue,  on  the  24th 
ult.,  and  continued  in  session  until  the  27th.  Its  meetings 
were  strictly  private.  As  it  was  not  a  representative  body, 
but  a  voluntary  assemblage  for  The  purpose  of  conferring  as 
to  the  propriety  of  recommending  union  between  the  Baptists 
and  Disciples,  and  as  the  opening.of  the  doors  would  have  led 
to  the  gathering  of  a  curious  and  anxious  crowd,  whose 
presence  would  have  been  unfavourable  to  calm  discussion,  it 
was  deemed  best  to  sit  with  closed  doors.  At  the  close  of  the 
Convention  it  was  resolved,  at  least  for  the  present,  not  to 
publish  its  minutes.  We  deem  it  no  breach  of  propriety  to 
say  that  the  editor  of  the  Heralfl.  connected  with  the  body, 
dissented  from  this  decision.  We  thought  that  the  full  publi- 
cation of  its  proceedings  would  most  contribute  to  the  object 
for  which  it  was  assembled ;  but  othei'S  were  of  opinion  that 
their  publication  might  give  rise  to  discussion,  strife,  and 
alienation.  Our  judgment  was  overruled,  and  we  cheerfully 
submit.  Instead  of  printing  the  minutes  of  the  Convention, 
Dr.  W.  F.  Broaddus  and  Elder  J.  W.  Goss  were  requested  to 
prepare  and  publish,  over  their  own  signature,  a  brief  address 
to  the  Baptists  and  Disciples  of  Virginia,  .setting  forth  the 
results  of  the  conference.  This  address  we  hope  to  receive  in 
time  to  insert  it  in  the  present  issue. 

While  we  cannot  comply  with  our  promise  in  the  paper  of 
last  week  to  furnish  a  full  account  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
Convention,  we  will  give  such  a  statement  of  them  as  the 
limitations  imposed  by  the  body  may  seem  to  permit. 


SOME  FxVILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  591 


The  meetiug  was  conducted  in  a  courteous,  dignified,  and 
kind  manner.  Not  a  single  unkind  word  was  uttered  on  either 
side.  We  have  sat  in  many  bodies  lor  religious  conference,  but 
never  in  one  freer  from  excitement.  The  intercourse  was 
frank,  free,  and  faithful.  The  conference  developed  that  on 
some  points,  on  which  we  were  supposed  to  differ,  we  were  in 
agreement;  that  on  other  points,  on  which  we  differed,  the  dif- 
ferences were  not  so  great  as  had  generally  been  supposed ;  and 
that  while  our  differences  were  such  as  to  prevent  ecclesiastical 
union  and  intercommunion,  they  are  not  such  as  to  call  for 
denunciations,  or  to  forbid  the  hope  that  time,  kindness,  the 
study  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
will  efface  them. 

The  desirableness  of  the  union  all  must  concede.  We  are 
agreed  on  certain  important  points  in  which  we  differ  from 
the  rest  of  the  world.  We  believe  that  only  immersion  is 
Christian  baptism ;  that  only  believers  are  entitled  to  the  or- 
dinance; and  that  churches  are  constituted  only  of  immersed 
believers.  Our  views,  too,  of  the  great,  vital  evangelical  duties, 
repentance  and  faith,  as  disclosed  by  the  conference,  are 
identical.  On  various  points  we  differ;  but  some  of  these 
differences  relate  to  terminology;  some  to  matters  of  compara- 
tively little  moment  and  some  may  yet  be  the  offspring  of  mis- 
conception ;  but  still  there  are  differences  between  us,  the  most 
serious  of  which,  perhaps,  concerns  the  design  of  baptism. 
It  would  be  a  bright  day  for  the  principles  which  we  hold  in 
common  if  these  differences  could  be  removed  or  overcome,  so 
that  their  advocates,  instead  of  wasting  their  time  and  energies 
in  fruitless  controversies,  could  heartily  combine  all  their  in- 
fluence and  efforts  for  their  wider  diffusion.  It  is  our  plain 
solemn  duty  to  pray,  not  merely  for  the  union  of  all  Christians, 
but  especially  for  the  union  of  those  Christians  whose  approxi- 
mation to  each  other  affords  ground  to  hope  for  their  harmony. 

But  what  we  pray  for  we  are  bound  to  seek,  if  it  lies  within 
the  sphere  of  our  influence;  and  we  are  able  to  do  something 
to  promote  the  isnion  of  Baptists  and  Disciples.  What,  then, 
should  we  do  to  secure  this  object?  We  certainly  should  not 
sacrifice  our  principles.  Union  that  is  not  based  on  a  common 
discernment  and  love  of  truth  is  not  worth  seeking.  There 
should  be  no  compromise  of  essential  truth,  however  yielding 
we  may  be  in  matters  of  indifference  or  expediency.  Calm, 
candid,  fair,  discriminating  discussion  may  do  something  to 
promote  the  object ;  but  it  must  bo  admitted  that  there  is  but 
little  of  such  discussion,  and  that  its  influence  is  usually  very 
feeble.  Certainly  strife,  denunciation,  and  bitterness  do  not 
promote  union.  It  must  be  gained,  if  gained  at  all,  by  kind 
intercourse,  reasonable  concessions,  and  gradual  assimilation. 

We  found  to-day  a  striking  confirmation  of  this  view.  A 
highly-esteemed  minister  was  in  our  office  who  was  formerly  a 
Disciple,  and  who,  some  years  ago,  became  a  Baptist.  He 
stated  that  he  was  led  into  the  Baptist  Church  by  ministers 


592    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


who  treated  him  fraternally,  solved  his  doubts,  shed  light  on 
his  path,  and  gradually  convinced  him  of  the  soundness  of 
their  views.  What  occurred  in  his  case  may  occur  in  the  cases 
of  others.  Nor  is  it  wise  for  fallible  beings,  like  ourselves,  to 
assume  that  our  own  views  cannot,  by  the  study  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, fraternal  intercourse  with  enlightened  Christians,  a 
wider  observation  of  others,  a  deeper  experience  of  the  tenden- 
cies of  our  own  hearts,  and  earnest  prayer  for  Divine  instruc- 
tion, be  modified  or  enlarged. 

We  are  hopeful  that  the  conference  will  be  the  means  of  ad- 
vancing the  interests  of  truth  and  of  promoting  harmony. 

We  desire  that  our  remarks  should  be  understood  as  having 
exclusive  reference  to  the  Disciples  in  Virginia,  or  such  Dis- 
ciples as  those  who  participated  in  the  conference.  It  is  said, 
and  we  presume  correctly,  that  there  is  a  wide  difference  be- 
tween the  Disciples  of  Virginia  and  of  the  West.  Of  the  nature 
and  extent  of  this  difference  we  are  not  accurately  informed. 
Our  brethren  in  different  sections  of  the  country  should,  and 
no  doubt  will,  deal  with  the  subject  as  they  find  it.  If  under 
the  name  of  the  Reformation,  or  the  "  Ancient  Gospel,"  or  any 
other  title,  they  discover  a  tendency  to  Rationalism,  or  the 
rejection  of  a  spiritual  Christianity,  let  them  oppose  it  with 
an  earnestness  proportionate  to  the  value  of  the  soul  and  the 
preciousness  of  salvation.  Our  course  in  Virginia  can  be  no 
guide  to  those  who  are  encompassed  by  errors  which  do  not 
trouble  us.  Even  if  an  ecclesiastical  union  had  been  formed 
between  the  Baptists  and  Disciples  of  this  state,  and  properly 
formed,  too,  that  would  be  no  reason  for  the  formation  of  such 
a  union  in  states,  if  such  there  be,  in  which  the  Disciples  hold 
anti-evangelical  sentiments.  There  are  certain  great  prin- 
ciples, or  articles  of  belief,  which  we  have  inherited  from  our 
fathers  and  hold  in  common  with  most  Protestant  Christian 
sects,  which  should  never  be  abandoned  or  concealed.  Among 
these  we  may  mention  the  Divine  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures 
— the  Tri-unity  of  God — the  Divinity  of  Christ — the  efficacy 
of  his  sacrifice  in  the  expiation  of  sins — the  agency  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  conversion  of  sinners  and  the  sanctiflcation  of 
believers — the  justification  of  a  sinner  by  faith  in  Christ  with- 
out the  merit  of  any  good  works — and  we  might  mention  other 
facts  and  truths.  These  are  e.ssential  to  the  vitality  and 
eflBcacy  of  the  Gospel,  and  are  to  be  held  with  unyielding 
tenacity.  But  we  owe  it  to  ourselves,  the  cause  of  truth  and 
piety,  the  harmony  of  sincere  Christians,  and  the  glory  of  our 
Master,  that  we  should  judge  of  the  views  of  those  who  differ 
from  us  carefully,  ingenuously  and  in  the  fear  of  God — seeking 
not  to  widen  but  to  narrow  the  breach  between  us — not  to 
divide  and  alienate  but  to  win  and  harmonise.  It  is  one  of  the 
saddest  exhibitions  of  human  infirmity,  not  to  say,  depravity, 
to  see  men,  fallible  and  ignorant,  as  all  must  be,  contending  for 
what  they  deem  the  doctrine  of  the  "  meek  and  lowly  "  Jesus 
with  fierceness  and  denunciation.    Can  the  wrath  of  man  work 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  593 


the  righteousness  of  God?  Does  the  cause  of  truth  and  of 
Christ  need  our  anger,  bitterness,  and  strife  for  its  support  ? 

As  it  was  thought  not  desirable  to  publish  the  minutes 
of  the  conference,  two  brethren,  W.  F.  Broaddus,  repre- 
senting the  Baptist,  and  J.  W.  Goss,  representing  the  Dis- 
ciples, were  appointed  to  prepare  an  address  to  both  Bap- 
tists and  Disciples  with  respect  to  the  whole  matter.  The 
following  is  the  address : 

Address  of  the  Convention  of  Baptists  and  Disciples,  held 
in  Richmond,  April  24,  25,  2G,  and  27th,  18(j6,  to  the  churches 
of  these  two  bodies  in  the  State  of  Virginia. 

Dear  Brethren: — We  have  met  in  this  Convention,  not  as 
delegates  appointed  to  transact  business  for  jou;  but  as  a 
voluntary  convention  of  professed  Christian  men,  earnestly 
desirous  to  promote  the  cause  of  Bible  truth,  and  to  bring 
nearer  to  each  other  the  divided  forces  of  our  Lord's  great 
army. 

It  had  been  hoped  by  many  that  the  influence  of  time,  and 
the  more  thorough  study  of  the  Divine  Word,  had  brought  us 
so  near  to  each  other  in  mind  and  heart,  and  in  the  interpre- 
tation of  the  Scriptures,  as  to  make  it  manifest  that  we  could 
jointly  recommend  to  our  churches  in  Virginia  a  more  in- 
timate ecclesiastical  co-operation  than  has  heretofore  existed — 
hoping  that  fraternal,  mutual  courtesies  would  sooner  or  later 
lead  to  a  cordial  ecclesiastical  union  of  the  two  bodies. 

With  a  view  fully  to  ascertain  each  other's  views  of  the 
teaching  of  the  Bible,  we  have  for  four  days  met  for  conversa- 
tion and  kind  discussion  of  the  questions  deemed  necessary  to 
be  discussed  on  the  occasion.  We  have  frequently  united  in 
appealing  to  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
that  he  would  by  the  Holy  Spirit  lead  us  to  right  conclusions 
in  the  premises.  During  our  entire  session,  there  has  prevailed 
as  much  of  Christian  courtesy  and  brotherly  kindness  as  we 
have  ever  seen  manifested  in  a  body  of  thirty  men  engaged 
in  the  discussion  of  questions  involving  Christian  fellowship. 
But,  after  all,  we  have  reached  the  conclusion  deliberately, 
however  reluctantly,  that  the  time  has  not  yet  come  when  the 
Baptists  and  Disciples  are,  on  both  sides,  prepared,  with  a 
prospect  of  perfect  harmony,  to  commit  themselves  to  any  de- 
gree of  co-operation  bej  ond  such  courtesies  and  personal  Chris- 
tian kindnesses  as  membei's  of  churches  of  different  denomina- 
tions may  individually  choose  to  engage  in. 

We  would  express,  however,  with  much  gratitude  to  our 
common  Father,  the  gratification  we  have  felt  and  still  feel 
in  having  developed  by  this  interview  an  agreement  of  views 
as  to  the  great  facts  and  truths  and  duties  of  the  Gospel,  far 
more  extensive  and  practically  identical,  than  many  of  our 
brethren  had  supposed  to  exist ;  and  we  would  earnestly  recom- 


594   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


merul  to  the  brethren  of  the  two  bodies  in  the  State  of  Vir- 
ginia, to  cultivate  the  spirit  of  fraternal  kindness  and  Chris- 
tian courtesy  towards  each  other — to  keep  in  mind  the  pi*ayer 
of  our  Lord,  that  all  his  people  might  be  one;  and  while  they 
cultivate  the  spirit  of  peace,  to  refrain,  as  far  as  possible,  from 
everything  that  would  tend  to  alienate  from  each  other  those 
who,  in  regard  to  so  many  precious  and  important  truths 
taught  in  the  Word  of  God,  give  the  same  interpretation  and, 
in  regard  to  so  many  Christian  practices,  are  of  one  mind. 
Signed  by  direction  of  the  Convention. 

W.  F.  Broaddus, 
J.  W.  Goss. 

However,  as  it  is  believed  that  so  much  of  the  minutes  as 
relate  to  the  faith  of  each  body  will  be  interesting,  the 
following  is  copied: 

DECLARATION  OF  BELIEF  SUBMITTED  BY  BAPTISTS 

We  utterly  repudiate  all  creeds  or  confessions  of  faith  as  of 
binding  force  upon  the  consciences  or  conduct  of  men ;  yet  we 
deem  it  essential  that  churches  should,  in  some  form,  state 
distinctly  and  unequivocally  their  understanding  of  the  funda- 
mental doctrines  and  duties  taught  in  the  Word  of  God,  in 
order  to  union  among  themselves,  and  that  they  may  be  under- 
stood by  others.  We  therefore  oifer  to  the  Convention  the 
following  as  such  a  statement  of  the  views  of  the  Baptist  de- 
nomination regarding  the  subjects  embraced  therein: 

Article  1.  The  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 
were  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  are  the  only  sufficient, 
certain,  and  authoritative  rule  of  all  saving  knowledge,  faith, 
and  obedience. 

Art.  2.  Agreement  in  the  belief  of  the  fundamental  facts 
and  doctrines  of  the  New  Testament  is  essential  to  Christian 
union. 

Art.  3.  There  is  one  God,  the  Maker,  Preserver,  and  Ruler  of 
all  things,  having  in  and  of  himself  all  perfection,  and  being 
infinite  in  them  all.  He  is  revealed  to  us  as  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  each  with  distinct  personal  attributes,  but 
without  division  of  nature,  essence,  or  being. 

Art.  4.  God  originally  created  man  in  his  own  image,  free 
from  sin,  but.  through  the  temptation  of  Satan,  he  trans- 
gressed the  commandment  of  God  and  fell  from  his  original 
holiness  and  righteousness,  whereby  his  posterity  inherit  a 
nature  corrupt  and  wholly  oppo.sed  to  God  and  his  law,  are 
under  condemnation,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  capable  of  moral 
action,  become  actual  transgressors. 

Art.  5.  Jesus  Christ,  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  is  the 
divinely  appointed  and  only  Mediator  between  God  and  man. 
He  perfectly  fulfilled  the  law ;  sufl'ered  and  died  upon  the  cross 
for  the  salvation  of  sinners;  was  buried,  and  rose  again  the 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  595 


third  day,  and  ascended  to  his  Fatliei' ;  at  whose  right  hand  he 
ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  his  people. 

Art.  6.  Regeneration  is  a  change  of  lieart,  wrought  through 
the  truth  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  quickeneth  the  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins,  enlightening  their  minds  spiritually  to  under- 
stand, and  savingly  to  believe  the  Word  of  God,  so  that  they 
love  and  practise  holiness. 

Art.  7.  Repentance  is  that  change  of  mind  and  heart  in 
which  the  sinner,  being  made  sensible  of  the  evil  and  pollution 
of  sin,  turns  from  it  with  godly  sorrow  and  abhorrence. 

Art.  8.  Faith  is  a  sincere  belief  of  the  Gospel,  in  the  exercise 
of  which  we  heartily  receive  and  rest  upon  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  alone  for  salvation. 

Art.  9.  Justification  is  that  act  of  God  in  which  he  pardons 
and  accepts  the  believer  as  righteous,  through  faith  in  the 
atonement  of  Christ,  and  not  on  account  of  the  performance  of 
any  duty. 

Art.  10.  Those  who  have  been  regenerated  are  also  sanctified 
by  God's  Word  and  Spirit  dwelling  in  them.  This  sanctiflca- 
tion  is  progressive,  and  is  carried  forward  through  the  supply 
of  divine  strength  unto  eternal  life. 

Art.  11.  A  visible  Church  of  Christ  is  a  congregation  of  bap- 
tised believers  associated  in  the  faith  and  fellowship  of  the 
Gospel,  subject  only  to  the  authority  of  Christ,  governed  by 
his  laws,  and  observing  his  ordinances  with  the  officers  of  his 
appointment,  to  wit:  the  pastors,  or  bishops,  or  elders  and 
deacons. 

Art.  12.  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  are  called  of  God  and  set 
apart  by  the  churches  to  their  office.  It  is  their  duty  to  labour 
to  secure  a  continual  increase  of  knowledge  and  fitness  for 
their  work,  and  to  devote  themselves  earnestly  to  it,  and  it  is 
the  duty  of  the  churches  to  support  them  while  thus  engaged. 

Art.  13.  Christian  baptism  is  the  immersion  of  a  believer  in 
water  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son.  and  of  the  Holy 
Spirit;  to  show  forth  in  a  solemn  and  beautiful  emblem  his 
faith  in  a  crucified,  buried,  and  risen  Saviour,  and  the  re- 
mission of  sins  through  that  faith.  It  is  a  prerequisite  to 
Church  membership,  and  to  a  participation  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. To  this  ordinance  it  is  the  duty  of  every  believer  to  sub- 
mit. 

Art.  14.  The  Lord's  Supper  is  an  institution  of  Jesus  Christ, 
in  which,  by  partaking  of  bread  and  wine  as  emblems  of  his 
body  and  blood,  we  commemorate  his  dying  love;  and  only 
members  of  the  Church  in  good  standing  are  entitled  to  re- 
ceive it. 

Art.  15.  The  first  day  of  the  week  is  the  Lord's  Day,  and  it 
is  to  be  kept  sacred  to  religious  purposes  by , abstaining  from 
all  secular  labour  and  recreation,  by  the  assembling  of  the 
churches  for  worship,  and  by  diligence  in  the  exercises  of  pri- 
vate devotion. 

Art.  16.  It  is  the  duty  of  Christians  and  Christian  churches 


596    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


to  labour  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  throughout  the 
world,  and  in  doing  so,  thej'  may  unite  in  missionary  and  other 
associations,  provided  that  such  associations  shall  have  no  ec- 
clesiastical authority. 

Art.  17.  There  will  be  a  resurrection  of  the  dead,  both  of  the 
just  and  of  the  unjust. 

Art.  18.  God  hath  appointed  a  day  in  which  he.  will  judge  the 
world  by  Jesus  Christ,  when  every  one  shall  receive,  according 
to  his  deed ;  the  wicked  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punish- 
ment, the  righteous  into  life  eternal. 

RESPONSE  BY  THE  DISCIPLES 

PREAMBLE 

We  agree  in  utter  repudiation  of  creeds.  But  we  dissent 
from  the  position  that  churches  state  their  understanding  of 
fundamental  doctrines,  etc.,  in  order  to  union  among  them- 
selves, etc. 

Article  1.  Agreed. 

Art.  2.  Substitute  "  truths  "  for  "  doctrines,"  and  "  Gospel  " 
for  "  New  Testament." 

Art.  3.  Substitute :  "  The  Holy  Scriptures  reveal  the  divinity, 
and  personality,  and  unity,  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit." 

Art.  4.  Substitute :  "  That  sin  having  entered  into  the  world 
by  one  man,  in  whom  all  have  sinned,  and  death  by  sin,  and  so 
death  passed  upon  all  men,  man  is  therefore  by  nature  sinful, 
and  by  transgression  a  sinner,  and  thus,  dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins." 

Art.  5.  Agreed. 

Art.  6.  Regeneration,  as  used  in  the  Scriptures,  is  a  process 
which  includes  a  change  of  heart,  wrought  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
through  the  truth,  and  a  birth  of  water  in  an  immersion  into 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Art.  7.  Agreed. 

Art.  8.  Agreed. 

Art.  9.  Substitute:  "Justification  is  an  act  of  God  pardon- 
ing the  sinner  and  treating  him  as  righteous,  through  faith  in 
the  atonement  of  Christ." 

Art.  10.  Substitute:  "  Sanctiflcation  is  a  separation  to  the 
service  of  God,  in  which  the  children  of  God  perfect  holiness, 
through  the  Word  and  Spirit  dwelling  in  them." 

Art.  11.  Agreed,  with  "  immersed  "  for  "  baptised,"  and  erase 
"  visible." 

Art.  12.  Accept,  with  the  omission  of  "  called  of  God,"  be- 
cause equivocal,  and  as  a  very  incomplete  statement  of  duties, 
etc. 

Art.  13.  Substitute:  Christian  baptism  is  the  immersion  in 
water  of  a  penitent  believer,  into  the  name  of  the  Father,  and 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  the  remission  of  sins; 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  597 

and  is  a  prerequisite  to  Church  membership,  and  to  a  par- 
ticipation of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
Art  14.  Agreed. 

Art.  15.  Altered.  The  first  day  of  the  week  is  the  Lord's 
Day,  and  should  be  sacredly  devoted  to  religious  culture,  in  as- 
sembling the  churches  for  celebrating  the  Lord's  Supper,  and 
in  other  acts  of  public  worship,  and  in  diligence  in  private  de- 
votion. 

Art.  16.  Agreed. 

Art.  17.  Agreed. 

Art.  18.  Agreed. 

BAPTIST  REJOINDER 

Article  1.  Adhered  to ;  adding  "  written  or  unwritten  "  after 
"  form." 

Article  2.  Accept  "  truths  "  for  "  doctrines  " ;  but  adhere  to 
"  New  Testament." 
Art.  3.  We  prefer  ours. 
Art.  4.  Adhered  to. 
Art.  6.  Adhered  to. 

Art.  9.  Substitute  for  our  article  and  yours :  Justification  is 
that  act  of  God  in  which  he  pardons  and  accepts  as  righteous 
every  man  immediately  upon  the  exercise  of  faith  in  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ. 

Art.  10.  Adhered  to. 

Art  11.  Accept  your  amendments. 

Art.  12.  We  propose,  "  moved  by  the  Spirit,"  or  "  called  of 
God." 

Art.  13.  Adhered  to;  inserting  (after  your  example),  "peni- 
tent "  before  believer." 

Art.  15.  Adhered  to;  with  explanation  by  the  president,  that 
"  we  would  not  bar  churches  from  weekly  communion." 

While  this  conference  did  not  effect  a  union  between 
the  two  bodies,  it  was  evidently  a  move  in  the  right  direc- 
tion, and  its  influence  was  salutary  in  creating  a  better 
spirit  than  had  prevailed  between  the  Baptists  and  Dis- 
ciples. It  is  also  worth  while  to  state  the  fact  that  this 
conference  found  the  practical  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
a  union  more  weighty  than  any  theological  difficulties. 
There  were  differences  of  the  latter  kind,  but  these  were 
not  insuperable,  and  it  was  believed  by  the  representatives 
of  both  bodies  that  sweetness  and  light "  would  soon 
overcome  these  difficulties  if  the  practical  difficulties  could 
be  adjusted,  such  as  deeds  of  trust,  bequests,  missionary, 
and  other  organisations.  It  was,  however,  believed  that 
time  and  patience  and  the  cultivation  of  a  brotherly  spirit 
would  finally  solve  every  problem,  so  that  the  two  bodies 


598    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

might  ultimately  come  together  under  the  banner  which 
they  both  endorsed,  viz.,  "  One  Lord,  one  Faith,  and  one 
Baptism.'' 

While  the  Disciples  had  been  passing  through  a  most 
turbulent  period,  they  had  at  the  same  time  continued 
their  evangelistic  efforts,  and  their  churches  had  multi- 
plied and  their  membership  grown  until  it  had  now 
reached  somewhere  not  far  from  000,000  communicants. 
All  of  these  were  not  in  the  United  States.  Canada  had 
felt  the  force  of  the  movement,  and  already  churches  had 
been  organised  in  that  country.  In  the  line  of  progress 
Westward  from  the  United  States,  Australia  had  received 
the  Primitive  Gospel,  and  the  work  there  had  begun  to 
progress  with  rapid  strides.  H.  S.  Earle,  an  American 
evangelist,  began  to  preach  to  crowds  in  various  cities, 
and  he  was  soon  followed  by  another  American  evangelist, 
and  through  their  instrumentality  the  cause  in  Australia 
became  not  only  finally  established,  but  it  soon  became  a 
most  influential  religious  factor  in  that  country.  A  fuller 
notice  of  the  work  outside  of  the  United  States  will  be 
given  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

About  this  time  some  of  the  old  pioneers  were  closing 
their  labours.  The  death  of  Joseph  Bryant,  in  the  eight- 
ieth year  of  his  age,  took  place  in  1867.  His  name  de- 
serves to  be  mentioned  mainly  for  the  reason  that  he  was 
the  first  to  be  baptised  after  the  formation  of  the  "  Chris- 
tian Association."  He  died  on  the  20th  of  May,  1867. 
When  the  "  Christian  Association  "  was  founded,  in  1808, 
he  became  a  member  of  it,  and  when  the  question  of  bap- 
tism was  under  consideration,  not  having  been  sprinkled 
in  his  infancy,  and  having  always  regarded  baptism  as 
immersion,  he  and  two  others,  the  only  individuals  in 
the  Association  who  had  not  been  sprinkled  in  infancy, 
were,  on  profession  of  their  faith,  immersed  in  Buffalo 
Creek.  This  was  before  Thomas  Campbell,  Alexander 
Campbell,  and  others  were  immersed.  In  fact,  he  was  the 
first  to  be  immersed  after  the  organisation  of  the  Associa- 
tion. When  the  Brush  Run  Church  was  organised  he 
became  a  member  of  it  and  continued  with  the  Disciples 
to  the  end  of  his  life.  He  was  a  most  exemplary  member, 
and  deserves  the  recognition  given  him  here  in  this  history 
of  the  movement. 

Another  one  of  the  pioneers  passed  to  his  everlasting 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  599 


rest  during  this  year,  viz.,  D.  S.  Burnett,  whose  name  has 
already  been  frequently  mentioned.  He  died  at  Baltimore, 
Md.,  on  the  8th  of  July,  just  as  he  had  completed  his 
preparations  for  removal  to  Louisville,  Ky.  He  died  in 
the  full  hope  of  a  glorious  immortality.  He  had  just 
preached  his  farewell  sermon  to  the  church  of  which  he 
had  been  pastor  for  some  time,  and  where  he  had  perhaps 
been  more  successful  as  a  pastor  than  at  any  other  place. 

As  a  pulpit  orator,  he  had  few,  if  any,  equals  among 
the  Disciples.  But  this  was  not  his  most  distinguishing 
characteristic.  He  was  an  organiser,  and  to  him  the  Dis- 
ciples are  indebted  more  than  to  any  other  man  for  the 
organisation  of  the  American  Christian  Missionary  So- 
ciety, as  well  as  for  the  advocacy  of  a  proper  organisation 
of  the  churches  and  other  important  societies  connected 
with  the  Disciple  movement.  He  was  a  true  leader,  and 
though  dead,  like  Abel,  he  yet  speaketh. 

James  Henshall  also  passed  into  rest,  September  7, 1867, 
at  Germantown,  Ky.  He  was  a  native  of  England,  and 
came  to  this  country  in  the  year  1834,  and  at  once  took 
an  active  part  in  the  advocacy  of  the  Gospel  among  the 
churches  in  eastern  Virginia.  In  1850  he  left  Virginia 
and  moved  to  Kentucky,  and  for  a  while  preached  for  the 
church  at  Lexington.  Subsequently  he  located  at  May's 
Lick,  Ky.,  and  then  at  Lexington,  Mo.  At  his  own  re- 
quest he  was  buried  at  May's  Lick  beside  his  first  wife, 
who  died  during  his  residence  there.  In  1847  he  ac- 
companied Mr.  Campbell  during  his  visit  to  England.  He 
frequently  contributed  articles  to  the  Harbinger  and  other 
religious  periodicals  published  by  the  Disciples.  He  was 
a  strong,  earnest,  and  helpful  writer  and  preacher. 

During  the  next  year,  18G8,  we  have  to  record  the  death 
of  John  Smith,  which  took  place  on  the  28th  of  February, 
at  the  residence  of  his  son-in-law  in  Mexico,  Mo.  On  the 
9th  of  February,  against  the  protests  of  his  friends,  he 
delivered  a  discourse.  However,  this  discourse  was  re- 
garded by  those  who  heard  it  as  one  of  the  best  he  had 
ever  delivered.  He  had  been  subjected  to  an  exposure 
during  a  very  cold  spell  of  weather,  and  finally  succumbed 
to  an  attack  of  pneumonia,  or  inflammation  of  the  lungs, 
which  followed.  His  last  hours  were  spent  in  bearing 
testimony  to  the  faith  he  had  so  long  preached. 

Smith  was  one  of  God's  noblemen,  without  any  human 


600    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

dressing  or  culture.  He  was  genuine  gold  in  the  rough, 
though  long  before  he  died  he  had  passed  through  the 
crucible,  and  though  still  bearing  marks  of  his  early  asso- 
ciations and  the  disadvantages  under  which  he  laboured, 
during  the  formative  period  of  his  manhood,  his  spiritual 
nature  was  refined,  and  his  soul-life  indicated  the  supreme 
influence  which  the  Christian  religion  had  exerted  in  the 
development  of  his  real  character.  When  the  whole  his- 
tory of  the  Disciple  movement  shall  be  unrolled  in  that 
"  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens,"  it 
is  probable  that  John  Smith's  name  will  occupy  a  very 
high  place  on  the  scroll  of  the  immortals  who  were  the 
chief  leaders  of  the  Disciple  movement  during  its  pioneer 
period. 

About  this  time  the  fate  of  the  Christian  Standard  was 
in  the  balance,  with  a  strong  tendency  to  fail.  The  com- 
pany which  had  financed  the  Standard,  having  spent  all 
their  money  in  establishing  the  paper,  finally  gave  it  over 
to  Isaac  Errett,  the  editor,  as  a  present,  with  the  hope 
that  by  removing  it  to  Alliance,  Ohio,  where  he  had  been 
elected  President  of  Alliance  College,  the  paper  could  be 
continued,  as  Mr.  Errett  would  receive  a  salary  from  the 
college  adequate  for  personal  support  without  taxing  the 
paper,  as  had  been  done  for  this  purpose.  Accordingly, 
the  experiment  was  made,  but  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
editor's  time  was  divided  between  the  college  and  the 
paper,  his  work  became  oppressive,  and  the  financial  con- 
dition of  the  paper  grew  worse  instead  of  better.  At  this 
crucial  time  Mr.  Errett  decided  to  make  a  visit  to  Cin- 
cinnati, with  the  hope  that  he  could  secure  financial  aid. 
A  contributor  to  the  July  number  of  the  New  Christian 
Quarterly  for  1896  states  the  facts  of  this  case  so  fully  and 
fairly  that  his  account  of  the  matter  is  given  as  follows : 

In  the  year  1869  Mr.  Errett  visited  Cincinnati,  to  see  if 
something  could  not  be  done  with  the  Standard,  so  that  he 
could  be  relieved  from  its  financial  responsibilities.  He  was 
then  publishing  the  paper  from  Alliance,  Ohio,  where  he  had 
been  acting  as  president  of  Alliance  College,  while  at  the  same 
time  conducting  the  paper.  During  Mr.  Errett's  visit  to  Cin- 
cinnati, a  meeting  was  called  of  several  of  the  leading  brethren 
to  hear  what  he  had  to  say  and  consider  what  might  be  done 
to  give  him  relief.  He  stated  frankly  his  embarrassment  to 
the  meeting.  He  made  it  evident  that  every  issue  of  the  paper 
was  at  considerable  loss,  and  that  he  had  already  lost  quite  as 


SOME    STATE    SECRETARIES    WHERE    THE    DISCIPLES  ARE 

STRONGEST 


I,  Grant  K.  Lewis,  Southern  California.  2,  J.  A.  Joyce.  Western 
Pennsylvania.  3,  George  E.  Lyon,  Kansas.  4,  H.  Newton  Miller,  Ohio. 
5,  Willis  A.  Baldwin,  Nebraska.  6,  B.  S.  Dennv,  Iowa.  7,  J.  Fred 
Jones,  Illinois.  8,  J.  C.  Mason,  Texas.  9,  H.  W.  Elliott,  Kentucky.  10, 
Dr.  E.  C.  Anderson,  Alabama.  11.  T.  A.  Abbott,  Missouri.  12,  J.  J. 
Taylor,  Arkansas.  1,3,  F.  P.  Arthur,  Michigan.  14,  A.  I.  Myhr,  Tennessee. 
15,  Bernard  P.  Smith,  Georgia.  1(5,  J.  0.  Rose,  Indiana.  17,  C.  A.  Brady,. 
Eastern  Pennsylvania. 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  601 


much  as  he  was  able  to  stand ;  consequently,  he  must  have  relief 
at  once  or  else  the  paper  would  stop.  The  brethren,  composing 
the  meeting,  seemed  unwilling  to  assume  the  responsibility  of 
its  financial  position  unless  it  could  be  removed  to  Cincinnati, 
and  in  that  case  they  could  not  agree  to  pay  Mr.  Errett  suf- 
ficient salary  to  justify  him  in  giving  up  his  presidency  at 
Alliance  and  removing  it  to  the  former  city.  He  offered  to 
surrender  the  paper  to  them  without  any  compensation,  and 
they  agreed  to  accept  it,  provided  I  would  agree  to  edit  it. 
This  I  refused  to  do,  as  I  was  then  already  full  handed  with 
both  literary  work  and  a  large  pastorate.  So  the  matter  ended 
without  arriving  at  any  definite  conclusion. 

I  shall  never  forget  either  Mr.  Errett's  looks  or  his  words 
after  the  meeting  closed.  I  walked  with  him  part  of  the 
way  as  he  was  going  to  the  railway  station  to  return  to 
Alliance.  He  said  to  me,  "  I  shall  issue  only  one  more  number 
of  the  paper.  I  will  write  my  valedictory  as  soon  as  I  reach 
home,  and  in  this  I  shall  propose  to  return  the  subscription 
money  to  all  who  have  paid  for  the  paper  in  advance.  I  see 
before  me,"  he  said,  "  a  heavy  loss,  but  this  is  nothing  com- 
pared with  my  sorrow  that  the  paper  must  stop.  Neverthe- 
less," he  continued,  "  we  must  have  the  courage  to  meet  defeat, 
if  defeat  must  come,  and  I  shall  try  to  accept  the  whole 
situation  with  calmness,  and  act  as  becometh  a  man."  He 
owned  that  he  was  badly  disappointed  in  the  failure  of  the 
meeting  to  ofl'er  any  relief,  but  he  had  no  reproaches  for  any 
one  and  would  try  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  case. 

I  was  greatly  touched  by  both  the  matter  and  manner  of 
what  he  said.  I  told  him  that  the  disaster  of  stopping  the 
Standard  must  in  some  way  be  averted,  and  if  no  one  else 
would  come  to  the  rescue  I  would  myself  try  to  see  what  could 
be  done.  I  secured  a  promise  from  him  that  he  would  not 
write  his  valedictory  until  he  heard  from  me  the  next  day, 
either  by  telegram  or  letter.  I  intimated  to  him  that  I  had  a 
friend  in  the  publishing  business  whom  I  might  interest  in  the 
matter,  though  in  any  case  I  was  determined  that  the  paper 
should  not  stop. 

As  soon  as  I  parted  from  Mr.  Errett,  I  called  upon  Mr.  R. 
W.  Carroll,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  R.  W.  Carroll 
&  Co.,  who  were  then  leading  publishers  in  Cincinnati,  as  well 
as  publishers  of  the  Christian  Quarterly.  I  laid  the  whole 
matter  of  the  position  of  the  Standard  before  Mr.  Carroll,  and 
then  made  to  him,  substantially,  the  following  proposition, 
namely,  that  the  Standard  and  Mr.  Errett  should  be  removed 
to  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Carroll  to  own  the  Standard,  but  to  pay  Mr. 
Errett  a  certain  fixed  salary  which  we  agreed  upon ;  and  then 
if  the  paper  paid,  Messrs.  Carroll  &  Co.  were  to  have  all  the 
profits;  but  in  case  there  was  money  lost  on  it  during  the  first 
year,  after  its  removal,  I  agreed  to  sliare  that  loss  equally  with 
the  firm.  Mr.  Carroll  at  once  regarded  this  proposal  with 
favour,  and  after  going  to  Alliance  and  looking  into  the  busi- 


602    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ness  condition  of  the  Standard,  decided  to  take  over  the  paper 
and  publish  it  from  Cincinnati,  with  Mr.  Errett  as  editor,  on 
the  conditions  I  had  proposed. 

This  new  turn  of  affairs  saved  the  Standard,  but  it  involved 
another  exhibition  of  courage  on  the  part  of  its  editor.  He 
had  to  give  up  his  relations  to  the  college  at  Alliance  and 
move  his  family  to  Cincinnati,  and  that.  too.  without  any  very 
hopeful  assurance  that  the  Standard  would  ever  be  a  financial 
success.  But  duty  called  him  to  take  this  step,  and  he  at  once 
gave  himself  up  to  what  seemed  to  him  the  leading  of  that 
providence  which  had  always  guided  his  footsteps.  However, 
the  paper  was  a  success.  There  was  even  a  slight  balance  on 
the  right  side  for  the  first  year,  so  that  I  had  no  loss  to 
make  up. 

Mr.  Errett's  removal  to  Cincinnati  was  the  beginning 
of  a  new  era  for  the  Standard,  and  also  for  a  better  out- 
look with  respect  to  the  Disciple  movement.  At  this  time 
the  circulation  of  the  Standard  continued  to  grow,  and  it 
was  soon  not  only  free  from  financial  embarrassment,  but 
its  power  for  good  was  largely  increased.  Being  relieved 
from  all  business  care  with  respect  to  the  paper,  Mr.  Errett 
had  time  to  devote  his  best  energies  to  his  editorial  work, 
and  this  he  performed  with  conspicuous  ability.  However, 
he  was  not  allowed  to  pursue  the  eveu  tenorof  his  way  with- 
out friction.  The  A  postal  ic  Times  with  its  five  distinguished 
editors  had  a  duty  to  perform,  and  part  of  this  duty  at 
least  was  to  "  keep  an  eye "  on  the  movements  of  the 
Standard,  as  the  latter  was  not  regarded,  from  the  Lexing- 
ton point  of  view,  as  entirely  sound  in  the  Apostolic  faith. 

The  Times,  in  its  discharge  of  a  conscientious  duty,  was 
constantly  on  the  lookout  for  heresy,  and  in  one  of  its 
articles  it  sounded  the  alarm  of  apostasy,  because  "  we 
have  preachers  in  our  ranks  who  grow  furious  and  bluster 
much  if  even  a  hint  is  dropped  as  to  their  lack  of  sound- 
ness, yet  ask  them  what  they  have  to  say  on  expediency, 
progress,  organs,  etc.,  and  they  reply:  Oh,  Why,  Well, 
and  end  with  a  significant  chuckle."  In  the  first  issue 
of  the  Standard  from  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Errett  replies  to  this 
in  the  following  fashion : 

Any  attempt  to  introduce  and  enforce  anything  as  a  mat- 
ter of  faith  or  duty,  which  the  Apostles  did  not  enforce  in 
the  name  of  our  Lord,  would  be  a  step  in  apostasy.  And  any 
attempt  to  compel  uniformity  in  thinking  or  in  practice,  where 
the  apostles  have  left  ns  free,  is  virtual  apostasy.' 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  ()03 


In  the  next  week's  issue  he  continues  the  argument  with 
respect  to  the  matter  of  apostasy,  and  among  other  things, 
•  he  says : 

The  germs  of  apostasy  from  Christ  are  found  in  the  pre- 
sumptuous spirit  that  seeks  to  dictate  where  Christ  has  not 
dictated.  Division  and  its  bitter  fruits  may  come  as  readily 
through  the  attempt  to  forbid  that  which  Christ  has  not  for- 
bidden, as  through  an  attempt  to  impose  that  which  Christ  has 
not  imposed.  .  .  .  Two  things,  it  strikes  me,  must  be  care- 
fully kept  in  mind,  if  we  would  legitimately  work  out  the 
spiritual  emancipation  contemplated  in  the  reformation  which 
we  plead. 

1.  The  necessity  for  free  and  unembarrassed  research  with  a 
view  to  grow  in  grace  and  knowledge.  It  is  fatal  to  assume 
that  we  have  certainly  learned  all  that  the  Bible  teaches. 
This  has  been  the  silly  and  baneful  conceit  of  all  that  have 
gone  before  us.  Shall  we  repeat  the  folly,  and  superinduce 
a  necessity  for  another  people  to  be  raised  up  to  sound  a 
new  battle-cry  of  reformation?  Must  every  man  be  branded 
with  heresy  or  apostasy  whose  ripe  investigations  lead  him 
out  of  our  ruts?  Must  free  investigation  be  smothered  by  a 
timid  conservatism  or  a  presumptuous  bigotry,  that  takes 
alarm  at  every  step  of  progress?  Grant  that  errors  may  some- 
times be  thrust  upon  us.  Free  and  kind  discussion  will  soon 
correct  them.  There  is  not  a  hundredth  part  of  the  danger  from 
an  occasional  outcropping  of  error  as  the  result  of  free  in- 
vestigation, that  must  accrue  from  the  murderous  stiflings  of 
free  thought  and  free  speech.  An  attempt  to  preserve  union 
on  such  conditions  not  only  renders  union  worthless  by  the 
sacrifice  of  liberty,  but  will  defeat  its  own  purpose,  and  compel, 
in  time,  new  revolutionary  movements. 

2.  The  absence  of  all  right  to  control  our  brethren  where 
Christ  has  left  them  free.  Such  freedom  may  sometimes  alarm 
us.  Creed-bound  communities  may  lift  their  hands  in  holy 
horror  at  the  '  latitudinarianism  '  that  we  allow.  But  it  is 
not  worth  while  to  accept  principles  unless  we  are  willing  to 
follow  them  to  their  legitimate  results ;  and  we  insist  that  Rom. 
xiv.  allows  a  very  large  liberty,  which  we  have  no  right  to 
trench  on  except  with  the  plea  of  the  demands  of  Christian 
love. 

Now  it  will  be  seen  that  the  founder  of  the  Christian 
Standard  was  not  only  opposed  to  magnifying  opinions 
into  matters  of  importance,  but  he  carries  the  war  into 
Africa  and  affirms  that  those  who  do  magnify  these  opin- 
ions, or  attempt  to  stifle  the  free  and  unembarrassed  re- 
search with  a  view  to  growth  in  grace  and  knowledge,  are 
the  real  apostates,  and  not  those  who  favour  such  investi- 
gations. 


604    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


In  sajdng  what  Mr.  Errett  published  in  the  Standard, 
he  simply  reiterated  in  his  own  words  what  had  been  a 
cardinal  principle  with  the  Disciple  leaders  ever  since  the 
issue  of  the  great  "  Declaration  and  Address  "  by  Thomas 
Campbell.  Mr.  Errett's  contention,  however,  had  a  spe- 
cial significance  at  this  particular  time.  Those  who  were 
emphasising  side  issues  as  indicating  an  apostasy  were 
claiming  that  the  pioneers  of  the  movement  did  not  and 
would  not  countenance  such  things  as  were  being  practised 
by  the  "  progressives."  Mr.  Errett  showed  conclusively 
that  these  heresy  hunters  were  the  very  men  who  were 
guilty  of  apostasy,  at  least  so  far  as  the  Disciple  move- 
ment was  concerned.  From  time  to  time  he  showed  con- 
clusively that  the  pioneers  did  not  magnify  opinions  in 
the  question  of  fellowship  or  co-operation,  and  that  while 
some  of  the  questions  which  were  under  consideration  at 
the  beginning  of  the  seventh  decade  had  never  troubled 
the  pioneers  of  the  movement,  at  the  same  time  the  prin- 
ciples by  which  these  pioneers  were  guided  were  exactly 
the  same  as  those  b}^  which  he  was  guided  in  dealing  with 
such  matters  as  expediency,  progress,  missionary  societies, 
organisation,  etc.  Those  who  did  not  allow  freedom  with 
respect  to  such  questions  were  the  real  heretics  and  had 
undoubtedly  apostatised  from  the  faith  of  the  fathers. 

It  is  well  to  emphasise  this  fact,  as  there  are  still  some 
men  who  seem  to  be  sighing  for  the  flesh  pots  of  Egypt, 
and  some  are  even  crying  to  go  back  to  the  bondage  of 
those  legalistic  days  when  some  of  our  leading  men  had 
the  whiphand  in  guiding  the  Restoration  movement. 

John  Augustus  Williams  had  just  finished  writing  the 
life  of  John  Smith,  a  very  remarkable  biography  of  a  still 
more  remarkable  man.  The  biography  was  entitled,  "  The 
Life  of  John  Smith,"  and  Williams  proved  himself  in  its 
composition  a  second  Boswell.  Mr.  Errett  thought  it 
would  be  a  good  thing,  both  for  the  Disciple  plea  and  also 
for  the  circulation  of  the  Standard,  if  he  could  secure  the 
privilege  of  running  this  life  through  his  paper  before  it 
was  published  in  book  form.  An  arrangement  to  do  this 
was  finally  concluded  with  Mr.  Williams,  and  accordingly, 
the  first  chapter  of  the  life  of  John  Smith  appeared  in 
the  Christian  Standard.  Against  this  action  the  Apos- 
tolic Times  entered  a  vigorous  protest.  The  Times  con- 
tended that  the  life  of  John  Smith  belonged  to  the  brother- 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  605 


hood,  and  could  not,  therefore,  be  used  legitimately  for 
exploiting  the  circulation  of  the  Christian  Standard,  and 
the  Times  at  once  appealed  to  the  brotherhood  to  frown 
upon  this  audacious  innovation.  Of  course,  the  brother- 
hood soon  saw  through  this  flimsy  veil  of  pious  mortifica- 
tion. It  was  too  evident  to  every  one  that  the  Times  was 
disgruntled  wholly  because  it  had  been  out-generaled  in 
securing  a  privilege  which  the  Times  itself  would  have 
been  more  than  willing  to  accept.  In  the  blindness  of 
this  ridiculous  opposition,  the  Times  did  not  seem  to  ap- 
prehend the  fact  that  however  true  it  might  be  that  the 
life  of  John  Smith  belonged  to  the  brotherhood  in  a  gen- 
eral sense,  that  this  particular  life  of  John  Smith  belonged 
to  Augustus  Williams,  who  had  written  it.  However, 
a  special  point  of  objection  was  that  the  Times  was  a  Ken- 
tucky paper,  and  John  Smith  was  a  Kentuckian,  and  natu- 
rally enough  the  Times  supposed  that  a  great  many  Ken- 
tuckians  would  take  the  Christian  Standard  in  order  to 
secure  the  privilege  of  reading  about  one  of  their  great 
men  whom  they  delighted  to  honour. 

This  incident  is  related  in  order  to  show  the  curious 
influence  at  work  during  these  crucial  days.  The  ab- 
normal individualism  which  had  characterised  the  Disciple 
movement  from  almost  the  very  beginning  did  not  fail 
to  assist  in  the  periodical  rivalry  of  the  period  now  under 
consideration.  The  Standard  was  really  the  only  leading 
paper  or  magazine  that  supported  deflnitely  all-round, 
forward  movements.  The  Apostolic  Times  supported  the 
missionary  societies,  but  was  in  other  respects  almost  a 
hindrance  to  success,  because  of  its  extreme  conservative 
and  legalistic  tendencies.  The  American  Christian  Re- 
view, edited  by  Mr.  Franklin,  while  at  first  giving  a  sort  of 
quasi-support  to  the  Louisville  plan,  finally  came  out  in 
open  opposition  to  all  missionary  societies  of  every  kind. 
Such  was  the  actual  situation  with  regard  to  the  influence 
of  the  press  at  the  close  of  the  sixth  decade. 

At  the  end  of  the  year  1870  the  Millennial  Harbinger 
was  discontinued.  The  editor.  President  W.  K.  Pendle- 
ton, found  that  his  duties  as  President  of  Bethany  College, 
together  with  other  important  pressing  obligations  upon 
his  time  and  strength,  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  edit 
the  Harbinger,  or  to  be  responsible  for  its  business  man- 
agement.   He  gave  it  up  with  much  reluctance,  but  with 


006    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


the  promise  that  he  would  continue  to  contribute  liberally 
to  other  periodicals. 

The  Harbinger,  since  its  initial  number  in  1830,  had 
been  a  great  magazine.  In  it  may  be  found  practically  a 
history  of  the  Disciple  movement,  through  the  forty-one 
years  of  its  existence.  It  contained,  from  time  to  time,  not 
only  the  remarkable  contributions  of  its  editor-in-chief, 
but  also  the  very  efficient  help  of  the  co-editors,  such  as 
W.  K.  Pendleton,  Robert  Richardson,  A.  W.  Campbell, 
C.  L.  Loos,  Robert  Milligan,  and  Isaac  Errett,  together 
with  a  host  of  able  contributors  representing  every  phase 
of  the  Disciple  movement,  as  well  as  every  country  where 
the  plea  had  made  progress.  In  short,  its  volumes  are 
now  a  repository  of  literature  which  has  not  yet  had  its 
supreme  influence.  Much  of  what  these  grand  thinkers 
and  writers  published  in  its  pages  was  misunderstood 
at  the  time  it  appeared.  But  times  change,  and  we  change 
with  them.  Already  the  religious  world  is  beginning  to 
recognise  the  great  value  of  the  Disciple  movement  as  a 
religious  force,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  anticipate  that 
the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  leading  articles  of  the 
Millennial  Harhinger  will  become  classic  in  the  religious 
literature  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

But  all  these  changes,  and  conditions  at  the  close  of 
the  sixth  decade  and  beginning  of  the  seventh,  clearly 
indicate  a  new  crisis  in  the  Disciple  movement,  which 
will  make  it  necessary  for  them  to  go  either  backward 
or  forward — backward  to  the  old,  disorganised,  and  almost 
anarchical  individualism,  or  forward  to  a  co-operation, 
where  the  seeds  of  discord  shall  no  longer  be  encouraged 
to  grow  by  those  who  had  so  long  hindered  progress  by 
making  it  an  epithet  rather  than  a  great  word  with  which 
to  conjure. 

Already  the  Disciple  movement  was  beginning  to  attract 
very  considerable  attention  among  the  religious  denomina- 
tions. Their  phenomenal  growth,  notwithstanding  the 
bitter  opposition  which  they  had  very  generally  received, 
had  begun  to  challenge  those,  who  had  unfavourably  re- 
garded their  movement,  to  stop  and  think.  The  spirit  of 
the  movement  had  also  become  somewhat  modified.  As 
the  violent  opposition  continued  to  grow  less  and  less, 
the  Disciples  themselves  became  decidedly  more  charitably 
disposed  in  the  treatment  of  their  religious  neighbours. 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  GOT 


Concessions  on  both  sides  began  to  create  a  new  atmo- 
sphere, and  this  became  sufficiently  predominant  to  pro- 
duce a  desire  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  denominations 
to  cultivate  very  friendly  relations  with  the  Disciples, 
and  in  some  cases  this  had  in  view  a  probable  union 
with  the  Disciples. 

In  1871  overtures  were  made  of  this  kind  by  the  Free 
Baptists,  and  committees  representing  the  respective  bodies 
were  appointed  to  confer  together  with  a  view  to  the 
union  of  the  two  bodies.  The  chairman  of  the  Disciple 
committee,  W.  T.  Moore,  visited  the  Free  Baptist  Con- 
vention that  fall  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  delivered  an 
address  before  the  Convention  which  was  warmly  received. 
The  two  committees  also  had  a  very  friendly  conference, 
and  while  it  was  apparent  that  no  special  doctrinal  differ- 
ences stood  seriously  in  the  way  of  union,  there  were  still 
practical  difficulties  which  could  not  be  immediately  over- 
come. However,  the  committees  recommended  exchange 
of  pulpits,  and  the  cultivation  of  fraternal  relations,  at 
the  same  time  expressing  the  hope  that  the  time  was  not 
far  distant  when  all  difficulties  in  the  way  of  union  would 
be  overcome,  and  when  the  two  bodies  would  become  prac- 
tically one. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that,  with  all  its  evils,  the 
Civil  War  had  produced  some  good.  After  the  close  of 
the  war  a  union  sentiment  among  the  churches  began  to 
grow.  It  was  felt  that  if  a  union  of  states  is  good,  a 
union  of  Christians  would  be  better.  Furthermore,  the 
Christians  began  to  find  out  that  divisions  by  mere  shibbo- 
leths are  unworthy  of  those  who  profess  to  be  followers 
of  Him  who  prayed  that  His  disciples  might  all  be  one. 
We  must,  therefore,  reckon  that  the  seventh  decade  opened 
with  a  growing  sentiment  in  favour  of  Christian  union, 
and  this  sentiment  among  the  Disciples  was  accentuated 
by  the  advocacy  of  the  new  journalism  which  was  growing 
up  among  them.  This  new  journalism  was  led  by  the 
Christian  Standard,  the  efficiency  of  which  was  augmented 
by  the  addition  of  President  W.  K.  Pendleton  to  its 
editorial  staff. 

In  making  his  bow  to  the  readers  of  the  Standard,  he 
uses  the  following  great  words: 

We  mean  earnest,  watchful,  thoughtul  work,  honest  as 
faith  can  make  it,  and  true  to  the  cherished  purposes  of  the 


608    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


many  dead  and  living  co-labourers  with  whom  we  have  so  long 
stood  in  harmonious  struggles  for  the  restoration  of  the  New 
Testament  doctrine  and  practice.  We  have  discovered  nothing 
in  the  Word  of  God,  and  can  discern  nothing  in  the  signs  of  the 
times,  to  induce  us  to  draw  back,  or  aught  to  relent  in  the 
steadfast  advocacy  of  our  original  plea.  We  may  not,  we 
think  we  do  not,  understand  it  in  the  sectarian  narrowness  in 
which  it  is  held  by  a  few.  We  can  see  neither  the  wisdom  of 
the  policy  nor  the  warrant  for  the  liberty  which  some  are  ex- 
ercising in  restricting  the  gospel  of  grace,  in  its  divine  cath- 
olicity and  freedom,  by  the  autocratic  dogmatism  of  a  creed 
spirit  that  is  as  narrow  in  its  logic  as  it  is  cold  in  its  charity. 
It  is  true  now,  as  when  Paul  was  yet  with  the  Church,  "  We 
should  be  ministers  of  the  New  Testament,  not  of  the  letter, 
but  of  the  spirit ;  for  the  letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit  giveth  life." 
(II.  Cor.  iii:6.)  Even  under  the  Jewish  dispensation  this 
distinction  between  substance  and  form  was  true.  Paul 
recognised  it  as  an  eternal  law  of  the  divine  judgment.  "  He 
was  not  a  Jew  who  was  one  outwardly,  neither  was  that  cir- 
cumcision which  was  outward  in  the  flesh;  but  he  was  a  Jew 
who  was  one  inwardly,  and  circumcision  was  that  of  the  heart, 
in  the  spirit,  and  not  in  the  letter."'    (Rom.  ii :  28.  29.) 

But  the  form  and  substance  are,  both  philosophically  and 
scripturally.  united  in  every  true  life.  The  letter  as  law 
killeth,  yet  the  letter  as  a  revelation  of  grace  leadeth  to  life. 
Paul  does  not  use  the  word  letter  in  the  sense  of  the  word  of 
revelation.  This  is  living  and  quickening  through  the  spirit ; 
but  in  isolation,  taken  as  a  mere  intellectual  light  enforced  or 
conformed  to  simply  as  a  rule  by  which  to  escape  punishment 
or  secure  advantage,  it  becomes  mere  letter,  and  profits  noth- 
ing in  the  divine  life.  We  may  thus  be  led  by  it.  as  dumb 
cattle,  submissive  to  the  yoke  and  patient  under  the  burden 
and  obedient  to  the  thunder  of  command,  but  heartless  and 
lifeless  in  the  service,  as  the  ox  under  the  goad.  The  letter 
pays  tithes,  but  waits  for  the  collector  and  grumbles  at  the 
rate.  The  spirit  gives  the  heart,  and  anticipates  the  morning 
with  its  bounding  gladness  of  service.  The  letter  .sits  cau- 
tiously and  gloomily  in  the  corner,  criticising  its  duties  and 
shielding  it.^elf  with  a  cunning  network  of  "  thus  saiths " ; 
the  spirit  goes  abi'oad  eager  to  find  and  prompt  to  do  whatso- 
ever is  true  and  lovely.  The  letter  is  censorious ;  the  spirit  is 
charitable.  The  letter  is  a  dead  carcass,  perfect  and  complete 
as  it  may  be  in  its  parts,  but  a  lifeless  anatomy ;  the  spirit  is 
a  living  form,  beautiful  in  expression  and  restlessly  active 
with  the  grace  of  divine  life. 

Evidently,  the  work  that  is  needed  is  a  restoration  in  form 
and  power  of  the  apostolic  church,  a  New  Testament  ministry 
that  takes  the  word  of  revelation  for  its  guide,  and  the  spirit 
of  inspiration  for  its  impulse.  To  .•separate  these  in  theory  or 
in  practice  is  to  break  up  the  bond  of  Christian  unity  and  re- 
duce Christianity  to  a  theory,  a  philosophy,  a  mere  scheme  of 


SOME  FAILURES  AND  SOME  VICTORIES  609 


salvation,  without  the  power  of  life.  The  readers  of  the 
Harbinger,  to  whom  now  we  especially  speak,  will  recall  the 
steady  earnestness  with  which  this  essential  characteristic  of 
Christianity  was  ever  insisted  upon  by  its  great  editor.  We 
remember  with  what  earnestness  he  was  wont  to  say,  "  I  have 
no  confidence  in  any  instrumentality,  ordinance,  means,  or 
observance,  unless  the  heart  is  turned  to  God.  This  is  the 
fundamental,  the  capital  point;  but  with  this  every  other 
divine  ordinance  is  essential  for  the  spiritual  enlargement, 
conformation,  and  sanctification  of  the  faithful."  On  this 
grand  position  let  us  plant  ourselves  with  renewed  steadfast- 
ness, and  labour  to  bring  our  movement  on  to  still  further 
perfection.* 

The  Standard  had  become  a  great  power  in  guiding 
and  developing  the  Disciple  movement  along  wise  and 
fruitful  lines.  Other  journals  were  following  this  lead, 
and  even  the  journals  which  had  been  least  liberal  began 
to  relent  somewhat  in  their  violent  opposition  to  progres- 
sive measures;  and  all  this  made  the  outlook  for  the  new 
decade  bright  and  hopeful. 


•"Life  of  Pendleton,"  pp.  355-357. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES 

THE  year  1874  was  a  red-letter  year  for  the  Disciples 
of  Christ.  By  this  time  it  had  become  evident  that 
the  "  Louisville  plan,"  from  a  financial  point  of 
view,  was  practically  a  failure.  However,  it  is  well  to 
be  careful  about  our  wholesale  condemnation  of  this  plan, 
for  undoubtedly  it  had  a  very  important  educational  in- 
fluence, though  it  did  not  immediately  bring  money  into 
the  treasury  of  the  General  Society.  The  following  may 
be  mentioned  as  some  of  the  good  results  produced  by  this 
plan: 

1.  It  convinced  the  Disciples  that  it  was  not  according 
to  the  genius  of  their  religious  movement. 

2.  A  people  who  had  been  fed  on  individualism  could 
not  be  made  to  work  in  any  hard-and-fast  organisation 
where  this  individualism  was  somewhat  discounted. 

3.  It  demonstrated,  furthermore,  that  money  is  the  most 
conservative  thing  in  the  world;  that  men  will  concede 
almost  anything  rather  than  the  privilege  to  do  as  they 
please  with  their  own  finances. 

4.  It  settled  the  question  that  co-operation  of  the 
churches  must  remain  a  voluntary  matter,  and  that,  there- 
fore, any  plan  which  had  even  the  appearance  of  federating 
these  churches  in  any  organic  way  would  be  strongly 
resisted  by  very  many  of  them,  if  not  by  all  of 
them. 

5.  It  also  demonstrated  that  things  sometimes  have  to 
get  worse  in  order  to  get  better.  Experimenting  with 
this  plan  brought  the  Disciple  movement,  in  its  missionary 
operations,  to  the  point  where  it  became  clearly  evident 
that  something  else  must  be  done,  or  else  their  missionary 
operations,  in  any  co-operative  sense,  would  have  to  be 
abandoned. 

6.  It  made  very  certain  that  the  Disciples  must  either 
go  back  to  the  old  system  of  life  membership  and  life 

610 


SO.ME  OFFICERS  OF  XATIOKAL  SOCIETIES 

1,  William  R.  Warren.  2,  F.  M.  Rains.  Stephen  J.  Corev.  4,  George 
W.  Miickley.  5,  William  J.  Wri<iht.  6,  A.  L.  Oreutt.  7,  Archibald  Mc- 
Lean. 8,  P.  C.  Macfarlane.  9.  George  B.  Ranshaw.  10,  H.  A.  Denton. 
11,  Claude  E.  Hill.    12,  Clarion  Stevenson. 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTEKPlilSES  611 


directorship,  and  individual  contributions,  or  else  tbey 
must  go  forward  to  something  better  than  had  yet  been 
tried  in  their  history. 

7.  Finally,  the  "  Louisville  plan  "  had  a  certain  positive 
influence  in  creating  the  sense  of  a  united  brotherhood 
among  the  Disciples.  Some  one  has  said  that  individual- 
ism had  gone  to  seed  at  the  time  the  "  Louisville  plan  " 
was  on  trial,  and  that  this  plan,  if  it  did  nothing  else, 
would  teach  the  Disciples  an  important  lesson  by  calling 
attention  to  the  fact  that  they  were  dependent  upon  one 
another,  and  associated  in  a  common  brotherhood  and 
fellowship,  which  demanded  recognition  in  different  co- 
operative acts,  such  as  the  "  Louisville  plan  "  provided 
for,  and  which  it  emphasised  very  strongly,  though  it  failed 
to  bring  financial  support  to  the  General  Society. 

Thomas  Munnell  was  corresponding  secretary  during 
the  time  that  the  plan  was  on  trial.  He  was  elected  in 
1868,  and  continued  until  1877,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  F.  M.  Green,  of  Ohio.  Munnell  was  a  great  secretary, 
though  his  greatness  did  not  consist  in  his  ability  to 
secure  contributions  to  the  Society.  During  his  adminis- 
tration the  finances  of  the  Society  ran  down  to  the  lowest 
point  that  had  ever  been  reached  since  1853,  but  in  other 
respects  the  influence  of  Munnell  was  very  helpful.  He 
was  a  spiritually-minded  man,  thoroughly  in  sympathy 
with  the  best  ideals  of  the  Disciple  movement,  and  was 
much  beloved  by  his  brethren.  He  was  also  a  gifted  writer, 
and  not  the  least  influence  which  he  exerted  for  good, 
during  his  administration,  was  by  his  pen.  Some  of  his 
articles  occupy  a  classic  position  in  the  literature  of  those 
days.  To  the  first  number  of  the  Christian  Quarterly  he 
contributed  an  article,  entitled,  "  Indifference  to  Things 
Indifferent,"  which  deserves  to  be  written  in  letters  of 
gold,  and  read  by  every  Disciple  of  Christ,  at  least  once 
a  year,  if  not  more  frequently.  It  is  a  noble  defence  of 
liberty,  and  a  most  vigorous  protest  against  magnifying 
matters  of  small  importance  into  barriers  in  the  way  of 
legitimate  progress.  As  there  is  so  much  of  the  true 
spirit  of  the  real  Disciple  movement  in  this  article,  we 
feel  justified  in  making  a  liberal  quotation  from  it,  which 
will  give  the  reader  not  only  a  taste  of  the  quality  of 
the  article  itself,  but  will  furnish  him  with  the  key  to 
the  principles  and  aims  of  the  religious  movement  as  it 


612    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


was  understood  by  the  men  who  were  governed  by  high 
ideals : 

"  There  is  a  certain  degree  of  spiritual  development  which 
only  renders  a  man  unhappy,  morose,  and  unkind.  It  is  that 
degree  that  has  merely  learned  to  hate  sin,  but  that  has  not 
yet  attained  to  the  love  of  humanity.  Such  a  Christian  is 
always  censorious,  impatient  of  imperfection  in  others,  and  in- 
clined to  be  very  exacting  about  the  ceremonial  of  religion. 
He  understands  the  law  better  than  the  Gospel,  he  will  have 
sacrifice  rather  than  mercy,  makes  little  allowance  for  cir- 
cumstances, and  has  the  narrow  gate  narrower  than  it  really 
is.  There  may  be  a  true  work  of  grace  begun  in  his  heart, 
but  then  it  is  only  begun.  He  lacks  that  malleable  state  of 
Christian  sympathy  that  can  become  all  things  to  all  men,  for 
the  sake  of  winning  them  to  Christ.  Instead  of  leaving  his 
theological  moorings  for  awhile  to  associate  himself  with  one 
who  is  out  of  the  way,  and,  by  gentle  tractions,  to  lead  him 
heavenward,  he  stands  at  a  safe  distance  and  yells  his  up- 
braidings  and  censures  at  him,  scolding  him  back  to  God. 
Small  departures  from  the  truth  in  another  he  magnifies  into 
mortal  sins,  and  the  narrowest  dehiscences  are  widened  into 
impassable  gulfs,  while  the  constant  contemplation  of  pecca- 
dilloes contracts  his  mind  till  there  is  no  room  for  a  large  view 
of  humanity,  involved  as  it  is  in  so  many  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  a  perfect  knowledge  of  God. 

Not  so  with  Paul.  His  sympathy  for  humanity,  his  love  of 
souls,  his  knowledge  of  their  weakness,  his  broad  philosophy 
of  spiritual  growth,  and,  above  all,  the  influence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  all  lead  him  to  make  much  allowance  for  men,  to  wait 
on  their  development,  and  to  accommodate  himself  to  their 
prejudice  and  ignorance,  that  he  might  win  them  to  Christ. 
When  he  beheld  a  soul  far  from  God,  he  ran  to  his  side,  linked 
his  sympathies  with  his,  identified  himself  with  him,  became 
whatever  he  was,  and  having  securely  bound  that  soul  to  his 
own,  he  tried  to  work  his  own  way  back  to  Christ  with  him. 
What  was  the  eating  of  a  little  meat,  or  the  not  eating  of  it,  to 
him,  if  he  could  save  a  soul  thereby  ?  Did  he  refuse  to  circum- 
cise a  man  if  that  would  give  him  access  for  Christ  to  their 
hearts?  Did  he  stubbornly  'stand  up  for  the  whole  truth' 
when  he  saw  that  many  feeble  souls  could  not  bear  it  all? 
When  he  saw  that  his  despising  a  '  holy  day '  would  offend  a 
weak  brother,  did  he  stiffly  maintain  his  orthodoxy  under  pre- 
tense of  '  contending  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to 
the  saints  '?  And  even  if  a  quasi  respect  to  the  defunct  cere- 
mony of  sacrifice  was  necessary  to  save  what  little  faith  they 
had  in  Christ,  did  he,  on  the  plea  of  being  sound  refuse  to  be- 
come a  Jew,  for  the  time  being,  that  he  might  save  a  Jew? 
Did  he  consider  it  a  '  retreating  to  the  sects ' — Pharisees  and 
Sadducees — when  he  became  all  things  to  all  men?  The  dif- 
ference between  Paul's  generous  views  of  these  things,  and 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  613 


those  of  small  Pharisees  of  all  ages,  is  just  the  difference  be- 
tween the  divine  and  the  human.  With  him  everything 
transient,  accidental,  and  merely  ceremonial,  was  lost  in  the 
superlative  importance  of  faith  in  Jesus,  even  if  that  faith 
should  have  to  keep  company  awhile  with  a  defunct  ceremonial. 
He  knew  that  the  old  leaves  that  fall  not  off  in  Autumn  will 
surely  fall  at  the  swelling  buds  of  opening  Spring.  No  rational 
man  ever  wishes  the  darkness  of  night  to  break  into  sudden 
day  without  the  help  of  twilight.  God  has  put  a  green  hull 
around  every  nut  of  the  forest  to  protect  its  tenderness,  and 
to  convey  its  nourishment  until  the  seed  is  fully  matured. 
This  hull  gradually  dries,  withers,  and  falls  off,  when  the  seed 
no  longer  needs  its  aid ;  but  it  would  be  cruel  to  tear  it  from 
its  place  too  soon,  and  leave  the  kernel  to  exposure  and  to 
death.  Even  so  the  Jewish  religion  for  centuries  contained 
the  Christian  religion,  and  could  not  be  torn  from  around  it 
so  soon,  nor  would  the  latter  have  thrived  very  well  under 
such  treatment. 

How  carefullj^  ministers  should  deal  with  the  souls  of  men 
may  be  seen  from  the  fact  patent  to  all — that  truth  is  often, 
for  a  time  supported  even  by  error.  Had  the  Jew  been  re- 
(juired  to  renounce  Moses  and  the  law  at  once,  on  the  reception 
of  the  Gospel,  few,  if  any,  would  ever  have  become  the  disciples 
of  Christ.  Even  during  his  personal  ministry  they  more  than 
once  left  off  following  him  on  account  of  his  hard  sayings — 
that  is,  on  account  of  his  true  sayings.  But,  being  allowed  to 
entertain  much  of  their  former  religion,  they  received  Christ, 
the  Messiah,  as  a  farther  development  of  their  own  covenant. 
They  received  Christ,  then,  because  they  were  allowed,  for  a 
time,  to  entertain  some  errors  which  they  were  not  prepared  to 
give  up.  How  magnificent  that  spiritual  understanding  of  the 
Apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  who,  standing  upon  God's  observatory 
and  seeing  things  as  the  Spirit  sees  them,  defines  the  value  of 
meats  and  drinks,  new  moons,  Sabbath  days,  sacrifices,  and  cir- 
cumcision ;  and  taking  up  the  last  as  a  test-case  for  all  the  rest, 
declares  that  'circumcision  is  nothing,  and  uncircumcision  is 
nothing' — that  'neither  if  we  eat,  are  we  the  better;  nor  if 
we  eat  not,  are  we  the  worse ' — that  '  one  man  esteemeth  one 
day  above  another,  another  man  esteemeth  every  day  alike,' 
and  so  indifferent  is  Paul  to  things  indifferent  that  he  allows 
each  one  to  have  it  his  own  way,  and  be  '  fully  persuaded  in  his 
own  mind.'  Meanwhile  he  comprehends  the  several  capacities 
of  his  infantile  brethren,  and  gives  milk  or  strong  meat  as  the 
case  will  allow.  He  will  give  faith  in  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
time  to  absorb  all  the  faith  they  now  have  in  other  sacrifices, 
will  give  the  circumcision  of  the  heart  time  to  dismiss  cir- 
cumcision in  the  flesh,  and  keeps  urging  that  '  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  not  meats  and  drinks,  but  righteousness,  and  peace,  and 
joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit.' 

An  altitude  gained  like  this  is  so  unlike  the  dwarfish  at- 
tainments of  his  own,  or  even  of  modern  times,  that  one  is  in 


614    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


danger  of  being  considered  latitndinarian,  unsafe,  and  '  un- 
sound,' who  even  surveys  the  ground  on  which  Paul  trod. 
However,  in  the  ratio  in  which  we  can  walk  with  him  on  these 
highlands  of  God,  we  ought  to  be  able  to  exercise  the  same  for- 
bearance toward  those  who  fear  all  this  liberty  of  the  Gospel. 
It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  distance  between  him  who  said 
'  circumcision  is  nothing,'  and  him  who  said  '  except  ye  be 
circumcised  and  keep  the  law  of  Moses  ye  cannot  be  saved." 
is  very  great.  Nor  can  it  be  denied  that  the  distance  is  about 
the  same  between  him  who  could  bear  with  such  ignorance  and 
error  in  the  ancient  Church  and  him  who  breaks  fellowship 
with  a  modern  Church  that  has  a  small  melodeon  in  their 
Sunday  School.  Granting,  as  the  writer  does,  that  there  are 
cogent  and  well  founded  objections  to  instrumental  music  in 
public  worship,  this  departure  from  the  simplicity  of  the 
Gospel  is  nevertheless  animalcular  compared  to  those  tolerated 
by  the  apostles  in  the  early  Church — tolerated,  not  that  they 
approved  them — but  as  the  Greek  general  replied,  when  asked 
why  he  was  retreating  so  fast,  '  I  am  pursuing  an  advantage 
that  lies  behind,'  so,  those  wise  men  often  found  advantages 
lying  in  concession  to  the  weakness  and  ignorance  of  their 
brethren. 

The  '  changeable  '  and  the  '  changeless.'  the  '  flexible '  and  the 
'  inflexible '  in  religion,  are  expressions  exceedingly  unsavoury 
to  one  who  does  not  restrain  his  denunciations  of  their  authors 
long  enough  to  understand  what  is  meant  by  them.  And  yet 
it  would  be  admitted  that  while  the  command  '  give  to  him 
that  asketh  thee '  is  as  changeless  as  the  word  of  God,  the 
manner  of  obeying  the  injunction  may  nowadays  differ  widely 
from  that  which  was  common  in  those  days,  and  to  which 
Jesus  especially  referred.  We  can  now  obey  this  order  with- 
out ever  giving  a  cent  to  a  street  beggar,  since  our  improved 
methods  of  taking  care  of  the  poor  prevent  the  necessity  of  it. 
The  taxes  and  poor-houses  far  surpass  any  method  ever  known 
in  primitive  times,  and  are  so  complete  that  city  authorities 
forbid  our  giving  to  mendicants.  Evidently  we  are  at  liberty 
to  feed  the  poor  in  a  manner  different  from  what  the  Saviour 
alluded  to,  and  this  is  what  is  meant  by  the  '  changeable  '  and 
the  '  flexible  ' ;  and  thus  we  must  adapt  ourselves  to  '  the  vary- 
ing conditions  of  society '  in  obeying  the  commandments  of 
God. 

Now,  while  it  is  the  duty  of  the  censorious  and  fault-finding 
to  imbibe  more  of  the  love  of  God  and  less  bitterness  against 
those  who  either  are,  or  are  thought  to  be,  in  error,  and  so  pre- 
serve Christian  regards,  in  spite  of  adventitious  differences,  it  is 
also  the  duty  of  those  who  are  wrongfully  represented  and  mis- 
understood to  have  compassion  on  those  who  do  them  wrong. 
No  one  is  ever  intentionally  misrepresented  by  good  men.  Be- 
sides, men's  intellectual  habits,  often  unconsciously  to  them- 
selves, lead  them  into  censoriousness  and  unfair  methods  of 
debate.    Public  debates  are  sure  to  spoil  the  spirits  of  second 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  615 


or  third-rate  abilities.  A  great  man,  like  Alexander  Campbell, 
can  debate  through  many  years  without  contracting  those 
vicious  habits  of  reasoning  that  so  often  overtake  those  of  in- 
ferior capacity.  The  vicious  and  unmanly  habits  referred  to 
are  such  as  making  false  issues,  where,  in  a  true  issue,  triumph 
would  not  be  so  apparent;  refusing  to  accept  an  explanation 
in  the  sense  in  which  it  was  intended;  taking  no  pains  to 
honestly  understand  an  opponent's  true  position;  merely  as- 
serting instead  of  arguing,  where  it  is  believed  the  populace 
are  known  to  accept  the  former  more  greedily  than  the  latter 
— these,  and  all  the  ad  captanda  intended  to  slap  in  the  face 
an  argument  that  cannot  be  fairly  met,  are  weaknesses  in- 
herited from  many  disputings  in  public,  and  deserve  com- 
miseration on  the  part  of  those  who  have  not  been  subjected 
to  their  influence.  These  are  scars  left  upon  the  minds  of 
those  who  have  encountered  the  enemies  of  truth,  and  who  have 
not  been  able  to  parry  every  stroke  of  the  foe,  nor  to  defeat 
him,  without  using  his  own  mode  of  warfare,  to  some  extent. 
Now,  a  proper  love  for  humanity  will  not  denounce  these  on 
account  of  their  infirmities,  although  they  may  be  very  re- 
pulsive. For  example — the  narrowest-minded  men  are  always 
the  most  confident  of  their  own  opinions,  they  are  the  most 
denunciatory,  and  always  claim  to  be  the  standards  of  ortho- 
doxy. The  more  you  focalise  the  rays  of  heat,  the  more  in- 
tense that  heat  becomes  in  its  contracted  circumference;  the 
more  general  a  man's  knowledge  and  sympathies,  the  more  he 
is  disposed,  like  the  sun,  to  flood  the  world  with  his  love  and 
gentleness.  The  strongest  focalisers  are,  of  necessity,  the 
most  ignorant  of  men,  and  such  should  not  always  be  con- 
demned so  much,  as  it  is  often  their  misfortune  rather  than 
their  crime.  Hence,  the  patience  Paul  manifested  toward  his 
Jewish  brethren,  who  could  not  lift  their  eyes  from  the  law, 
arose  from  his  comprehensive  view  of  the  (Christian  religion, 
and  of  the  gradual  development  of  spiritual  life  in  the  soul ; 
and  when  we  say  he  was  indifferent  to  things  indifferent  we  do 
not  mean  that  the  errors  tolerated  were  as  good  for  men  as 
the  truth,  but  that  none  of  the  above-named  were  considered 
of  sufficient  consequence  to  warrant  unkind  upbraidings  or 
even  ill  feelings.  Why,  then,  do  modern  preachers  treat  so 
harshly  any  one  who  may  not,  in  practice,  but  merely  in  theory, 
get  out  of  the  way  a  little?  One  believes  in  abstract  opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit;  another,  that  repentance  precedes 
faith ;  another,  that  instrumental  music  belongs  to  tlie  chapter 
of  expediencies  (or  such  like)  ;  another,  that  the  title  of 
'  Reverend '  is  innocent  enough,  and,  lo,  the  dirty  feet  of 
harpies  are  ujjon  them,  as  if  they  were  outlaws  against  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  Wherefore?  Because  the  religious  pulse 
is  low  in  these  theological  constables,  who.se  piety  has  all  left 
the  heart,  producing  a  congestion  of  head  religion,  consisting 
in  '  clear  views,'  critical  acumen,  sound  theory,  intolerance  of 
mistakes,  however  small  or  however  honest,  and  in  denouncing 


616    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


better  men  than  ourselves.  The  gnats  are  not  yet  all  strained 
out  nor  the  camels  all  swallowed ;  nor  are  the  '  mint  and  anise 
and  cumin '  all  gone ;  the  constant  selection  of  things  com- 
paratively indifferent,  instead  of  '  judgment,  mercy,  and  truth/ 
is  still  the  habit  of  poor  little  man. 

Why  the  world  always  places  the  intellect  above  the  affec- 
tions, the  head  above  the  heart,  might  be  a  question  for  the 
philosopher.  In  our  schools  the  premiums  are  given  not  to 
the  best,  but  to  the  smartest  boy.  His  mind,  quick  as  a  steel- 
trap,  triumphs  over  the  other's  conscience,  sensitive  as  an 
angel's.  The  blunted  conscience  of  the  covetous  man  remains 
in  the  Church,  the  whisky  manufacturer  and  vender  take 
high  seats  in  the  synagogue,  and  half-converted,  prayerless 
souls  of  the  most  indifferent  grace — if  they  only  hold  the  doc- 
trines '  we  teach  ' — can  sit  down  at  the  communion  table,  while 
hearts  the  most  subdued  and  mellow  with  the  love  of  God,  and 
that  would  die  for  Jesus'  sake,  are  thought  to  be  unworthy, 
because  of  some  honest  head-mistake  as  to  some  theory  of 
religion.  In  the  day  when  God  shall  bring  up  the  valleys  and 
press  down  the  hills;  when  he  shall  make  the  'last  first  and 
the  first  last,'  and  '  turn  the  world  upside  down,'  the  heart 
will  be  found  above  the  head,  love  above  knowledge,  and  a 
godly  life  above  a  sound  theory. 

Too  much  attention  to  the  '  form  of  godliness  '  draws  religion 
from  the  inside  to  the  outside,  from  the  heart  to  the  surface. 
The  pushing  of  the  lips  toward  God,  while  the  errant  heart  is 
on  an  excursion  somewhere  else,  is  characteristic  of  those  who 
object  to  the  healing  of  a  sick  man  on  the  Sabbath  day.  The 
Catholic  and  High  Churchman  give  baptism  the  privilege  of 
bringing  the  sinner  to  God  without  either  faith  or  repentance, 
and  all  pedobaptists  bring  children  into  the  Church  by  this 
rite  alone.  This  is  an  election  of  the  form  without  the  sub- 
stance, the  husk  without  the  ear,  the  shell  without  the  seed. 
It  is  the  antipode  of  transcendentalism  that  rejects  all  forms 
in  religion,  and  seeks  for  direct  communion  with  God,  without 
the  intervention  of  a  Saviour,  an  ordinance,  or  a  church.  The 
one  has  a  body  and  no  soul,  the  other  seeks  to  have  a  soul 
without  a  body.  But  as  long  as  God  shall  have  soul  and  body 
grow  together,  as  complements  of  each  other,  so  long  will  he 
give  contradiction  to  both  formalism  and  transcendentalism. 
As  the  substance  of  food  is  always  obtained  from  the  various 
forms  of  food,  so  is  spiritual  good  found  in  the  forms  of 
religion,  while  forms  alone,  without  the  power  of  godliness, 
are  like  husks  for  the  soul."  * 

The  influence  of  this  article  was  worth  the  whole  cost 
of  Munnell's  services  during  the  period  of  his  secretary- 
ship. But  this  article  was  not  the  only  one  of  value 
which  he  wrote.    He  was  constantly  urging  through  the 

*  Christian  Quarterly,  Vol.  1.,  pp.  79-84. 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  617 


papers  and  magazines  the  importance  of  spiritual  culture 
among  the  Disciples,  and  a  proper  care  of  all  the  churches 
from  that  particular  point  of  view.  Indeed,  his  mission 
was  practically  more  to  the  churches  than  to  any  mis- 
sionary field  outside  of  the  churches  for  which  a  corre- 
sponding secretary  was  expected  to  provide.  He  was 
not  indifferent  to  evangelistic  operations  in  any  or  every, 
direction,  but  he  felt  that  the  churches,  first  of  all,  should 
be  properly  equipped  and  spiritually  developed,  if  the 
Disciple  plea  should  ever  become  effective  in  results.  In 
short,  his  special  work  seemed  to  be  to  help  the  churches, 
rather  than  to  seek  and  save  the  lost. 

Of  course  his  methods  did  not  satisfy  those  Disciples 
who  were  constantly  seeking  a  pretext  by  which  they 
could  attack  the  missionary  societies.  But  the  financial 
results  of  Munnell's  administration  did  not  satisfy  any 
one,  and  much  less  himself.  Many  felt  that  the  time  had 
come  when  something  better  in  missionary  work  should, 
at  least,  be  attempted,  as  the  General  Society  had  now 
only  a  name  to  live  by,  but  was  practically  dead,  so  far 
as  having  any  ability  to  reach  out  for  some  noble  achieve- 
ment in  the  conversion  of  the  world. 

The  churches  were  still  actively  engaged  in  evangelistic 
work,  notwithstanding  a  considerable  amount  of  friction 
among  them  had  been  produced  by  the  agitation  of  ques- 
tions with  respect  to  organs,  missionary  societies,  com- 
munion, and  other  things  relating  to  the  growth  of  the 
Disciples  in  their  church  life.  But  up  to  1874  very  little 
effort  had  been  made  through  any  organisation  to  do 
missionary  work  in  foreign  lands.  The  mission  that  had 
been  established  in  Jerusalem  was  discontinued  about 
the  close  of  the  war,  and  the  one  in  Jamaica  was  very 
poorly  supported,  and  finally  practically  abandoned. 
There  was  a  growing  feeling  that  the  time  had  come  when 
the  Disciples  should  begin  a  foreign  missionary  work  in 
earnest,  as  such  a  work  would  react  upon  the  home 
churches,  and  would  probably  do  more  to  stimulate  mis- 
sionary activity  at  home,  as  well  as  abroad,  than  any- 
thing else  that  could  be  done. 

In  view  of  this  feeling,  earnest  efforts  were  made  during 
the  Convention  in  October,  1874,  to  secure  the  appointment 
of  a  foreign  missionary  to  some  inviting  field,  as  a  begin- 
ning in  what  was  believed  to  be  an  imperative  necessity. 


618    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


The  importance  of  this  movement  was  emphasised  by  a 
motion  to  instruct  the  General  Board  to  take  such  action 
during  the  year  as  would  open  at  least  one  foreign  mis- 
sionary station. 

This  proposal  was  urged  upon  the  Convention  very 
earnestly  by  two  or  three  speakers,  and  to  emphasise  the 
importance  of  the  matter,  Joseph  King,  of  Allegheny  City, 
Pa.,  made  one  of  the  regular  addresses  of  the  Convention 
on  "  The  Importance  of  Foreign  Missions,"  though  he  did 
not  even  suggest  the  propriety  of  starting  a  missionary 
society  at  that  time.  All  who  were  in  favor  of  establish- 
ing foreign  missions  looked  to  the  General  Society  to  do 
this,  and  consequently  no  one  had  any  thought  of  estab- 
lishing another  society,  until  the  motion  to  instruct  the 
General  Board  to  establish  a  foreign  mission,  during  the 
year,  was  voted  down,  and  iu  lieu  of  this,  a  half-hearted 
resolution  was  passed  which  left  the  whole  matter  dis- 
cretionary Avith  the  Board,  and  this  was  regarded  by  the 
friends  of  foreign  missions  as  practically  amounting  to 
nothing  at  all,  as  such  resolutions  had  been  passed  fre- 
quently without  any  results  whatever. 

For  the  sake  of  the  truth  of  history,  the  following  facts 
need  to,  be  stated  just  here.  After  it  became  apparent 
that  the  General  Society  did  really  nothing  in  providing 
for  a  foreign  mission,  and  would  do  nothing,  W.  T. 
Moore  left  the  audience  room  of  the  Richmond  Street 
Christian  Church,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  the  Convention 
was  in  session,  and  retired  to  the  basement  of  the  church, 
where  he  spent  some  time  in  earnest  thought  and  prayer 
over  the  whole  situation.  He  then  spoke  to  several 
brethren,  whom  he  felt  sure  could  be  trusted  to  meet 
him  at  a  certain  hour  in  the  basement  of  the  church  for 
conference.  When  the  hour  came,  about  twenty-five  or 
thirty  brethren  assembled,  where  they  had  been  invited. 
W.  T.  Moore  then  explained  the  object  he  had  in  view 
in  calling  the  meeting.  He  stated  that  the  time  had 
come,  in  his  judgment,  when  steps  for  the  organisation 
of  a  Foreign  Missionary  Society  should  be  taken.  In  an 
earnest  talk  he  urged  immediate  action,  and  then  proposed 
that  a  committee  should  be  appointed  with  power  to  pre- 
pare a  Constitution,  and  also  to  arrange,  if  possible,  with 
the  General  Society  at  its  next  year's  meeting,  for  a 
reasonable  amount  of  time  to  make  known  the  new  soci- 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTEKPlilSES  619 


ety's  plans  and  purposes.  He  made  it  clear  that  this 
society  was  in  no  way  intended  to  antagonise  the  General 
Society,  but  to  co-operate  with  that  society  and,  therefore, 
to  hold  their  respective  conventions  at  the  same  time 
and  place,  and  in  all  other  cases  to  co-operate  in  the  most 
friendly  manner. 

This  proposal  was  heartily  received  and  adopted  by 
the  conference,  and  a  committee  was  appointed,  with  W.  T. 
Moore  as  chairman,  to  prepare  the  whole  plan  of  organisa- 
tion, and  submit  the  same  to  a  conference  specially  called 
to  meet  during  the  next  convention  of  the  General  Society. 

Among  those  who  attended  this  conference  in  1874  may 
be  mentioned  B.  B.  Tyler,  Thomas  Munnell,  F.  M.  Green, 
J.  B.  Bowman,  W.  F.  Black,  J.  C.  Reynolds,  Robert 
Moffett,  J.  S.  Lamar,  R.  M.  Bishop,  W.  S.  Dickinson, 
Calvin  S.  Blackwell,  L.  Lane,  John  Shackleford,  David 
Walk,  J.  T.  Toof,  and  others  whose  names  cannot  now 
be  recalled.  Unfortunately  the  records  of  this  meeting 
were  lost,  and  consequently  these  facts  are  given  as  they 
are  remembered  by  the  one  who  called  the  meeting,  and 
who  presided  during  the  conference.  Even  some  of  the 
names  mentioned  may  not  be  correct.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  others  would  have  been  present  if  they  had  not 
been  engaged  with  the  General  Society,  which  was  then 
in  session  in  the  main  audience  room  of  the  church. 
Isaac  Errett  was  then  president  of  the  General  Society, 
and  was  presiding  at  the  session  of  that  society.  However, 
when  he  learned  what  had  been  done,  he  gave  his  hearty 
consent  at  once,  and  served  on  the  committee  which  had 
been  appointed  to  prepare  a  constitution  and  plan  of 
organisation  to  be  reported,  as  already  stated.  This  com- 
mittee met  at  Indianapolis  during  the  Indiana  State  meet- 
ing, which  was  held  the  subsequent  year,  and  had  their 
report  ready  for  the  General  Convention,  which  was  held 
in  October,  at  Louisville,  Ky. 

Meantime,  Thomas  Munnell,  who  was  secretary  of  the 
General  Society,  was  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  new 
organisation,  though,  as  there  was  some  opposition  to  the 
proposed  Foreign  Society,  he  had  to  move  cautiously  with 
respect  to  his  approval.  But  it  is  probably  due  to  him 
that  the  friction,  which  threatened  to  become  a  stumbling 
block  in  the  way  of  the  new  movement,  was  largely  over- 
come before  the  General  Society  met  in  Louisville.  With 


620    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


his  co-operation  it  was  arranged  that  the  new  organisation 
should  have  Wednesday  night  for  its  announcement,  ad- 
dresses, and  such  business  as  might  be  necessary.  So  that 
when  the  General  Society  convened  at  Louisville,  October 
21st,  the  committee  of  the  proposed  Foreign  Society  was 
ready  to  report.  During  the  preceding  year  a  circular 
had  been  sent  out  by  the  committee,  explaining  the  whole 
matter  as  far  as  seemed  needful,  and  calling  for  definite 
pledges  to  assist  in  the  inauguration  and  sustenance  of 
the  Foreign  Society. 

At  Louisville,  October  22d,  the  friends  of  the  new  society 
were  called  together,  and  the  following  definite  organisa- 
tion was  effected :  President,  Isaac  Errett ;  Vice-Presidents, 
W.  T.  Moore,  J.  S.  Lamar,  and  Jacob  Burnett;  Cor- 
responding Secretary,  Robert  Mofifett;  Recording  Secre- 
tary, B.  B.  Tyler;  and  Treasurer,  W.  S.  Dickinson.  At 
this  meeting  the  following  constitution,  reported  by  the 
committee,  was  adopted : 

Art.  I. — The  name  of  this  organisation  shall  be,  "  The 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society." 

Art.  II. — Its  object  shall  be  to  make  Disciples  of  all  na- 
tions, and  teach  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  Christ 
has  commanded. 

Art.  III. — This  Society  shall  be  composed  of  Life  Directors, 
Life  Members,  and  Annual  Members. 

Art.  IV. — Its  officers  shall  be  a  President,  three  Vice-Presi- 
dents, a  Recording  Secretary,  a  Corresponding  Secretary,  and 
a  Treasurer,  who  shall  be  elected  annually. 

Art.  V. — The  officers  of  the  Society  shall  constitute  an 
Executive  Committee  who  shall  manage  the  aflfairs  of  the  So- 
ciety during  the  intervals  of  the  Board  meetings.  A  majority 
shall  be  competent  to  transact  business. 

Art.  VI. — Any  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ  may  become 
a  Life  Director  by  the  payment  of  foOO.OO,  which  may  be  paid 
in  five  annual  installments;  or  a  Life  Member  by  the  payment 
of  $100.00,  in  five  annual  installments ;  or  an  Annual  Member 
by  the  payment  of  flO.OO. 

Art.  VII. — The  officers  of  the  Society  and  the  Life  Directors 
shall  constitute  a  Board  of  Managers,  who  shall  meet  at  least 
once  a  year  for  the  transaction  of  business. 

Art.  VIII. — The  Board  of  Managers  shall  have  power  to  ap- 
point its  own  meetings,  elect  its  own  Chairman  and  Secretary, 
enact  its  own  by-laws  and  rules  of  order,  provided  always  that 
they  be  not  inconsistent  with  the  Constitution  of  this  Society, 
fill  all  vacancies  which  may  occur  in  their  own  body  during 
the  year,  and  if  deemed  necessary  by  two-thirds  of  the  mem- 
bers present,  at  a  regular  meeting,  convene  special  meetings  of 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  621 


the  Society.  They  shall  establish  such  agencies  as  the  in- 
terests of  the  Society  may  require,  appoint  missionaries,  fix 
their  compensation,  direct  their  labours,  make  all  appropria- 
tions to  be  paid  out  of  the  treasury,  and  present  to  the  Society 
at  each  annual  meeting  a  report  of  their  proceedings  during 
the  past  year.  The  action  of  the  Board  of  Managers  is  sub- 
ject to  the  revision  of  the  Society. 

Art.  IX. — The  Treasurer  shall  give  bond  in  such  amount  as 
the  Board  of  Managers  shall  think  proper. 

Art.  X. — The  annual  meetings  of  this  Society  shall  be  held 
at  the  same  time  and  place  as  those  of  the  General  Christian 
Missionary  Convention  (unless  otherwise  ordered  by  the  Board 
of  Managers)  and  its  proceedings  may  be  published  as  a  part 
of  the  proceedings  of  that  Convention. 

Art.  XI. — This  Constitution  may  be  amended  at  any  regular 
meeting  of  the  Society,  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  all  the 
members  present,  provided  such  amendment  shall  have  been 
first  recommended  by  the  Board,  or  a  year's  notice  shall  have 
been  given.* 

At  the  night  session,  which  had  been  generously  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  new  society,  Isaac  Errett  made  his 
presidential  address,  which  was  wholly  extemporaneous, 
though  very  tender  and  effective.  The  first  set  address 
that  evening  was  delivered  by  W.  T.  Moore,  in  which  he 
gave  an  outline  of  the  plan  and  purposes  of  the  new 
society,  even  indicating  some  of  the  countries  where  the 
society  would  aim  to  establish  missions  within  the  near 
future.  In  the  course  of  this  address  Mr.  Moore  answered 
some  objections  that  had  been  raised  against  the  new 
society.    Among  other  things,  he  said : 

You  say  we  have  tried  Foreign  Missions  and  failed.  I  beg 
pardon,  but  I  really  do  not  think  we  have  tried  very  much. 
True,  we  sent  a  faithful  missionary  to  Jerusalem  and  also  one 
to  Jamaica,  but  did  we  sustain  them  there?  While  we  were 
discussing  the  propriety  of  having  a  missionary  society  with 
a  moneyed  basis,  our  missionaries  were  starved  out  and  had 
to  leave  their  work,  which  had  only  been  fairly  started,  and 
come  home.  This  is  precisely  the  way  we  have  tried  the 
foreign  missionary  work.  .  .  . 

But  away  with  all  petty  excuses  that  stand  between  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  and  the  great  work  of  converting  the  world. 
The  time  has  come  to  end  this  discussion  concerning  the  dif- 
ference "  twixt  tweedledum  and  tweedledee."  It  is  work  that 
is  needed  now,  and  not  controversy.  Then  let  the  Macedonian 
cry,  which  comes  up  from  all  quarters  of  the  globe,  so  com- 
pletely drown  the  noise  of  our  fruitless  discussions,  that  all 

•"Christian  Missions,"  by  F.  M.  Green,  pp.  194-196. 


622    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


along  the  army  of  the  Lord  nothing  shall  be  heard  but  the 
stirring  command  of  "Forward  to  the  conquest  of  the  nations." 

But  if  there  are  those  who  are  unwilling  to  work  in  an;j  way, 
I  think  we  ought  to  say  to  all  such  that  we  cannot  wait  on 
them  any  longer.  For  the  last  twenty-five  years  we  have  been 
trj'ing  to  get  forward,  but  surely  our  progress  has  not  been  all 
that  we  could  desire.  And  it  seems  to  me  part  of  our  trouble 
has  been  that  those  among  us  who  have  had  a  true  vision  of 
our  responsibilities,  and  who  have  always  been  willing  to  make 
real  sacrifices  in  order  to  push  on  the  work,  have  been  largely 
spending  their  time  in  fruitless  eftorts  to  conciliate  certain 
brethren  who  oppose  all  co-operative  missionary  labour.  I 
say  fruitless  efforts,"  for  there  never  was  a  more  profitless 
controversy  than  that  which  has  been  going  on  between  our 
missionary  and  anti-missionary  men.  If  the  difficulty  with 
those  who  oppose  us  was  only  an  intellectual  aberration,  then 
might  we  hope  to  correct  it  by  discussion;  but  as  long  as  it 
remains  true  that  selfishness  is  at  the  bottom  of  all  anti-mis- 
sionary logic,  it  is  worse  than  useless  to  try  to  overcome 
prejudice  against  us  by  an  appeal  to  the  reasonableness  of  our 
cause. 

It  ought  to  be  evident  by  this  time  that  if  the  work  is  ever 
done  we  must  do  it  ourselves.  We  cannot  hope  for  the  co- 
operation of  those  who  will  not  co-operate  in  anything,  unless 
it  be  opposition  to  all  that  means  success.  Nor  can  we  delay 
any  longer  in  this  matter,  brethren.  If  we  do  not  act  now, 
God  will  give  the  work  into  other  hands ;  for  you  may  rest  as- 
sured he  will  not  leave  himself  without  a  faithful  witness  to 
the  nations  of  the  plea  which  we,  to-day,  represent. 

At  the  close  of  this  address  the  speaker  indicated  the 
true  method  that  should  be  adopted  in  dealing  with  those 
who  would  be  sure  to  find  objections  to  the  new  movement. 
He  told  the  atorj  of  two  men  starting  to  a  certain  village. 
A  started  an  hour  before  B  did,  but  they  both  arrived 
at  the  village  at  the  same  time.  B  interrogated  A  as  to 
why  he  had  been  so  long  on  the  road.  A  replied  that 
when  he  came  to  a  certain  place  a  number  of  dogs  ran 
out  and  began  barking  at  him,  and  that  he  had  spent 
an  hour  in  throwing  stones  at  these  dogs.  B  said  the 
same  dogs  had  barked  at  him,  but  he  paid  no  attention  to 
them  whatever,  and  in  this  way  he  had  caught  up  with  A. 
"  Now^,"  said  Mr.  Moore,  "  we  should  not  spend  our  time 
in  throwing  stones  at  barking  dogs."  This  exercise  would 
only  delay  progress,  and  would  probably  only  irritate  the 
dogs,  and  do  no  good  w^hatever.  The  true  spirit  that 
should  be  manifested  is  to  attend  to  the  business  in  hand, 
and  let  the  objections  alone.    He  continued  by  saying. 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  623 


that  those  who  opposed  missionary  societies  would  have 
to  be  convinced,  if  convinced  at  all,  by  the  work  accom- 
plished by  these  societies.  Christ  Himself  did  not  argue 
with  His  bitterest  opponents.  He  said,  "  If  I  do  not  the 
work  of  My  Father,  believe  Me  not ;  but  if  I  do  His  work, 
then  if  you  cannot  believe  in  Me,  believe  the  work."  This 
same  method  would,  in  the  long  run,  win  for  every  society 
that  might  be  organised.  If  the  society  would  do  the 
work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  lost,  there  would  not 
be  much  difficulty  in  finally  winning  the  approbation  of 
all  honest,  earnest  Christians. 

It  is  worth  while  to  state  the  fact  that  this  policy 
has  generally  been  adopted  by  the  men  of  the  Foreign 
Christian  Missionary  Society.  They  have  turned  neither 
to  the  right  nor  to  the  left,  but  have  kept  definitely  to 
the  main  work  which  the  society  was  organised  to  do, 
and  the  result  has  been  a  most  triumphant  vindication 
of  the  policy  indicated  in  Mr.  Moore's  address. 

At  the  same  meeting  L.  B.  Wilkes  delivered  an  able 
and  pointed  address,  from  which  the  following  is  an 
extract : 

Does  any  one  say,  be  careful  how  you  form  a  co-operation, 
every  detail  of  which  is  not  expressly  provided  for  in  the  word 
of  God?  I  reply,  be  careful  that  you  fail  not,  nor  refuse  to 
do  what  is,  in  this  case,  manifestly  the  will  of  God.  It  is,  as 
1  understand  the  subject,  the  divine  plan  in  such  a  case  that 
the  people  of  God  sliould  imite  in  such  a  co-operation  as  would 
be  efficient.  Opposition  in  such  a  case  is  n6t  the  teaching  of 
the  book.  It  is  human,  if  it  is  not  something  worse.  I  am 
for  the  divine  plan  in  every  case,  and  against  all  human 
schemes.  .  .  .  We  need  to  have  our  more  prominent  brethren, 
with  tongue  and  pen,  to  speak  out  a  little  plainer.  If  there 
is  anything  settled  in  regard  to  our  work,  so  that  there  is  no 
reasonable  doubt,  let  there  be  plain  talk  about  it.  .  .  .  It 
ought  to  be  made  odious  to  oppose  all  ways  of  co  operation  for 
doing  missionary  work.  A  man  may  be  respected  who  prefers 
one  plan  of  co-operation  to  another.  Such  a  one  is  not  only, 
willing  to  do  something  in  co-operation  with  his  brethren,  but 
he  manifests  common  sense  candor  to  admit  that  some  plan 
is  needed  to  work  by.  But  he  who  opposes  all  plans  of  co- 
operation, and,  therefore,  opposes  all  co-operation,  is  not 
religiously  respectable.  This  plain,  earnest  talking  ought  to 
be  done  everywhere.  Especially  ought  it  to  be  done  by  every 
preacher  in  his  pulpit,  and  as  he  goes  in  and  out  among  his 
brethren.* 

* "  Memoirs  Isaac  Errett,"  Vol.  II.,  pp.   144.  145. 


624    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  Foreign  Christian  Mis- 
sionary Society,  which  has  undoubtedly  proved  to  be  the 
most  effective  organisation  for  co-operative  work  that  has 
ever  existed  among  the  Disciples.  Soon  after  the  society 
adjourned,  Robert  Mofifett  sent  in  his  resignation  as  corre- 
sponding secretary,  and  W.  T.  Moore  was  appointed  in  his 
place,  who  served  two  years  without  salary,  as  he  was  at 
that  time  amply  supported  by  the  Central  Christian  Church, 
of  Cincinnati,  of  which  he  was  pastor.  But  Mr.  Moore  found 
it  was  impossible  for  him  to  do  the  work  of  corresponding 
secretary  as  it  should  be  done,  and  consequently  W.  B, 
Ebbert  was  appointed  corresponding  secretary,  who  for 
four  years  did  the  clerical  work  of  the  office  on  a  small 
salary,  which  supplemented  the  salary  he  was  receiving 
from  a  business  position  which  he  held. 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  facts  that  the  society  started 
out  very  modestly,  and  with  the  least  possible  expense. 
But  it  was  soon  found  that  something  more  effective  should 
be  done  in  order  to  secure  the  best  results.  Accordingly, 
A.  McLean  was  elected  corresponding  secretary,  and  under 
his  administration  the  society  went  on  from  victory  to 
victory.  The  facts  related  will  also  show  that  the  definite 
movement  for  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society  took  place 
in  1874,  rather  than  in  1875,  as  the  record  is  usually 
made.  It  is  true  that  the  organisation  was  not  com- 
pleted until  1875,  but  practically  the  society  was  formed 
and  its  organisation  provided  for  before  the  meeting  in 
Louisville,  1875.'  This  fact  makes  the  beginning  of  the 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society  synchronise  with  the 
beginning  of  the  C.  W.  B.  M.,  and  justifies  the  statement 
made  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  that  the  year  1874 
was  a  red-letter  year  in  the  history  of  the  Disciples. 

In  this  necessarily  brief  sketch  it  is  impossible  to  follow 
this  society  in  detail  through  the  thirty  odd  years  of  its 
history.  But  it  will  be  interesting  to  the  general  reader 
to  place  before  him  a  brief  account  of  the  work  that  has 
been  accomplished.  It  has  been  stated  that  it  was  not 
the  intention  of  the  founders  of  the  society  to  do  missionary 
work  in  Europe.  This  is  a  mistake,  but  it  has  been 
iterated  and  reiterated  until  it  has  become  classic  in  the 
history  of  the  society.  In  the  very  address  of  Mr,  Moore, 
to  which  reference  has  been  made,  he  sketched  in  a  brief 
outline  the  work  which  the  society  had  in  view.    In  this 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  625 


comprehension  he  mentioned  several  European  countries, 
and  as  a  matter  of  fact,  at  this  very  meeting  of  the 
society,  missionaries  were  actually  appointed  to  several 
of  these  countries.  Henry  S.  Earle  was  appointed  to 
England,  J.  S.  Lamar  to  Italy,  Professor  C.  L.  Loos  was 
soon  asked  to  go  to  Germany,  and  Dr.  A.  Hoick  to  Den- 
mark. 

It  was  evidently  the  intention,  from  the  very  beginning, 
to  evangelise  some  of  the  countries  of  Europe,  as  well  as 
countries  in  heathen  lands;  but  it  is  freely  conceded  that 
heathen  missions  chiefly  occupied  the  thought  of  those 
who  were  managing  the  society  in  its  early  days.  Missions 
were  established  in  England,  France,  Denmark,  and 
Sweden.  Both  Mr.  Lamar  and  Professor  Loos  felt  it  im- 
possible for  them  to  go  to  the  countries  to  which  they  had 
been  appointed. 

Doubtless  the  mission  in  England  was  stimulated  largely 
by  two  considerations.  First  of  all,  it  was  felt  that  the 
Restoration  movement  in  England  had  been  largely  handi- 
capped by  a  narrow,  impracticable  policy,  and  that  this 
policy  was  growing  worse  and  worse,  owing  to  the  kind 
of  leadership  which  the  movement  in  that  country  had. 

Reference  has  alrealy  been  made  to  the  letters  of  David 
King,  written  to  the  American  churches,  in  which  he 
severely  criticised  these  churches  for  practising  what  he 
called  "  open  communion,"  and  other  things  which  he  re- 
garded as  extremely  objectionable.  It  was  believed,  there- 
fore, that  if  some  American  evangelist  could  visit  England, 
a  more  liberal  spirit  of  the  brethren  there  might  be  the 
result". 

This  view  of  the  matter  was  accentuated  by  the  fact 
that  a  number  of  brethren  in  that  country  had  been, 
and  were  still,  calling  for  American  evangelists  to  help 
thera  with  their  work  there.  In  the  spirit  of  real  help- 
fulness, American  evangelists  were  sent,  but  it  was  soon 
found  that  Mr.  King's  influence,  through  his  magazine, 
made  it  next  to  impossible  for  these  evangelists  to  have 
hearty  co-operation  with  the  brethren  in  England  and 
Scotland.  However,  there  were  some  who  refused  to  be 
bound  by  Mr.  King's  advice,  and  these  formed  a  nucleus 
for  the  organisation  of  churches  that  should  be  guided 
by  a  somewhat  more  liberal  policy  than  that  which  had 
characterised  the  "  old  brethren,"  as  they  were  called.  In 


020    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  churches  which  these  evangelists  organised  the  police 
system  "  of  the  English  brethren,  in  guarding  the  com- 
munion table  and  the  contribution  plate,  was  entirely 
abolished.  As  this  was  the  main  point  of  difficulty,  the 
new  churches  were  practically  regarded  by  the  English 
and  Scotch  churches  as  unworthy  of  their  fellowship. 
It  is  furthermore  doubtless  true  that  the  help  which 
Timothy  Coop,  a  wealthy  member  of  the  English  churches, 
gave  to  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society  had 
something  to  do  with  continuing  the  mission  in  England. 
Mr.  Coop  was  for  many  years  as  narrow  as  any  of  the 
rest  of  his  brethren,  but  a  few  visits  to  America  had 
the  effect  of  changing  his  views  with  respect  to  some  things 
wherein  the  American  brethren  differed  from  those  in 
England.  Mr.  Coop  soon  saw  that  one  reason  why  the 
American  churches  had  succeeded,  while  the  British 
churches  had  made  very  slow  progress,  was  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  American  movement  had  not  been  loaded 
down  with  extremely  narrow  views  and  practices.  He, 
therefore,  plead  earnestly  with  his  brethren  for  a  change 
in  their  policy.  But  they  paid  little  or  no  attention  to 
his  appeals,  and  consequently  he  withdrew  mainly  his 
support  from  the  British  churches,  and  gave  it  heartily 
to  the  new  movement,  under  the  direction  of  American 
evangelists. 

Mr.  Coop  was  a  very  extraordinary  man.  He  was  per- 
haps the  most  generous  giver  among  the  Disciples  during 
his  day.  Though  not  an  exceedingly  wealthy  man,  his 
gifts  were  munificent,  and  the  more  he  gave  the  more  he 
was  prospered  in  his  business,  and  the  more  he  wanted 
to  give  to  the  cause  which  he  loved  so  dearly.  He  fell 
asleep  at  Wichita,  Kan.,  while  on  a  visit  to  America, 
May  15,  1887,  and  was  buried  in  Spring  Grove  Cemetery 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  His  last  hours  are  vividly  sketched 
by  Professor  H.  W.  Everest,  Chancellor  of  Garfield  Uni- 
versity, located  at  Wichita,  in  a  funeral  address,  from 
which  we  make  the  following  extract : 

With  such  a  life  before  us,  concerning  the  death  which  was 
the  end  thereof,  and  which  made  it  immortal  in  its  beauty  and 
power,  we  need  say  but  little.  The  life  is  everything;  the 
death  is  nothing;  nothing,  whether  it  come  by  the  lightning 
stroke  or  by  the  slow  approaches  of  a  lingering  disease; 
whether  it  break  in  upon  the  tranquillity  of  home,  or  bring 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  627 


rest  to  a  weary  wanderer  in  a  land  of  strangers.  And  yet, 
who  would  not  like  to  know  something  concerning  the  last 
hours  of  this  good  man?  About  ten  days  ago  he  came  into  his 
own  hired  house,  which  stands  in  full  view  of  the  rising  walls 
of  Garfield  University.  By  an  almost  special  providence  some 
of  his  family  had  crossed  the  sea  and  joined  him  there.  Once 
more  his  wife  and  children  were  about  him.  He  felt  as  though 
he  could  recover  and  would  be  permitted  to  carry  out  his  plans, 
and  yet  to  a  friend  he  said:  "I  am  almost  done;  almost 
through.  If  it  is  the  Lord's  will  that  I  should  go,  I  do  not 
want  any  one  to  pray  that  I  may  live — not  even  a  week."  He 
expressed  disappointment  that  he  could  not  carry  out  his 
plans,  but  not  a  murmur  indicated  that  he  was  not  content. 
At  first  he  could  watch  from  his  window  the  workmen  at  the 
University,  speak  of  this  and  that  element  of  architectural 
strength  and  beauty,  and  think,  mayhap,  of  the  portals  and 
walls  of  the  city  of  our  God  where  the  mansions  are,  and  where 
he  might  soon  find  admission.  Then  he  was  unable  to  rise, 
and  grew  weaker  day  by  day.  For  some  hours  he  was  a  great 
sufferer ;  sleep  brought  him  no  refreshment,  and  he  was  tossed 
from  side  to  side  on  the  rough  sea  of  death.  At  length  na- 
ture's opiate  made  him  unconscious  of  pain,  and  then  great 
quiet  and  peace  seemed  to  have  descended  upon  him.  That 
room  where  this  good  man  died,  where  the  wife  bent  over  his 
dying  pillow,  and  where  his  children  w'atched  his  slumber  as  he 
sank  lower  into  the  deep  stillness  of  death,  was  a  solemn  place, 
a  holy  place,  the  vestibule  of  heaven.  At  four  o'clock  he 
opened  his  eyes  as  if  to  look  once  more  at  the  faces  that  bent 
over  him,  and  then  gently  closed  them  in  the  last  long  sleep 
of  the  grave.  Gently  he  passed  away,  gently  as  if  borne  aloft 
by  angel  hands;  as  gently  as  the  night  yielded  to  the  glories 
of  another  Lord's  Day.  Then  we  remembered  Him  who 
brought  life  and  immortality  to  light,  and  who  said,  "  I  am  the 
Resurrection  and  the  Life ;  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he 
were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live."  Thanks  be  to  God  who  giveth  us 
the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.* 

To  show  how  he  was  appreciated  by  the  Foreign  Chris- 
tian Missionary  Society,  it  is  only  necessary  to  give  the 
following  report  of  the  Obituary  Committee,  made  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  society,  held  in  October  follow- 
ing his  death: 

Timothy  Coop,  the  faithful  soldier  of  Christ,  the  devoted 
friend  of  missions,  has  been  called  from  a  useful  and  conse- 
crated life  of  toil  on  earth  to  the  peace  and  joy  of  heaven. 
By  his  zeal  in  behalf  of  missions,  and  his  large  work  through 
this  Society,  his  name  has  become  a  household  word  in  the 

•"Life  of  Timothy  Coop,"  pp.  428-429. 


628    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


homes  of  the  Disciples,  both  in  America  and  England.  His 
liberality  was  as  great  as  the  bounty  which  Providence  poured 
into  his  bosom.  '*  The  liberal  soul  deviseth  liberal  things,  and 
by  liberal  things  shall  stand."  The  Lord  made  him  to  increase 
in  wealth,  and  he  was  neither  an  unwise  nor  an  unfaithful 
steward.  Princely  as  were  his  benefactions,  they  were  in- 
adequate, because  only  material  manifestations  of  his  princely 
spirit.  Manifold  were  his  good  words,  but  his  labours  through 
this  Society  abounded.  In  its  feeble  beginnings,  his  wise 
counsel  and  his  liberal  contributions  to  its  funds  inspired  a 
host  to  renewed  and  hopeful  toil  for  the  salvation  of  the 
heathen. 

We  have  had  great  preachers,  great  teachers,  mighty  leaders 
of  God's  hosts ;  but  Timothy  Coop  was  pre-eminently  the  great 
practical  friend  of  missions,  and  as  such  he  will  for  years  to 
come  be  known  in  America  and  England  and  in  far  distant 
lands. 

Timothy  Coop,  thy  liberal  hand  lies  pulseless  on  thy  bosom ; 
thy  generous  heart  has  ceased  to  beat ;  thy  pure,  manly  face  is 
no  more  seen  in  the  assemblies  of  thy  brethren  on  earth.  Thou 
didst  follow  thy  Saviour  in  this  stormy  world — thou  hast  fol- 
lowed Him  to  the  heavens.  Is  it  too  much  to  trust  that  when 
the  loved  of  earth,  who  had  passed  before  him,  waited  for  him 
at  the  portals  of  the  skies  and  gave  him  a  glad  welcome,  the 
Redeemer  welcomed  him  too,  and  said  of  him  as  of  Nathaniel 
of  old,  "  Behold  an  Israelite  indeed  in  whom  there  is  no 
guile"?* 

The  following  incident,  related  by  his  biographer,  will 
serve  to  illustrate  the  practical  character  of  his  mind. 

On  one  occasion  he  was  having  an  earnest  conversation  with 
a  Baptist  minister  in  reference  to  the  design  of  baptism.  The 
conversation  took  somewhat  the  following  form.  Mr.  Coop 
wished  to  know  of  the  minister  how  he  would  treat  an  earnest 
enquirer  who  asked  him  the  way  of  salvation.  "  Suppose," 
said  Mr.  Coop,  "  such  an  enquirer  were  to  come  to  you,  and 
tell  you  that  he  had  been  hearing  your  preaching  for  some  time, 
and  was  now  anxious  to  be  a  Christian,  what  would  you  tell 
him  to  do?"  The  Baptist  minister  answered  by  saying  that 
he  would  tell  him  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  "  But," 
said  Mr.  Coop,  "  suppose  he  says  he  does  believe,  would  his 
answer  be  sufficient,  and  would  you  require  nothing  else?" 
The  minister  answered  that  he  thought  this  would  be  quite 
sufficient,  and  opened  his  New  Testament  to  that  answer  as 
recorded  in  Acts  xvi :  31.  "  Then,"  said  Mr.  Coop,  "  you  would 
require  nothing  else?"  "I  certainly  would  not,"  said  the 
minister,  "  for  the  passage  in  question  does  not  require  any- 
thing else."    "  But,"  said  Mr.  Coop,  "  if  we  read  a  little  fur- 

*"Life  of  Timothy  Coop,"  pp.  436-436. 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  629 


ther  you  will  see  that  something  else  was  done,  for  the  jailer 
was  the  same  hour  of  the  night  baptised,  he  and  all  his  straight- 
way." However,  the  minister  insisted  that  the  answer  he 
had  intimated  was  all  that  he  was  bound  to  give  to  the  en- 
quirer, since  that  is  all  the  Apostles  told  the  Philippian  jailer 
to  do.  Mr.  Coop  insisted  that  in  this  his  friend  was  mistaken, 
but  waiving  that  point  he  turned  to  Acts  ii :  38,  and  quoted 
Peter's  answer  to  the  Pentecostians,  and  then  pointed  out  that 
faith  was  not  mentioned  there  as  a  condition  at  all.  "  Now," 
said  he,  "  we  have  here  practically  the  same  question  asked, 
and  yet  faith  is  not  a  condition  at  all."  "  But,"  said 
the  minister,  that  passage  is  not  applicable  to  an  enquirer 
in  these  days ;  it  was  all  right  for  the  Jews,  but  it  would  not  do 
for  an  answer  to  a  Gentile  enquirer."  At  that  time  Mr.  Coop 
was  using  the  minister's  own  Bible,  and  deliberately  taking 
his  knife  from  his  pocket,  he  opened  it  and  began  to  cut  the 
passage  out,  when  the  minister  caught  his  hand  and  protested. 

But,"  said  Mr.  Coop,  "  if  the  passage  is  of  no  particular  use 
why  not  cut  it  out?  Let  us  get  our  Bible  down  to  the  exact 
dimensions  needed,  and  then  we  will  know  precisely  what  we 
have  to  do  and  what  we  have  not  to  do." 

But  the  minister  persisted  that  he  would  not  have  his  Bible 
mutilated.  Then  Mr.  Coop  turned  to  the  reply  of  Ananias 
to  Saul,  and  pointed  out  to  the  minister  that  in  this  neither 
faith  nor  repentance  was  mentioned,  and  if  his  rule  of  inter- 
pretation could  be  trusted,  then  it  was  absolutely  certain  that 
all  those  passages  where  faith  is  not  mentioned  cannot  be  re- 
garded as  in  any  way  related  to  the  salvation  of  the  sinner. 
Mr.  Coop  then  went  on  to  explain  that  in  all  such  cases  the 
different  circumstances  must  be  taken  into  account,  and  when 
this  is  done,  he  contended  that  there  can  be  no  even  apparent 
contradiction.  What  was  necessary  in  every  ca.se  was  to  con- 
sider the  particular  point  of  view  from  which  the  answer  is 
given,  and  then  the  failure  to  mention  any  condition  or  con- 
ditions of  the  Gospel  is  easily  understood.  And  when  the 
reason  for  the  omission  is  understood,  it  will  at  once  be  seen 
that  the  conditions  not  mentioned  are  nevertheless  binding 
in  every  case.  The  Baptist  minister  hesitated  to  accept  this 
apparently  logical  conclusion,  but  at  the  same  time  he  admit- 
ted that  Mr.  Coop's  method  had  helped  him  to  open  his  eyes  to 
a  view  of  the  matter  he  had  never  before  noticed.* 

Early  after  the  English  mission  was  established,  an 
association  of  the  churches  was  formed,  entitled  "  The 
Christian  Association,"  and  this  has  continued  to  the 
present  time.  For  a  number  of  years  this  Association 
has  managed  the  mission  in  England,  though  the  Foreign 
Christian  Missionary  Society  in  America  has  contributed 

*  "  Life  of  Timothy  Coop,"  pp.  438-440. 


630   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


a  certain  amount  of  funds  to  the  work  in  England.  This 
was  thought  to  be  good  policy,  both  for  the  work  there  and 
also  for  the  best  interests  of  the  Foreign  Society.  It  gave 
the  English  brethren  a  sense  of  responsibility,  which  they 
could  not  otherwise  have  had,  and  at  the  same  time  it  re- 
lieved the  Foreign  Board  from  the  charge  which  was  fre- 
quently made  in  the  early  days  of  the  mission,  that  they 
were  giving  too  much  attention  to  missionary  work  that 
was  not  in  heathen  lands. 

The  mission  in  England  has  not  gained  any  large  acces- 
sions, but  it  has  had,  in  many  respects,  a  very  good  in- 
fluence upon  the  Disciple  movement.  Some  noble  men 
in  England  have  been  gained  to  the  cause.  Such  men 
as  W.  Durban,  E.  H.  Spring,  Eli  Brearley,  Joe  and  Frank 
Coop,  and  others  that  might  be  mentioned  are  worthy 
of  any  cause.  The  present  membership  of  the  churches 
there  is  2,237.  The  pupils  in  the  Sunday  School  number 
2,432.  The  society  owns  property  in  England  worth  at 
least  1100,000.00.  Besides  all  this,  eight  missionaries  have 
gone  out  from  that  country  to  India  and  China,  and  as 
many  more  to  the  West  Indies.  A  number  of  strong  men 
have  also  come  to  labour  in  the  United  States. 

While  the  churches  there  have  not  increased  rapidly  in 
numbers,  the  mission  has  been  worth  very  much  more 
than  it  has  cost,  and  its  liberalising  tendency  upon  the 
old  churches  that  were  there  before  the  mission  was  estab- 
lished has  been  very  considerable,  and  it  is  hoped  that 
at  no  distant  day  all  the  forces  in  the  United  Kingdom 
will  be  working  together  in  harmony  with  a  view  to  reach 
the  best  ideals  of  the  Disciple  movement.  Nevertheless, 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  establishing  of  the  cause 
in  England  is,  after  all,  geographically  in  the  wrong  direc- 
tion. Progress  is  toward  the  West.  Light  comes  from 
the  East,  strength  and  vigour  from  the  North,  courage  and 
heart  from  the  South,  but  development  is  very  generally 
westward,  if  not  always  in  that  direction.  In  view  of 
this  fact,  the  work  in  England  may  be  regarded  as  a  splen- 
did success,  seeing  that  the  stars  in  their  courses  do  not 
fight  with  an  eastward  movement. 

Before  closing  this  brief  notice  of  the  work  in  England, 
justice  demands  that  some  reference  should  be  made  to 
M.  D.  Todd  and  his  good  wife.  They  followed  Mr.  Earle, 
and  located  in  the  city  of  Chester,  where  Mr.  Todd's  preach- 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  631 


ing  of  the  simple  Gospel  soon  attracted  much  attention, 
and  in  a  short  time  he  organised  a  church  there,  which 
continues  to  prosper  to  the  present  time.  Todd  was  a 
great  teacher  of  the  Bible,  as  well  as  a  most  logical  and 
impressive  preacher.  He  and  his  wife  practically  gave 
their  lives  to  the  cause  which  they  advocated.  The  Eng- 
lish churches  will  long  remember  their  untiring  and  sacri- 
ficing labours. 

In  the  year  1876  Dr.  A.  Hoick,  a  Dane  by  birth,  opened 
a  mission  in  Copenhagen,  The  society  has  two  churches 
in  that  city,  and  both  of  these  are  under  the  direction 
of  one  pastor,  viz.,  Julius  Cramer.  The  first  church  has 
a  building  worth  $25,000.00.  There  are  two  churches  in 
Sweden,  and  twenty  churches  in  Norway,  several  of  these 
churches  being  the  fruit  of  Dr.  Hoick's  labours  and  gener- 
osity. 

Soon  after  Dr.  Hoick  located  in  Copenhagen  he  began 
the  publication  of  a  paper,  which  turned  out  to  be  re- 
munerative, and  brought  him  a  considerable  income.  This 
he  generously  used  in  supporting  his  work.  He  was  a 
fine  specimen  of  a  true  Christian  gentleman,  well-educated, 
intellectually  strong,  and  in  heart  consecrated.  He  was 
also  generous  to  a  high  degree.  He  went  to  his  reward 
in  1906.  It  was  through  his  strong  personality  and  vigor- 
ous advocacy  that  the  cause  was  established  firmly  in 
Scandinavia. 

In  1877  a  mission  was  established  in  Paris,  France,  but 
it  did  not  prove  a  very  great  success,  and  was  finally 
abandoned.  It  was  under  the  direction  of  Jules  de 
Launay,  a  Frenchman,  who  had  been  educated  for  the 
Roman  Catholic  priesthood.  His  wife  was  an  English- 
woman, and  the  two  laboured  earnestly,  but  owing  to  great 
difficulties  the  mission  was  discontinued  in  1886. 

G.  N.  Shishmanian,  an  Armenian,  who  became  a  Chris- 
tian in  Dallas,  Tex.,  began  work  in  Constantinople, 
Turkey,  in  1879.  In  1884  Dr.  Garabed  Kevorkian,  an- 
other Armenian,  became  a  missionary  at  Tokat,  in  Asiatic 
Turkey.  He  is  still  there,  and  under  the  society  ministers 
to  a  group  of  churches  in  that  part  of  the  Empire.  Shish- 
manian gave  up  the  work  in  Constantinople  in  1904. 

The  work  in  India  was  begun  in  1882.  The  first  group 
of  missionaries  consisted  of  G.  L.  Wharton,  Albert  Norton, 
and  their  families.    The  society  now  has  four  stations 


632    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


and  several  out  stations,  viz.,  Harda,  Bilaspur,  Mungeli, 
Damoh,  Hatta,  and  Jubbulpore.  The  work  has  five 
branches:  The  evangelistic,  medical,  educational,  the  lit- 
erary, and  the  benevolent. 

For  seventeen  years  G.  L.  Wharton  had  charge  of  the 
evangelistic  department.  He  was  located  at  Harda,  and 
preached  and  trained  a  class  of  preachers.  He  fell  at 
his  post,  having  given  twenty  years  of  his  life  to  the  work 
in  India.  He  was,  indeed,  a  model  missionary.  As  a 
pioneer  of  the  work  in  India,  he  will  take  a  place  in 
history  in  the  days  to  come  scarcely  second  to  that  of 
Carey.  The  influence  of  his  life  upon  missions  cannot 
well  be  overestimated.  Everywhere  his  name  is  mentioned 
as  the  most  heroic  and  splendid  example  yet  furnished  by 
the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  missionary  work. 

Another  devoted  missionary,  M.  D.  Adams,  went  to 
India  in  1883,  and  located  at  Bilaspur.  He  also  teaches 
and  preaches,  and  is  to-day  the  oldest  missionary  among 
the  living  Disciple  representatives  in  India.  Others 
occupy  this  field  also.  For  the  whole  of  India  the  converts 
number  852,  the  children  in  the  Sunday  Schools,  2,036 ;  the 
children  in  the  day  schools,  1,383;  the  people  treated  in 
the  hospitals  and  dispensaries,  57,879. 

The  converts  in  India  have  a  mission  of  their  own,  which 
they  maintain  and  manage.  This  is  under  the  superin- 
tendency  of  Dr.  John  Fanna.  He  preaches  the  Gospel, 
heals  the  sick,  and  teaches  the  young.  This  station  is  at 
Kota,  some  twenty  miles  distant  from  Bilaspur. 

The  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society  entered  Japan 
in  1883.  George  T.  Smith  and  C.  E.  Garst  and  their 
families  were  the  first  of  the  society's  missionaries  to  go 
to  that  country.  At  present  the  society  has  missionaries 
in  Tokyo,  Osaka,  Sendai,  and  Akita.  In  addition  to  these 
four  main  stations,  work  is  carried  on  at  Fukushima, 
Innai,  Arakawa,  Shizuoka,  Honjo,  Gose,  Akozu,  and 
Shonai.  The  Gospel  is  preached  regularly  at  forty-one 
places,  and  at  a  greater  number  irregularly.  In  the  nine- 
teen organised  churches,  there  are  1,620  members;  in 
the  twenty-five  Sunday  Schools  there  are  1,620  pupils,  and 
in  the  day  schools  371.  The  Society  owns  eight  chapels, 
nine  homes,  and  three  school  buildings  in  Japan. 

The  first  missionary  sent  out  to  China  by  the  Foreign 
Society  was  Dr.  W.  E.  Macklin.    He  first  went  to  Japan, 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  633 


but  afterward  chose  China  as  a  mission  field.  He  is  a 
Canadian  by  birth,  and  received  his  medical  education 
in  Toronto  and  New  York  City.  Just  as  soon  as  he  could 
speak  the  language  sufficiently,  he  established  himself  in 
Nanking,  and  called  for  reinforcements.  He  was  joined 
that  year  by  two  young  men  from  London,  Mr.  A.  F.  H.  Saw 
and  E.  P.  Hearndon,  and  by  E.  T.  Williams  and  F.  E.  Meigs 
and  their  wives  from  America.  The  principal  places  occu- 
pied in  China  are  Nanking,  Shanghai,  Chu  Cheo,  Wuhu, 
Lu  Cheo  fu,  Chao  Hsien,  and  Nantungchow,  with  a  number 
of  out  stations.  F.  E.  Meigs  is  president  of  Union  Chris- 
tian College,  where  many  young  men  are  being  prepared 
for  lives  of  usefulness.  A  college  also  has  been  opened 
for  young  women.  Miss  Emma  Lyon  is  president  of  the 
Woman's  College.  Miss  Edna  Kurz  is  associated  with 
her.  James  Ware,  H.  P.  Shaw,  W.  R.  Hunt,  and  their 
families  have  their  homes  in  Shanghai.  Ware  has  been 
in  China  over  twenty-eight  years,  and  Hunt  is  one  of  the 
most  efficient  speakers  among  the  missionaries  of  that 
country,  having  very  full  command  of  the  language  which 
he  uses.  Dr.  E.  I.  Osgood  and  D.  E.  Dannenberg  and 
their  families  are  at  Chu  Cheo.  Dr.  Osgood  has  a  hospital 
and  dispensary,  and  both  he  and  Dr.  Macklin  are  con- 
sidered among  the  most  successful  physicians  in  that 
country. 

Another  great  medical  work  is  being  done  at  Lu  Cheo  fu, 
by  Dr.  James  Butchart.  In  the  year  1908  he  and  his 
assistants  treated  over  33,000  patients.  The  number  of 
church  members  in  China  in  1909  is  714;  children  in  the 
Sunday  Schools,  650;  children  in  the  day  schools,  346. 
The  Society  has  bought  or  built  thirteen  homes,  five  chap- 
els, and  four  schools. 

In  March,  1897,  the  Society  extended  its  work  into 
Africa.  Two  missionaries,  E.  E.  Faris,  of  Dallas,  Tex., 
and  Dr.  H.  N.  Biddle,  of  Cincinnat,  Ohio.  After  visiting 
several  places,  they  finally  settled  at  Bolenge.  As  a  speci- 
men of  religious  courtesy  and  brotherliness,  it  is  worth 
stating  that  the  Baptists  agreed  to  vacate  that  part  of  the 
continent,  and  also  sold  their  buildings  to  the  new  mission 
for  less  than  half  the  original  cost.  A  wonderful  work 
is  now  being  carried  on  at  Bolenge  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Dr.  R.  J.  and  Mrs.  Dye,  A.  F.  and  Mrs.  Hensey, 
Dr.  W.  C.  Widowson,  and  Miss  Katherine  Blackburn. 


634    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Charles  P.  Hedges  and  E.  R.  and  Mrs.  Moon  are  recent  ad- 
ditions. The  work  at  this  place  seems  almost  miraculous. 
The  Sunday  School  has  1,500  enrolled.  The  church  has  561 
members,  and  these  members  come  from  fifty  towns  and 
villages.  The  Endeavour  Society  has  900  members.  Of 
the  membership  of  this  church,  fifty-two  are  evangelists. 
Every  nine  members  support  the  tenth  as  a  missionary. 
These  workers  hazard  their  lives  for  the  Lord  Jesus.  They 
go  among  the  savages  and  cannibals  with  the  Gospel  mes- 
sage, and  never  know  whether  they  shall  return  again 
in  the  flesh.  The  whole  mission  is  a  veritable  beehive 
of  activity.  About  10,000  sick  are  treated  by  Dr.  Dye 
and  his  staff  each  year.  The  schools  that  have  been 
opened  are  well  attended.  A  definite  literature  is  being 
created.  The  four  Gospels  and  some  of  the  Epistles  have 
been  translated.  A  hymnbook  and  several  schoolbooks 
have  been  prepared;  and  all  this  among  a  people  who 
are  simple,  untutored  savages.  They  have  no  written 
grammar.    They  have  no  words  for  "  believe,"  "  repent," 

confess,"  "  virgin,"  and  many  other  important  words 
that  must  be  used  in  preaching  the  Gospel.  From  this 
fact  will  readily  be  seen  what  a  difficult  problem  these 
missionaries  have  before  them  to  solve,  and  yet  the  success 
of  this  mission  is  phenomenal,  the -present  outlook  being 
encouraging  beyond  all  reasonable  expectation. 

The  Society  has  also  entered  Cuba.  In  1899  L.  C. 
McPherson  and  Melvin  Menges  and  their  families  located 
in  Havana.  The  work  there  is  successful,  but  the  problem 
is  a  very  different  one  from  what  it  is  in  a  heathen  land. 
In  Cuba  they  have  to  deal  with  an  old,  fossilised  Catholi- 
cism, rather  than  the  religions  of  heathendom. 

A.  E.  Cory  and  wife  were  the  first  missionaries  to 
enter  Honolulu.  They  went  there  in  1900.  C.  C.  Wilson 
and  wife  were  in  charge  at  one  time.  G.  D.  Edwards  and 
wife  were  there  for  some  time. 

The  work  in  the  Philippines  is  very  promising.  W.  H. 
Hanna  and  H.  P.  Williams  and  their  families  were  sent 
there  in  1903,  and  others  have  since  followed.  There  are 
now  about  3,000  members  in  the  Philippines,  and  thirty- 
four  churches.  The  evangelists  number  171.  The  pros- 
pects of  this  mission  are  regarded  by  the  Society  as  very 
hopeful.  In  1903  Dr.  Rijnhart  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Shelton 
entered  Tibet.    They  made  their  home  in  Ta  Chien  Lu. 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  635 


Dr.  Rijnhart  soon  afterwards  married,  and  has  since  died. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  C.  Ogden  were  also  sent  out.  Dr.  Z.  S. 
Loftis  joined  the  mission  in  1909,  and  his  death  is  reported 
while  this  book  is  in  the  press.  This  mission  is  still  some- 
what of  an  experiment. 

In  March,  1909,  there  were  167  missionaries  and  594 
native  workers  in  the  employment  of  the  Society.  They 
work  at  forty-eight  stations  and  128  out  stations.  The 
churches  organised  number  117,  and  the  members  10,435. 
Many  have  died  and  moved  away;  some  have  gone  back 
to  the  weak  and  beggarly  elements  which  they  once  re- 
nounced. The  children  under  instruction  in  the  Sunday 
Schools  number  7,289;  in  the  day  schools  3,194.  Some 
of  these  are  being  taught  and  trained  to  assist  in  the 
work.  Great  numbers  of  tracts  and  gospels  have  been 
sold  and  distributed.  The  patients  treated  last  year 
numbered  about  127,882. 

Taking  all  the  countries  occupied  by  the  Society  into 
account,  the  following  list  gives  the  names  of  those  who 
have  fallen  in  the  conflict :  Mr.  M.  D.  Todd  and  wife,  Mrs. 
Durban,  Dr.  A.  Hoick,  Jules  Delaunay,  Mrs.  Mollie  B. 
Moore,  Miss  Mary  B.  Moore,  G.  L.  Wharton,  Miss  Sue 
Robinson,  Miss  Hattie  Judson,  Mrs.  Josephine  W.  Smith, 
Charles  E.  Garst,  Mrs.  Carrie  Loos  Williams,  E.  P.  Hearn- 
don,  Mrs.  E.  P.  Hearndon,  A.  F.  H.  Saw,  Dr.  Harry  N. 
Biddle,  C.  E.  Molland,  Miss  Ella  C.  Ewing,  Mrs.  Rijnhart, 
and  Dr.  Loftis. 

The  Foreign  Society  is  an  international  organization. 
The  churches  and  Sunday  Schools  of  Canada  have  con- 
tributed regularly  and  generously  from  the  first.  The 
women  of  Ontario  and  the  Maritime  Provinces  support 
Miss  Rioch  in  Japan.  The  Endeavourers  of  Ontario  have 
paid  for  a  dispensary  in  China  for  Dr.  Osgood.  England 
supports  Dr.  McGavran  in  India,  and  has  sent  Miss  Clark 
to  be  an  associate,  and  sends  large  amounts  each  year 
for  the  general  work.  Australia  supports  Miss  Thompson 
and  three  native  helpers  in  India:  Miss  Rose  L.  Tonkin 
in  China,  and  P.  A.  Davey  in  Japan.  Considerable  money 
has  been  sent  to  China  from  the  brethren  beneath  the 
Southern  Cross. 

The  income  of  the  Society  for  the  first  year  amounted 
to  $1,706.35;  for  the  past  year  to  |274,324.39.  The  re- 
ceipts, year  by  year,  as  are  follows: 


G36    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


1876   $1,706  35  1893   58,355  01 

1877   2,174  95  1894   73,258  16 

1878   8,766  24  1895   83,514  03 

1879   8,287  24  1896   93,867  71 

1880   12,144  00  1897   106,222  10 

1881   13,173  46  1898   130,925  70 

1882   25,063  94  1899   152,727  38 

1883   25,004  85  1900   180,016  16 

1884   26,601  84  1901   171,898  20 

1885   30,260  10  1902   178,323  66 

1886   61,737  07  1903   210,008  68 

1887   47,757  85  1904   211,318  60 

1888   62,767  59  1905   255,922  51 

1889   64,840  03  1906   268,726  62 

1890   67,750  49  1907   305,534  54 

1891   65,365  76  1908   274,324  39 

1892   70,320  84 

There  has  not  only  been  a  steady  increase  in  contribu- 
tions, but  in  the  number  of  contributors.  The  first  year 
twenty  churches  responded  to  the  appeal  for  funds;  last 
year,  3,457.  One  hundred  and  ten  churches  are  now  sup- 
porting their  own  missionaries  on  the  field. 

A  feature  in  these  contributions  is  what  is  given  on 
Children's  Day.  This  day,  which  was  observed  first  in 
1881,  originated  in  the  home  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Garrison,  of  St. 
Louis.  That  year  189  Sunday  Schools  responded.  In 
1909,  3,742  Sunday  Schools  responded.  From  the  first  to 
the  present  time  the  Sunday  Schools  have  given  |858,- 
563.00.  The  whole  amount  received  from  the  organisation 
of  the  Society  from  all  sources  is  $3,348,649.00.  Of  this 
amount,  about  |500,000.00  have  been  invested  in  property 
on  the  fields. 

Not  the  least  benefit  of  the  Foreign  Society  has  resulted 
from  the  reaction  upon  the  home  churches.  These  churches 
have  been  stimulated  to  religious  consecration.  Indeed, 
it  is  the  general  opinion  that  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  has  done  more  than  perhaps  any  other  agency  to 
cultivate  the  spirit  of  unity  as  well  as  benevolence  among 
the  Disciples,  and  that  it  is  through  this  Society  largely 
that  the  brethren  everywhere  have  been  stimulated  to 
reach  the  best  ideals  of  the  Christian  life.  There  is  no 
doubt  about  the  fact  that  the  formation  of  this  society 
marks,  indeed,  a  red-letter  period  in  the  history  of  the 
Disciple  movement. 

The  Foreign  Society  has  had  only  three  presidents  since 


NEW  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISES  637 


its  organisation.  The  first  president,  Isaac  Errett,  held 
his  place  until  the  time  of  his  death,  1888.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Professor  C.  L.  Loos,  who  continued  in  the  office 
until  1900,  when  A.  McLean  was  transferred  from  the  corre- 
sponding secretaryship  to  the  presidency.  He  still  holds 
that  place.  The  active  corresponding  secretaries  have  been 
as  follows:  W.  T.  Moore,  W.  B.  Ebbert,  A.  McLean,  and 
P.  M.  Rains.  Four  years  ago  Stephen  J.  Corey  was  added 
to  the  force,  and  another  new  secretary,  E.  W.  Allen,  has 
just  been  selected.  The  Society  has  been  a  success  from 
the  very  beginning,  though  its  early  years,  as  has  already 
been  seen,  were  marked  by  rather  small  results,  as  the 
policy  of  the  Society  was  to  move  cautiously  and  modestly, 
so  as  to  make  every  step  sure. 

The  Society  held  its  Silver  Jubilee  Anniversary  at  Kan- 
sas City,  Mo.,  October  17,  1900.  This  was  an  occasion  of 
great  rejoicing  by  the  friends  of  the  Society,  as  the  results 
up  to  that  time  were  very  encouraging.  Several  inspiring 
addresses  were  delivered,  and  much  enthusiasm  was  mani- 
fested in  view  of  the  past  history  of  the  Society.  A  Silver 
Jubilee  Poem  was  also  read,  from  which  we  extract  the 
following  lines,  as  they  vividly  set  forth  the  task  and  aim 
which  were  had  in  view  by  those  who  organised  the 
Society. 

What  was  the  task  when  first  our  work  began? 
What  aim  had  we?  and  what  our  working  plan? 
Our  task:  the  alien  world  for  Christ  to  take; 
Our  aim :  from  lost  and  ruined  souls  to  make 
A  new  world  saved,  and  full  of  hope  and  love, 
A  reflex  picture  of  our  home  above; 
Our  plan :  to  work  in  every  lawful  way, 
No  matter  what  our  foes  might  think  or  say. 
We  felt  no  method  could  be  far  from  right 
That  helps  lost  souls  to  see  and  feel  the  light; 
While  any  method  must  be  sadly  wrong 
That  keeps  the  world  in  darkness  very  long. 
With  these  broad  views  we  launched  our  little  boat, 
Not  knowing  whither  it  by  chance' might  float; 
But  trusting  fully  in  the' guiding  hand 
Of  him  who  gave  to  us  the  great  command. 
To  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  whole  lost  world ; 
We  then  and  there  our  noble  flag  unfurled ; 
And  now  it  waveg  o^er  many  heathen  lands, 
Placed  there  by  trusted,  consecrated  hands. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES 

THE  Disciple  leaders  have  usually  been  wise  in  their 
generation.  They  have  seldom  made  any  serious 
mistakes  in  respect  to  the  progress  and  development 
of  their  movement.  This  one  fact  does  much  to  put  the 
stamp  of  Providence  on  their  past  history.  Many  times, 
while  passing  through  a  certain  stage  of  their  develop- 
ment, they  have  been  severely  criticised  by  both  friends 
and  foes  for  apparent  mistakes  which  they  made.  But  a 
clearer  vision  of.  all  the  facts  in  the  case  usuallj^  demon- 
strated that  these  critics  were  born  out  of  due  time. 
God's  ways  are  not  our  ways.  When  He  is  leading  the 
forces,  the  dark  days  are  just  as  important  as  the  bright 
days,  and  sometimes  failure  is  a  most  important  step  in 
the  line  of  progress. 

In  the  earlier  days  of  the  movement  the  women  took 
no  very  active  part  in  it.  It  is  true  they  went  to  church, 
even  more  than  the  men  did,  and  they  helped  to  sing 
during  the  public  services  on  the  Lord's  Day,  and  also  at 
the  prayer  meetings.  But  they  were  not  encouraged  to 
take  a  public  part  in  anything  else,  though  their  private 
contributions  to  the  collection  basket  were  gratefully  re- 
ceived by  the  "  keepers  of  the  faith."  Most  of  the 
brethren  always  remembered  vividly  Paul's  exhortation 
to  the  women  to  keep  silence  in  the  churches,  and  some 
of  the  brethren  interpreted  this  to  apply  to  every  depart- 
ment of  life,  so  that  for  a  number  of  years  the  women 
belonging  to  the  great  movement,  though  really  and  vitally 
connected  with  it,  were  not  expected  to  give  vocal  ex- 
'pression  to  the  faith  that  was  in  them. 

This  was  perhaps  a  wise  disposition  of  the  sisters  during 
the  earlier  days  of  the  movement.  It  was  perhaps  provi- 
dential that  they  did  not  seek,  during  this  time,  any 
prominent  position  in  helping  on  the  work.  The  move- 
ment had  to  pass  through  several  important  stages,  and 

638 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  639 


it  would  have  been  unfortunate  if,  in  addition  to  several 
other  disturbing  questions,  the  woman  question,  in  rela- 
tion to  the  position  she  might  rightfully  occupy  in  the 
churches,  had  come  to  the  front  before  the  time  was  ripe 
for  her  to  do  so.  However,  soon  after  the  war  her  great 
services  in  the  church  began  to  be  recognised.  She  had 
been  eminently  useful  in  ministering  to  the  necessities  of 
the  soldiers  during  the  fratricidal  strife,  and  a  recogni- 
tion of  her  usefulness  became  crystallised  in  the  public 
consciousness  that  she  could  be  a  much  more  important 
help  in  religious  matters  than  she  had  been  in  the  days 
that  were  past.  The  women  themselves  began  to  realise 
that  they  had  been  practically  ciphers  in  the  Disciple 
movement  where  they  ought  to  have  been  emphatically 
powerful  in  organising  and  developing  the  great  work 
which  had  to  be  done.  This  feeling  took  definite  shape, 
and  became  almost  spontaneously  active  in  the  formation 
of  the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions,  during  the 
General  Convention  at  Cincinnati  in  October,  1874. 

There  had  been  some  preliminary  symptoms  with  re- 
spect to  the  organisation  of  the  women  for  definite  general 
work.  J.  H.  Garrison  was  the  editor  of  the  Christian, 
and  he  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  editors  to  emphasise 
the  importance  of  enlisting  the  women  actively  and 
organically  in  the  missionary  work  of  the  Disciples.  He 
wrote  editorials  upon  the  subject,  and  urged  this  im- 
portant matter  enthusiastically.  Isaac  Errett  also  encour- 
aged the  same  thing  in  the  Christian  Standard.  A  few  of 
the  women  had  also  given  expression  to  the  necessity  of  a 
woman's  organisation  that  should  become  an  effective 
helper  in  carrying  on  the  great  Restoration  movement. 
Among  the  women  who  first  agitated  the  question  may  be 
mentioned  Mrs.  Caroline  Pearre  of  Iowa  City,  la. ;  Mrs. 
J.  K.  Rogers  of  Missouri,  Mrs.  O.  A,  Burgess  of  Indiana, 
Mrs.  Joseph  King  of  Pennsylvania,  Mrs.  M.  M.  B.  Good- 
win and  Mrs.  R.  R.  Sloan  of  Ohio,  Mrs.  E.  J.  Dickinson  of 
Illinois,  and  Mrs.  R.  Milligan  of  Kentucky.  Perhaps  the 
one  who  is  most  entitled  to  credit  for  suggesting  and  agitat- 
ing the  matter  is  Mrs.  Pearre,  who  had  some  conference 
with  Thomas  Munnell,  who  was  the  corresponding  secretary 
of  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society,  some  time 
before  the  General  Convention  at  Cincinnati,  in  1874. 
In  response  to  her  appeal,  Munnell  said :  "  This  is  a  flame 


640    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


of  the  Lord's  kindling,  and  no  man  can  extinguish  it." 
From  that  time  he  began  to  write  letters  to  different 
persons,  urging  that  some  definite  steps  should  be  taken 
towards  forming  a  woman's  society,  which  should  co- 
operate with  the  General  Society  in  doing  missionary  work. 
The  result  of  these  preliminary  intimations  was  that  the 
women  held  some  separate  meetings  during  the  Conven- 
tion, in  1874,  and  finally  decided  to  organise  what  is  now 
known  as  the  C.  W.  B.  M. 

The  first  officers  elected  were  as  follows ;  President,  Mrs. 
Maria  Jameson;  recording  secretary,  Mrs.  William  Wal- 
lace; corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  C.  X.  Pearre;  treas- 
urer, Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess,  all  of  Indianapolis,  Mrs.  Pearre 
having  recently  moved  there.  A  vice-president,  a  secre- 
tary, and  one  or  more  managers  for  each  of  the  nine 
states  which  were  included  at  this  time  were  also  elected, 
and  these,  taken  together,  constituted  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee. The  management  of  the  work  was  given  to  those 
in  and  near  Indianapolis,  though  non-resident  members 
were  allowed  a  proxy  vote  on  all  matters  of  importance. 

As  soon  as  the  organisation  was  completed,  the  officers 
who  had  just  been  elected  were  introduced  to  the  General 
Society,  and  were  given  a  cordial  greeting,  the  following 
resolution  being  adopted :  "  Resolved,  That  this  committee 
extends  to  the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  recog- 
nition and  hearty  approval,  assured  that  it  opens  a  legiti- 
mate field  of  action  and  usefulness  in  which  Christian 
women  may  be  active  co-operants  of  ours  in  the  great  work 
of  sending  the  Gospel  into  all  the  world.  We  pledge  our- 
selves to  help  these  women  who  propose  to  labour  with 
us  in  the  Gospel." 

These  were  the  conditions  under  which  the  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  Missions  was  inaugurated,  and  it  must 
be  confessed  that  this  organisation  came  to  the  front  at 
what  seems  to  have  been  exactly  the  right  time.  The  spirit 
of  missions  in  1874  seems  to  have  been  practically  in  the 
air.  The  desire  to  do  something  in  world-wide  missions 
had  taken  possession  of  the  Disciples  in  a  very  emphatic 
way.  So  much  so,  indeed,  that  the  feeling  that  the  time 
had  arrived  to  go  distinctly,  definitely,  and  enthusiastically 
forward  was  practically  epidemic.  Of  course  there  were 
objections  to  both  this  society  and  the  Foreign  Society, 
which  had  its  beginning  at  the  same  time,  but  these 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  641 


objections  had  little  or  no  influence  beyond  cautioning  the 
advancing  columns  to  be  careful,  and  not  to  advance  too 
rapidly,  so  as  to  endanger  the  organisations,  for  at  this 
time  the  Disciples  had  little  experience  in  working  together 
in  any  general  way  for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  the  present-day  point  of 
view,  it  is  clearly  evident  to  him  who  can  comprehend 
all  the  facts  of  the  case  that  the  opposition  to  the  societies, 
during  the  seventh  decade,  was  beneficial,  in  the  long  run, 
to  the  life  and  efficiency  of  these  organisations.  No  great 
enterprise  has  ever  finally  succeeded  that  did  not  go 
through  the  wilderness  period  of  hunger  and  temptation. 
The  needy  days  and  the  trial  days  of  the  societies,  initiated 
in  1874,  were  perhaps  the  most  important  days  in  all  their 
history;  and  the  very  fact  that  they  suffered  both  from 
want  and  persecution  helped  to  make  them  what  they 
have  been,  an  eminent  success.  Of  course  some  will  doubt 
the  philosophy  of  this  optimistic  view  of  the  matter.  But 
as  long  as  it  is  written  in  the  New  Testament  that  "  all 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  to 
them  who  are  called  according  to  his  purpose,"  even  tribu- 
lations may  be  regarded  as  working  "  patience ;  patience, 
experience;  and  experience,  hope,''  and  this  being  true,  the 
dark  days  of  the  organisations  under  consideration  may 
well  be  regarded  as  the  days  of  preparation  for  their  use- 
fulness. 

But  however  this  may  be,  it  cannot  be  doubted  that 
the  C.  W.  B.  M.  has  won  the  right  to  be  called  a  most 
useful  and  important  auxiliary  society  in  carrying  on 
the  great  work  of  winning  the  world  to  Christ.  The  work 
that  has  already  been  accomplished  by  this  society  must 
be  regarded  as  almost  phenomenal,  considering  the  quiet 
way  in  which  the  means  have  been  accumulated,  the  plans 
perfected,  and  the  missionary  work  conducted.  Without 
friction,  without  noise,  without  the  slightest  ostentation, 
these  godly  women  have  come  together  and  quietly  talked 
over  their  work,  while  they  have  encouraged  one  another 
and  wisely  provided  for  great  things;  and  great  things 
in  the  name  of  the  Master  have  already  been  accomplished 
through  their  efforts. 

The  following  constitution  and  by-laws  will  give  the 
reader  a  clear  understanding  of  the  purpose  and  scope 
of  this  very  effective  organisation: 


642    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


CONSTITUTION 

These  Articles  of  Association  Witness: 

That  we,  the  undersigned,  have  associated  ourselves  together, 
for  ourselves  and  our  associates  and  successors,  and  have 
formed  an  association  or  corporation  under  the  laws  of  the 
State  of  Indiana,  United  States  of  America. 

ARTICLE  1. 

This  Association  shall  be  known  as  "  The  Christian  Woman's 
Board  of  Missions,"  and  under  this  name  shall  be  fully  estab- 
lished and  shall  have  its  legal  location  in  the  city  of  Indian- 
apolis, county  of  Marion,  State  of  Indiana;  but  it  shall  have 
power  to  meet  and  transact  business  at  any  place  w^hich  shall 
be  designated  by  the  President. 

ARTICLE  II. 

The  object  of  this  Association  shall  be  to  maintain  preachers 
and  teachers  for  religious  instruction,  to  encourage  and  culti- 
vate a  missionary  spii'it  and  missionary  effort  in  the  Churches, 
to  disseminate  missionary  intelligence  and  to  secure  systematic 
contributions  for  such  purposes ;  also,  to  establish  and  main- 
tain schools  and  institutions  for  the  education  of  both  males 
and  females. 

ARTICLE  III. 

Any  person  may  become  a  member  of  this  Association  by  con- 
tributing a  sum  of  not  less  than  five  dollars  a  year  to  its  funds. 
Any  one  may  become  a  Life  Member  by  the  payment  of  twenty- 
five  dollars  within  two  years  in  not  more  than  two  install- 
ments, or  by  the  payment  of  five  dollars  a  year  for  five  con- 
secutive years. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

The  seal  of  this  Association  shall  be  a  circular  disk  bearing 
on  the  outer  margin  thereof  the  words,  "  The  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  Missions — Seal,"  and  in  the  center  a 
representation  of  an  open  Bible. 

ARTICLE  V. 

The  officers  of  the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions 
shall  be  a  President,  a  Vice  President,  a  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary, a  Recording  Secretary,  a  Treasurer,  a  Superintendent  of 
Children's  Work.  These  oflQcers,  together  with  five  resident 
members,  whose  terms  of  service  shall  be  co-extensive  with 
that  of  the  officers,  and  the  State  Presidents,  and  the  State 
Corresponding  Secetaries,  shall  constitute  the  National  Board, 
five  of  whom  shall  be  a  quorum,  provided  it  be  a  meeting 
regularly  called,  and  provided  not  less  than  three  of  the  five 
National  oflScers  be  present,  the  absentee  members  being  en- 
titled to  vote  by  proxy. 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  643 


ARTICLE  VI. 

The  business  and  prudential  concerns  of  this  Association 
shall  be  managed  by  an  Executive  Committee,  consisting  of  the 
President,  Vice  President,  Corresponding  Secretary,  Recording 
Secretary,  Treasurer,  Superintendent  of  Children's  Work,  to- 
gether with  the  live  resident  members  of  the  Board.  This 
committee  shall  have  full  power  to  do  any  and  all  things  that 
are  necessary  to  carry  out  the  objects  of  the  Association,  in- 
cluding the  employment  of  ministers,  teachers,  helpers,  clerks, 
and  agents,  and  the  purchase  and  use  of  all  appliances  and 
instrumentalities  needed  in  the  execution  of  its  plans.  It  shall 
have  power  to  fill  all  vacancies  occasioned  by  the  death  or 
resignation  of  any  member.  It  shall  meet  regularly  for  the 
transaction  of  business  twice  in  each  month,  and  at  such 
other  times  as  may  be  deemed  necessary  by  the  President,  who 
shall  notify  the  members  of  a  called  meeting  and  of  its  object 
through  the  Corresponding  Secretary. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

The  Executive  Committee  shall  have  power  to  create  any 
fund  or  funds  that  may  be  deemed  necessary  or  expedient  to 
establish,  and  it  may  lawfully  discontinue  any  such  fund  and 
close  the  account  thereof:  Provided,  That  all  the  stipulations, 
terms,  and  conditions  are  fully  and  strictly  complied  with  ac- 
cording to  the  letter  thereof,  and  according  to  the  under- 
standing thereof,  upon  which  any  and  every  donation  or  be- 
quest shall  have  been  made  to  any  of  the  said  funds. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

An  annual  meeting  of  the  Association  shall  be  held  at  some 
time  and  place  designated  by  the  Executive  Committee,  due 
notice  of  which  shall  be  given,  and  the  said  Association  shall, 
at  such  annual  meeting,  hear  and  take  action  upon  the  annual 
report  of  the  Executive  Committee,  elect  the  oflScers  and  mem- 
bers of  the  Executive  Committee  and  of  the  National  Board, 
whose  tenure  of  service  shall  be  twelve  months,  or  until  their 
successors  are  duly  elected.  At  the  time  of  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  Association  there  shall  be  held  a  meeting  or  meetings  of 
the  National  Board.  The  Executive  Committee  may  at  any 
time  call  for  a  vote  of  the  National  Board  by  correspondence. 
No  measure  whose  effect  would  be  to  change  radically  the 
business  methods  or  policy  of  the  Association  shall  be  enacted 
until  it  has  been  carefully  considered  by  the  National  Board. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

Any  two  or  more  persons  may  associate  themselves  together 
and  form  a  local  society,  by  adopting  the  Constitution  and 
By-Laws  provided  for  such  societies  by  this  Association;  and 
every  such  society  shall  be  auxiliary  to  this  Association,  and 
each  and  every  such  auxiliary  shall  be  subordinate  to  the 


644    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Executive  Committee,  and  shall  be  under  the  control  and  shall 
act  under  the  direction  of  the  said  Executive  Committee  of 
this  Association.  Nevertheless,  to  facilitate  the  organisation 
of  such  auxiliary  societies  and  for  the  purpose  of  enlarging 
all  the  interests  of  the  Association,  State  organisations  may 
be  formed  under  the  direction  of  State  Presidents  and  State 
Corresponding  Secretaries.  These  organisations  shall  be  sub- 
ordinate to  the  National  organisation  and  shall  act  under  the 
direction  of  the  Executive  Committee.  Such  State  organisa- 
tions may  district  their  States  and  appoint  a  Manager  for  each 
such  district,  to  direct  the  same  work  within  the  district: 
Provided,  however,  That  the  said  Managers  shall  co-operate 
with  the  State  Presidents  and  State  Secretaries,  who  shall 
have  the  general  oversight  of  this  work  of  enlargement  within 
their  respective  States. 

ARTICLE  X. 

These  articles  may  be  altered  or  amended  from  time  to  time 
by  the  National  Board,  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  members, 
provided  a  notice  of  the  proposed  alterations  or  amendments 
has  been  filed  with  the  Recording  Secretary,  and  notice  thereof 
has  been  given  to  all  the  members  of  said  Board  three  months 
previous  to  the  action;  and  such  amendment  shall  go  into 
effect  when  filed  and  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Recorder  in 
and  for  the  county  of  Marion,  State  of  Indiana. 

BY-LAWS. 

1.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  meet  for  the  transaction 
of  business  on  or  about  the  first  and  third  Wednesdays  in  each 
month.  State  Presidents  and  State  Corresponding  Secretaries 
may  attend  these  meetings. 

2.  The  Executive  Committee  of  the  Association  shall  reside 
at  or  near  headquarters. 

3.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  fix  the  salaries  of  all  em- 
ployes and  officers,  but  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  general  officers 
to  pay  the  same,  to  attend  to  remittances  in  payment  of  all  bills 
or  obligations  created  by  the  Executive  Committee,  and  other- 
wise to  give  effect  to  what  has  been  ordered  by  the  said  com- 
mittee. 

4.  The  President  shall  prepare  programmes  for,  and  take 
charge  of,  the  meetings  of  the  Board  and  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee; she  shall  countersign  all  obligatory  documents  of  the 
same;  and,  with  the  concurrence  of  four  or  more  other  mem- 
bers of  the  committee,  she  may  negotiate  loans. 

5.  The  Vice  President,  acting  in  the  absence  of  the  Presi- 
dent, shall  have  full  power  to  exercise  all  the  functions  apper- 
taining to  the  office  of  President. 

6.  The  Corresponding  Secretary  shall  have  charge  of  the  of- 
fice of  the  Association,  and  be  responsible  for  the  proper  con- 
duct of  its  business  affairs ;  she  shall  there  receive  and  attend 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  645 


to  all  the  oflBcial  correspondence  of  the  Association,  including 
the  receipt  and  acknowledgment  of  all  moneys  and  the  prompt 
deposit  thereof  to  the  credit  of  the  Treasurer,  and  for  the  faith- 
ful performance  of  these  duties  she  shall  give  a  reasonable 
and  suflScient  bond;  she  shall  file  and  preserve  all  letters  and 
other  papers  of  value  in  such  manner  that  they  shall  be  at 
all  times  accessible  and  intelligible  to  the  members  of  the 
Executive  Committee,  make  all  notifications  to  officers  and 
committees,  and  submit  a  monthly  statement  of  receipt  to  the 
Executive  Committee;  she  shall  make  an  annual  report  to  the 
Association  of  the  general  progress  of  its  work,  and  in  con- 
nection therewith  lay  before  the  annual  meeting  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  Executive  Committee.  She  may  have  such 
assistance  in  the  performance  of  her  duties  as  may  be  deemed 
necessary  by  the  Executive  Committee. 

7.  The  editor  of  the  official  organ  of  the  Association,  the 
Missionary  Tidings,  shall  be  chosen  by  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee. 

8.  The  Recording  Secretary  shall  keep  a  record  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Board  and  of  the  Executive  Committee,  and 
shall  deposit  the  same  in  the  office  at  headquarters;  she  shall 
prepare  and  sign  all  warrants  upon  which  the  money  of  the 
Board  is  paid  out,  and  shall  sign  and  affix  the  seal  of  the  As- 
sociation to  all  obligatory  documents  thereof;  and  she  shall 
have  the  custody  of  all  deeds,  mortgages,  instruments  relating 
to  bequests,  contracts  with  employes,  and  such  like  in- 
dentures. 

9.  The  Treasurer  shall  receive  from  the  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary all  moneys  contributed  to  the  funds  of  the  Association, 
for  the  custody  of  which  she  shall  give  bond,  and  shall  disburse 
the  same  upon  the  order  of  the  Executive  Committee;  she 
shall  keep  faithful  accounts  of  the  several  funds  of  this  As- 
sociation, of  which  she  shall  make  a  report  at  each  annual 
meeting.  She  shall  also  publish  a  quarterly  statement  thereof 
in  the  Missionary  Tidings. 

10.  The  Superintendent  of  Children's  Work  shall  have  the 
general  direction  of  the  Young  People's  and  Children's  Bands, 
and  she  shall  carry  out  in  connection  therewith  the  instruc- 
tions of  the  Executive  Committee.  She  shall  make  quarterly 
remittances  of  all  moneys  received  by  her,  and  shall  report  to 
the  Corresponding  Secretary  quarterly  the  condition  of  the 
work  committed  to  her  sui)ervision,  and  she  shall  also  report 
to  the  Board  at  the  annual  meeting. 

11.  The  State  Presidents  and  State  Cori'esponding  Sec- 
retaries, in  addition  to  their  other  duties  as  members  of  the  Na- 
tional Board,  shall  have  the  immediate  direction  and  oversight 
of  the  work  of  organisation  and  development  in  their  respec- 
tive States ;  they  shall  take  charge  of  State  meetings,  and  may 
cause  their  States  to  be  districted  and  Managers  to  be  ap- 
pointed for  such  districts,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  sucli 
Managers,  direct  the  work  of  organisers.    The  State  Secre- 


646    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


taries  shall  report  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary  quarterly 
the  condition  of  the  work  in  the  several  States. 

12.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  Managers  to  co-operate  with  State 
Presidents  and  State  Secretaries  in  the  organisation  of  new 
societies  and  the  development  of  those  already  formed,  and  also 
to  facilitate  the  work  of  employed  organisers.  The  two  officers 
for  each  State,  acting  with  the  Managers,  shall  be  regarded 
and  shall  operate  as  an  Organisation  Committee  in  connection 
with  this  Board. 

13.  In  conducting  annual  elections  a  Nominating  Committee 
shall  be  formed,  consisting  of  one  delegate  for  each  State  and 
Territory;  each  delegate  may  propose  the  names  of  those 
recommended  for  the  offices  of  State  President  and  State 
Secretary  by  her  State,  which,  ordinarily,  should  be  accepted 
by  the  Nominating  Committee;  and  the  said  committee  shall 
put  before  the  annual  meeting  a  full  list  of  the  Executive 
Committee,  including  the  six  oflScial  and  the  five  unofficial 
members  thereof. 

14.  All  bequests  and  Life  Memberships,  unless  otherwise  or- 
dered by  the  donors,  shall  be  placed  in  the  General  Fund  for 
immediate  use.  All  money  contributed  in  memory  of  deceased 
friends,  unless  otherwise  directed,  shall  constitute  a  Memorial 
Fund,  the  principal  of  which  shall  be  loaned  upon  good  se- 
curity, and  the  interest  shall  be  used  at  the  discretion  of  the 
Executive  Committee  in  the  home  mission  field. 

15.  These  By-Laws  may  be  altered  or  amended  by  the  Na- 
tional Board  at  any  regular  or  called  meeting  of  the  Board, 
provided  such  notice  has  been  given  to  the  members  of  the 
National  Board  as  shall  enable  them  to  vote  intelligently 
upon  the  proposed  alterations  or  amendments. 

The  officers  for  1909  are  as  follows,  and  the  headquarters 
of  the  organisation  is  at  Downey  and  Ohmer  Avenues,  In- 
dianapolis, Ind. 

Officers: — Mrs.  Anna  R.  Atwater,  President;  Mrs.  Ida  W. 
Harrison,  Vice-President;  Mrs.  Annie  B.  Gray,  Recording 
Secretary;  Mrs.  M.  E.  Harlan,  Corresponding  Secretary;  Miss 
Mary  J.  Judson,  Treasurer;  Miss  Mattie  Pounds,  Supt.  Young 
People's  Work;  C.  C.  Smith,  Secretary  of  Negro  Work;  Mrs. 
Ida  W.  Harrison,  Centennial  Secretary'. 

Resident  Members  of  Board: — Mrs.  Effie  Cunningham, 
Mrs.  R.  K.  Syfers,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Dungan,  Mrs.  Frank  Wells, 
Mrs.  N.  E.  Atkinson. 

As  a  record  of  financial  growth,  the  following  figures, 
covering  the  whole  period  from  the  organisation  of  the 
society  to  the  present  time,  are  surely  very  significant, 
and  mark  a  growth  which  must  be  regarded  as  almost 
unparalleled  in  the  history  of  woman's  work : 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  647 


CONVENTION  AND  FINANCIAL  RECORD 
1874    Cincinnati:  Collections  during  first 


Convention   $430.00 

Receipts  for 
Year  Ending 
Sept.  30. 

1875  Louisville    $770.35 

1876  Indianapolis   1,749.00 

1877  St.  Louis    2,033.77 

1878  Cincinnati    2,919.42 

1879  Bloomington    3,551.24 

1880  Louisville    5,050.96 

1881  Indianapolis    7,483.50 

1882  Lexington   9,319.60 

1883  Cincinnati    10,364.55 

1884  St.  Louis   14,418.55 

1885  Cleveland    16,620.09 

1886  Kansas  Citv   18,283.63 

1887  Indianapolis    26,226.01 

1888  Springfield    27,665.26 

1889  Louisville    36,279.17 

1890  Des  Moines    42,116.81 

1891  Allegheny    40,973.87 

1892  Nashville    48,222.68 

1893  Chicago   51,232.06 

1894  Richmond   59,277.04 

1895  Dallas    58,611.83 

1896  Springfield    57,622.20 

1897  Indianapolis    62,600.81 

1898  Chattanooga    68,185.87 

1899  Cincinnati    101,343.54 

1900  Kansas  City    106,722.76 

1901  Minneapolis    135,441.58 

1902  Omaha   139,034.00 

1903  Detroit    147,086.85 

1904  St.  Louis   167,084.73 

1905  San  Francisco   175,408.98 

1906  Buffalo    206,553.12 

1907  Norfolk    281,637.54 

1908  New  Orleans    295,630.11 


Total  12,427,951.48 


The  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  is  the  only 
organised  missionary  worlc  among  the  women  of  the  Church 
of  Christ  (Disciples  of  Christ).  Naturally  then  their 
field  is  the  world.  Home  missions  and  foreign  missions 
are  alike  to  them  the  supreme  object  of  their  existence. 


648    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


"The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us"  is  the  motto  by 
which  they  are  guided. 

In  this  centennial  year  (1909)  of  existence  of  the  Dis- 
ciples as  a  religious  people,  the  C.  W.  B.  M.  has  in  its 
auxiliary  societies  60,000  women.  It  fosters  the  work 
of  the  Junior  and  Intermediate  Christian  Endeavour  So- 
cieties and  Mission  Bands.  It  is  true  to  the  purpose  of 
its  existence, — "  to  cultivate  a  missionary  spirit ;  to  en- 
courage missionary  effort  in  the  churches;  to  disseminate 
missionary  intelligence,  and  to  secure  systematic  contri- 
butions for  missionary  purposes.'- 

It  has  missions  in  Jamaica,  India,  Mexico,  Porto  Rico, 
South  America,  and  a  beginning  work  in  Africa.  At  least 
half  of  its  work  is  in  the  United  States. 

In  Jamaica  it  has  seven  regular  missionaries  and  fifteen 
other  workers.  Twenty-three  churches,  and  a  number  of 
schools  are  under  its  care.  In  India  there  are  twenty-nine 
missionaries,  and  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-two 
workers  in  churches,  zenanas,  schools,  hospitals.  Woman's 
Home,  and  the  four  orphanages.  In  Mexico  there  are 
sixteen  missionaries  and  a  total  of  thirty-two  workers  in 
evangelistic  and  school  work.  Porto  Rico  has  two  orphan- 
ages, seven  regular  missionaries,  and  seven  native  workers 
in  evangelistic,  school,  and  orphanage  work.  Argentine 
Republic,  South  America,  has  two  missionaries  in  evangel- 
istic and  school  work.  In  Liberia,  Africa,  is  one  mis- 
sionary with  a  school  of  forty-five  pupils,  and  with  evangel- 
istic work. 

The  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  has  evangel- 
istic work  in  thirty-three  states  of  our  home  land ;  univer- 
sity Bible  work  in  the  state  universities  of  Michigan,  Vir- 
ginia, Kansas,  and  Texas ;  mountain  schools  at  Hazel  Green 
and  Morehead,  Ky.,  and  Beckley,  W.  Va. ;  schools  for 
negroes  at  Edwards,  Miss. ;  Louisville,  Ky. ;  Lum,  Ala. ; 
Martinsville,  Va.,  and  Jonesboro,  Tenn.  The  oriental 
work  on  the  Pacific  coast  consists  of  pastoral  work  and 
school  for  Chinese  at  Portland,  Ore. ;  Japanese  school  at 
Berkeley,  Cal. ;  Chinese  hospital,  school,  and  evangelistic 
work  at  San  Francisco,  Cal. ;  evangelistic  work  and  a  home 
for  Japanese  at  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

In  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  the  Sarah  Davis  Deterding  Mis- 
sionary Training  School  has  just  been  erected.  This  is 
for  the  training  of  mission  workers  for  the  Church  of 


LEADERS,  PAST  A.ND  PRESENT.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  WO.MAN'S 
BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 

1,  Mrs.  Helen  E.  :\Ioses.  2,  Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess.  3,  :Miss  Mattie 
Pounds.  4,  Mrs.  Anna  R.  Atwater.  5.  Mrs.  Maria  Butler  Jameson. 
6.  Mrs.  M.  E.  Harlan.  7,  Mrs.  Annie  B.  Gray.  8,  Mrs.  C.  N.  Pearre. 
9,  Mrs.  Ida  W.  Harrison.  10,  Mrs.  N.  E.  Atkinson.  11.  Miss  Mary  J. 
Judson.    12,  C.  C.  Smith. 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  649 


Christ,  and  is  the  first  work  of  the  kind  to  be  undertaken 
by  the  Disciples  outside  of  their  regular  college  work.  In 
this  building  are  the  headquarters  of  the  national  organi- 
sation. 

In  concluding  this  brief  sketch  of  this  somewhat  re- 
markable organisation,  it  is  only  necessary  to  say  that 
in  all  these  fields  where  the  C.  W.  B.  M.  has  entered  the 
work  is  progressing  very  satisfactorily.  It  ought  also  to 
be  stated  that  in  doing  this  work  these  consecrated  women 
have  fully  justified  their  promise  to  work  harmoniously 
with  other  organisations,  which  have  for  their  object  the 
salvation  of  the  world.  In  several  foreign  fields  this 
board  has  co-operated  heartily  with  the  Foreign  Christian 
Missionary  Society,  and  in  some  places  their  work  is 
practically  co-ordinated,  so  that  they  become  mutually 
helpful  in  saving  and  educating  the  people.  When  the 
Recording  Angel  shall  make  up  the  estimate  of  work  accom- 
plished among  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  not  the  least  page 
will  be  ascribed  to  the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Mis- 
sions. 

It  is  impossible  to  record  even  the  names  of  the  noble 
women  who  have  been  prominent  helpers  of  this  society, 
and  others  who  have  been  active  in  the  Disciple  movement 
even  from  the  beginning.  However,  a  few  names  must 
be  mentioned.  First  of  all,  the  name  of  Mrs.  E.  H.  Tub- 
man of  Augusta,  Ga.,  deserves  recognition,  who  in  the 
early  years  of  the  movement  became  identified  with  the 
Disciples,  and  continued  to  be  a  faithful  helper  to  the 
close  of  her  life.  She  possessed  a  large  fortune,  and  was 
a  most  generous  giver  to  nearly  all  of  the  benevolent  en- 
terprises of  the  Disciples.  Such  names  as  Mrs.  Maria 
Jameson,  Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess,  Mrs,  C.  N.  Pearre,  Mrs. 
Sarah  Wallace,  Mrs.  E.  Shortridge,  Mrs.  Joseph  King, 
Mrs.  Elmira  J.  Dickinson,  Mrs.  Persis  L.  Christian,  Mrs. 
N.  E.  Atkinson,  Mrs.  Louis  White  MacLeod,  and  Mrs. 
Helen  E.  Moses  deserve  a  high  place  on  the  roll  of  honour 
among  those  who  have  contributed  to  the  development  of 
the  C.  W.  B.  M. 

The  last  mentioned,  Mrs.  Helen  E.  Moses,  was  first 
corresponding  secretary  and  then  president  until  she  died 
in  1908.  Mrs.  Moses  was,  in  many  respects,  a  remarkable 
woman.  She  impressed  her  personality  upon  all  with 
whom  she  came  in  contact,  and  this  personality  was  per- 


650   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


vaded  by  a  very  influential  spirituality.  In  a  word,  she 
possessed  that  indescribable  charm  which  is  always  asso- 
ciated with  close  felloAvship  in  the  Christ.  She  lived  in  the 
constant  companionship  of  Him  who  said :  I  will  be 
with  3'ou  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  record  the  names  of  a  host 
of  women  who  have  been  instrumental  in  helping  on  the 
great  work  of  the  C.  W.  B.  M.,  but  space  forbids.  How- 
ever, their  names  are  written  in  the  Book  of  Life,  and  this 
is  far  better  than  to  record  them  here. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  eighth  decade  of  the 
nineteenth  century  the  Board  of  Church  Extension  was 
created. 

The  Church  Extension  Fund  was  started  in  1888  because 
of  a  great  need.  There  were  1,628  homeless  mission 
churches  knocking  at  the  doors  of  the  National  Conven- 
tion, asking  aid  to  build.  There  was  one  note  that  ran 
through  all  the  appeals — "You  have  organised  us  into 
congregations  through  district,  state,  and  national  evan- 
gelists, but  you  have  provided  no  plan  by  which  we  can 
get  church  homes  in  places  where  we  cannot  build  except 
by  some  outside  help." 

Secular  loan  companies  would  not  loan  money  to  help 
these  churches  build.  They  looked  upon  a  mission  church 
as  a  financial  experiment.  All  Protestant  religious  bodies 
were  found  to  have  Church  Building  Funds,  Hence  the 
Disciple  Church  Extension  Fund  grew  out  of  a  necessity. 
In  many  cases  where  secular  loan  companies  had  loaned 
money  to  churches,  foreclosure  proceedings  had  been  begun, 
and  the  mission  churches  were  threatened  with  the  loss 
of  property  worth  three  times  the  amount  of  the  mortgage. 
Such  cases  proved  the  need  of  a  Loan  Fund  in  the  hands 
of  a  board  of  brethren  so  that,  when  a  struggling  mission 
could  not  pay  a  mortgage,  the  property  would  not  go  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  brotherhood. 

The  Church  Extension  movement  primarily  was  a  move- 
ment to  establish  congregations  in  the  growing  towns  and 
cities  of  the  West  by  helping  churches  to  build  at 
once.  Therefore  the  National  Convention  of  1888,  which 
launched  this  work,  directed  that  the  Board  of  Church 
Extension  be  located  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  because  it  was 
in  the  centre  of  the  territory  where  most  of  the  loans 
would  be  needed  in  helping  missions  to  build  suitable 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  651 


church  homes.  There  was  need  for  the  church  builder 
to  follow  the  evangelist  and  the  church  organiser,  while 
the  waves  of  evangelism  were  sweeping  over  the  middle 
West  as  the  country  was  developing.  From  Missouri, 
Kansas,  Nebraska,  Iowa,  Oklahoma,  and  Texas,  and  the 
new  Northwest,  as  well  as  from  California,  the  appeals 
came  thick  and  fast.  At  one  time  the  Disciples  had  over 
2,300  homeless  congregations. 

Great  demands  also  were  coming  from  the  growing 
cities  which  had  hitherto  been  neglected  by  the  Disciples. 
At  first  the  National  Convention  recommended  that  |500 
be  the  largest  loan.  But  this  was  found  to  be  inadequate. 
Then  |1,000  was  fixed  as  the  largest  amount  to  be  loaned 
on  a  property  costing  .|5,000.  But  this  kept  the  board  from 
aiding  cities,  because  lots  frequently  cost  |5,000  to  $10,000. 
Then  the  board  was  recommended  to  loan  as  much  as 
$5,000  in  cities,  and  finally  the  limit  was  taken  off,  and 
the  board  was  instructed  to  use  its  judgment  in  helping 
cities.  The  board  has  loaned  $15,000  to  help  secure  a 
$60,000  property  on  169th  Street,  New  York  City;  $12,000 
to  erect  a  $30,000  church  in  East  Orange,  N.  J. ;  $12,500 
to  rebuild  the  First  Church  in  San  Francisco,  which  was 
destroyed  by  the  earthquake  and  fire.  By  the  help  of 
the  board  splendid  church  property  has  been  secured  in 
Los  Angeles,  Cal. ;  Seattle,  Tacoma,  and  Spokane,  Wash.; 
Minneapolis,  St.  Paul,  Chicago,  Toledo,  .Cleveland,  Cin- 
cinnati, Pittsburg,  Boston,  Baltimore,  Washington  City, 
Richmond,  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  Houston,  Dallas,  Oklahoma 
City,  Topeka,  Kansas  City,  St.  Louis,  Omaha,  Pueblo, 
Denver,  Salt  Lake  City,  and  a  hundred  other  growing 
centres  of  population. 

The  Disciples  are  now  in  the  building  period  in  our 
cities,  and  the  greatest  demand  is  being  made  upon  the 
board  to  enter  new  wards  in  our  growing  cities.  Our 
western  frontier  is  no  more.  The  firing  line  is  now  in 
the  city,  and  the  frontier  is  the  rapidly  growing  ward  of 
the  city,  and  here  Disciples  believe  they  must  enter  while 
lots  are  cheap,  and  with  their  plea  well  started  shape  the 
religious  thought  of  these  new  communities.  The  smaller 
towns  are  not  being  overlooked  by  the  board,  but  the 
demand  has  been  shifted  to  the  long  neglected  cities,  and 
here  the  board  must  establish  the  cause  or  lose  in  the 
plea  for  Christian  union. 


652    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Beginning  in  October,  1888,  with  |10,662.80,  this  fund 
has  grown  to  over  $715,000  on  May  1,  1909,  and  1,288 
churches  have  been  built,  scattered  through  forty-five  states 
and  territories.  These  are  the  figures,  but  there  is  more 
in  Church  Extension  than  mere  figures.  By  the  encour- 
agement of  timely  loans  from  this  fund  many  a  struggling 
church  has  been  uplifted,  better  church  houses  have  been 
erected,  mission  churches  have  received  good  titles  to 
their  lots  in  the  beginning,  they  have  been  made  more  self- 
respecting  by  borrowing  instead  of  receiving  the  money  as 
a  gift,  and  have  been  made  self-reliant  by  paying  the 
money  back  to  go  out  and  help  other  churches  build. 

In  twenty  years  the  board  has  loaned  $1,516,500  to  1,228 
congregations.  These  congregations  raised  two  dollars  for 
every  dollar  loaned  by  our  board.  They  raised,  therefore, 
about  13,000,000  for  their  own  buildings  and  ground. 
They  have  done  more  than  this.  They  have  paid  back  on 
their  loans  $851,585.24,  which  has  gone  out  again  to  help 
other  missions  build.  In  most  cases  they  have  supported 
pastors,  and  in  twenty  years  these  mission  churches  have 
given  to  all  the  missionary  enterprises  of  the  Disciples  over 
one  million  dollars.  These  gifts  were  distributed  well 
among  all  the  missionary  and  benevolent  enterprises. 

For  some  time  this  Church  Extension  Board  was  an 
integral  part  of  the  General  Christian  Missionary  Society, 
but  recently  it  has  become  practically  a  separate  organi- 
sation, with  headquarters  at  Kansas  City.  It  was  found 
to  be  inconvenient  to  the  business  of  the  board  at  home 
to  send  everything  to  Cincinnati  for  endorsement,  and 
consequently  the  General  Society  granted  the  Church 
Extension  Board  the  right  to  carry  on  its  business,  inde- 
pendent of  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society 
Board,  though  a  certain  nominal  connection  is  still  main- 
tained, and  the  annual  reports  of  the  Church  Extension 
Board  Avill  continue  to  be  made  to  the  Board  of  the  Amer- 
ican Christian  Missionary  Society. 

It  is  now  generally  conceded  that  from  the  point  of  view 
of  success  this  Church  Extension  Board  is  one  of  the 
most  important  organisations  connected  with  the  Disciple 
movement.  From  the  foregoing  showing  it  will  be  readily 
seen  that  the  board  is  accomplishing  a  work  which  must 
in  the  long  run  tell  wonderfully  on  the  progress  of  the 
Disciple  movement.    Undoubtedly  the  building  of  perma- 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  653 


nent  places  of  worship  is  one  of  the  most  important 
matters  connected  with  the  movement.  It  is  well  known 
that  had  it  not  been  for  the  Jewish  synagogues,  during 
the  early  days  of  Christianity,  very  little  permanent  prog- 
ress could  have  been  made  during  the  first  century  of 
the  Church.  These  synagogues  furnished  the  basis  for 
the  early  missionaries,  and  were  evidently  providentially 
provided  for  the  very  purpose  for  which  they  were  used. 
They  were  of  such  striking  help  that  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  believe  that  they  could  have  come  into  existence, 
just  at  the  time  they  did,  without  some  Providential  direc- 
tion in  the  whole  matter.  But  whether  this  be  so  or  not, 
it  is  unmistakably  true  that  these  synagogues  were  most  im- 
portant factors  iu  the  propagation  of  Christianity  during 
its  early  history.  It  is  also  true  that  any  extension  of 
Christianity  which  does  not  provide  places  where  con- 
verts can  come  together  for  mutual  edification  and  council 
will  ultimately  be  of  little  value. 

About  the  time  of  the  organisation  of  the  Church  Ex- 
tension Board  quite  a  revival  in  church  building  among 
the  Disciples  began  to  manifest  itself  in  almost  every  part 
of  the  country.  One  of  the  first  of  the  important  church 
buildings  was  that  of  the  Central  Christian  Church  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  This  church  was  completed  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  seventh  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century 
and  cost,  including  lot,  building,  and  furnishing,  about 
$150,000.  The  audience  room  of  this  church  is  still 
regarded  as  one  of  the  best  to  be  found  anywhere  among 
Disciple  churches.  Other  buildings  soon  followed  this 
until  it  has  come  to  pass  that  nearly  all  the  old  buildings, 
that  were  in  existence  before  the  Civil  War,  have  now 
been  replaced  by  beautiful  modern  structures.  This 
revival  in  church  building  not  only  shows  an  improved 
taste  among  the  Disciples,  but  it  also  accounts  for  some 
of  their  backwardness  in  giving  to  the  public  enterprises 
of  the  movement.  In  most  cases  these  churches  have  been 
built  at  considerable  sacrifice  on  the  part  of  the  local 
members,  and  in  many  cases  a  debt  has  been  contracted 
which  has  had  to  be  met  by  a  sinking  fund  which  has 
entailed  upon  the  respective  congregations  heavy  financial 
responsibilities  for  each  year.  It  may  be  that  these  local 
financial  responsibilities  ought  not  to  excuse  the  church 
members  from  meeting  obligations  in  other  directions,  but 


654    UISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

undoubtedly  these  church  debts  have  stood  very  much  in 
the  way  of  supporting  many  of  the  general  enterprises, 
such  as  missionary  societies,  colleges,  and  charitable  in- 
stitutions. 

While  the  Disciples  have  numericallygrovvn  veryrapidly, 
and  have  also  increased  even  more  rapidly  in  the  accumula- 
tion of  wealth,  at  the  same  time  they  have  been  much 
absorbed  in  developing  the  local  churches,  and  especially 
the  building  of  new  church  edifices.  All  of  this  has  in- 
curred heavy  expenses  at  home,  and  has  consequently 
hindered  the  giving  for  work  away  from  home.  Never- 
theless, it  is  just  through  this  very  period  of  revival  in 
church  building  that  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary 
Society  has  had  its  phenomenal  growth.  This  society 
seems  to  have  been  exempted  from  the  excuse-making 
which  the  building  of  church  edifices  has  made  pop- 
ular. However  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  the 
Disciple  congregations  are  now  fairly  well  equipped  with 
good  houses,  wherever  they  have  any  substantial  footing 
at  all.  It  has  already  been  remarked  that  they  are  rapidly 
extending  their  influence  in  the  cities,  and  in  doing  so 
they  are  building  permanent  and  often  fine  church  edifices 
in  which  to  house  their  people.  Recently  some  of  the 
most  handsome  church  buildings  to  be  found  anywhere 
in  the  United  States  have  been  erected  by  Disciple  con- 
gregations. The  Union  Avenue  Church  in  St.  Louis  per- 
haps leads  in  this  respect,  though  very  elegant  structures 
have  been  built  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  Independence, 
Mo.,  while  in  many  other  cities  very  great  advance  has 
been  made  in  the  matter  of  church  building. 

The  Disciples  were  somewhat  late  in  attempting  organ- 
ised work  not  immediately  connected  with  their  special 
propaganda.  It  is  easy  to  see  why  they  kept  close  to 
the  main  principles  of  their  plea,  and  especially  with 
regard  to  what  they  have  called  "  First  Principles."  A 
large  portion  of  their  work  has  been  the  correction  of 
misconceptions,  wrong  practices,  and  unworthy  ideals.  It 
was  perhaps  impossible  for  them  to  undertake  every  de- 
partment of  religious  work  during  the  first  hundred  years. 
Indeed,  it  is  a  surprising  fact  that  they  have  accomplished 
so  much  in  so  many  directions;  and  yet  there  is  one  de- 
partment of  very  important  service  which  they  did  not 
attempt  in  any  organised  way  until  1886,  at  which  time 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  655 


the  ''National  Benevolent  Association  of  the  Christian 
Church  "  was  started.  This  Association  was  certainly  not 
born  out  of  due  time.  It  was  very  much  needed,  and  it 
came  into  existence  in  answer  to  this  need.  It  is  probable 
that  this  is  the  only  way  useful  societies  can  find  a  place 
in  history.  Too  many  societies  may  become  an  evil.  But 
the  National  Benevolent  Association  has  already  won  its 
right  to  exist. 

The  fact  that  this  Association  was  organised  in  the 
eighth  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  is  another  evidence 
that  the  Disciple  movement  has  always  been  equal  to  the 
demands  of  the  period  it  has  reached.  It  has  seldom  moved 
faster  than  was  wise.  It  has  generally  been  able  to  hold 
all  the  positions  it  has  taken,  and  this  for  the  reason  that 
they  were  never  taken  until  the  opportune  moment. 

This  is  a  new  day  for  the  Christian  religion.  It  is 
rapidly  leaving  the  doctrinal  standards  and  centralising 
in  Christ.  It  is  practically  ceasing  to  discuss  the  old 
questions,  that  once  occupied  the  attention  of  theologians, 
and  is  now  considering  simply  yvajs  and  means  by  which 
the  teaching  of  Christ  may  be  made  practical  in  the 
affairs  of  our  life.  Helpfulness  is  now  the  watchword 
of  every  Christian  body  that  is  really  making  any  worthy 
progress.  Every  religious  organisation  which  has  not 
adopted  this  watchword  is  dying.  The  Civil  War  did 
much  to  turn  the  attention  of  Christians  to  the  Christ-like 
spirit  in  helping  the  great  struggling  world  in  its  most 
pressing  needs,  and  in  this  respect  the  war  illustrates 
what  is  often  the  case,  that  God  brings  good  out  of  evil. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact  that  the  time  has 
come  when  the  church  or  churches  that  succeed  must 
become  missionary,  not  only  with  respect  to  conversion, 
but  also  with  respect  to  taking  care  of  the  converted, 
and  especially  taking  care  of  those  that  are  not  able 
to  take  care  of  themselves.  The  primitive  church  was  dis- 
tinguished for  this  very  thing.  The  disciples  in  many 
places  had  all  things  in  common,  and  even  sold  their 
possessions  and  placed  the  money  at  the  apostles'  feet, 
who  provided  for  this  money  to  be  distributed  as  every 
one  had  need.  The  Disciples  have  not  much  more  than 
reached  the  latter  part  of  the  second  chapter  of  the  Book 
of  Acts.  It  has  been  said  that,  in  their  early  days,  they 
began  at  the  wrong  end  of  the  commission,  namely :  preach- 


656    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ing  the  conditions  of  the  Gospel  before  they  took  up  the 
word  Go,  so  as  to  provide  for  missions  in  all  the  world. 
But  this  is  an  unreasonable  view  of  their  history.  At 
first,  they  had  very  few  who  could  go,  and  for  the  most 
part  these  icetit,  without  money  and  without  price,  and 
preached  the  Gospel  wherever  they  could  get  a  hearing. 
When,  however,  they  had  men  who  could  go,  they  pro- 
vided for  their  going  through  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Society,  and  now  their  work  in  foreign  fields  is  one  of 
the  most  hopeful  connected  with  any  religious  people. 

However,  they  have  at  last  come  to  the  concluding  part 
of  the  second  chapter  of  Acts.  This  has  been  a  favourite 
chapter  with  them  from  the  beginning,  as  it  is  a  clear 
revelation  of  how  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was  first  set 
up,  and  the  conditions  of  entering  into  that  kingdom. 
It  must  be  confessed  they  did  not  give  much  attention 
to  the  benevolent  features  of  this  chapter  in  the  early 
days  of  the  movement,  except  in  individual  cases.  They 
could  not  organise  for  this  work  until  the  proper  time 
had  come.  But  the  proper  time  has  at  last  come,  and  now 
the  proper  association  has  been  organised. 

In  1887  the  National  Benevolent  Association  was  char- 
tered under  the  laAvs  of  the  state  of  Missouri.  Missionary 
work  only  was  done  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  in 
Illinois  during  the  first  two  or  three  years,  while  prepara- 
tions were  being  made  for  the  opening  of  the  first  home, 
which  was  ordered  in  January,  1889.  This  home  was  "  for 
children  onlj',  until  such  time  as  knowledge  of  the  associa- 
tion and  its  purposes,  on  the  part  of  the  brotherhood-at- 
large,  should  justify-  the  enlargement  of  its  work." 

The  Christian  Orphans'  Home  was  opened  in  February, 
1889.  At  that  time  the  officers  of  the  association  were 
Mrs.  E.  D.  Hodgen,  president;  Mrs.  J.  H.  Garrison,  vice- 
president;  Mrs.  J.  K.  Hansbrough,  corresponding  secre- 
tary; Mrs.  O.  C.  Shedd  (now  Mrs.  T.  R.  Ayars),  secretary; 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Carlisle,  treasurer,  and  Mrs.  M.  H.  Younkin, 
missionary  and  general  solicitor. 

Two  other  improvements  were  made:  It  was  found 
necessary  to  add  a  hospital  department  and  the  Babies' 
Home,  and  in  1902  a  staff  of  physicians  and  a  corps  of 
nurses  were  secured,  and  the  name  of  the  institution  was 
changed  to  Babies'  Home  and  Hospital.  The  first  Home 
for  the  Aged  and  Homeless  Disciples  was  opened  tern- 


(a)  LEADERS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   BENEVOLENT  ASSOCIATION, 
AND  (b)  FIVE  INFLUENTIAL  EDITORS  OF  THE  PAST 

(a)  FIVE  PICTURES  AT  TOP  OF  PI.ATE 
1,  Mrs.  J.  K.  Hansbrough,  Corresponding  Secretary.  2.  Mm.  Rowena 
]\Iason,  long  President  of  Christian  Orplians'  Home,  St.  Louis.  3,  Mrs. 
Martha  H.  Younkin,  First  Field  Secretary.  4,  James  H.  jNIohorter,  Gen- 
eral Secretary.  5,  Mrs.  Fanny  H.  Shedd  Ayars,  President  Babies'  Home, 
St.  Louis. 

(b)  FIVE  DECEASED  EDITORS  OF  INFLUENCE 
6.  Benjamin  Franklin,  American  Christian  Review.    7,  B.  W.  Johnson, 
Christian-Evanqelist.     8,    Isaac   Errett,    Christian   Standard.     9,    F.  G. 
Allen,  Apostolic  Guide.    10,  John  F.  Rowe,  Christian  Leader. 


THE  C.  W.  B.  M.  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES  657 


porarilj  in  a  small  home  near  the  Orphans'  Home,  Janu- 
ary, 1900,  and  in  1901  this  home  was  transferred  to 
Jacksonville,  111.,  where  a  good-sized  residence  and  two 
and  one-half  acres  of  ground  had  been  purchased  with 
a  gift  of  12,200.00  by  Mrs.  Nancy  Henderson.  The 
value  of  this  property  now  is  estimated  at  |19,892.38. 
A  new  and  handsome  building  for  the  Christian  Orphans' 
Home  has  been  erected,  and  this  was  made  possible  by  a 
gift  of  $55,000.00  from  Robert  H.  Stockton  of  St.  Louis 
and  the  sale  of  the  old  property.  The  building  was  com- 
pleted during  the  past  year,  and  can  now  accommodate 
200  children.  This  building,  with  the  one  already  men- 
tioned, namely,  the  Babies'  Home  and  Hospital,  with  the 
surrounding  ten  acres  of  ground,  is  estimated  to  be  worth 
$130,000.00. 

Havens'  Home  for  the  Aged  at  East  Aurora,  N.  Y.,  has 
been  added  to  the  Association's  list  of  institutions.  This 
home  was  built  by  Mrs.  Ursula  Havens,  and  was  deeded 
to  the  New  York  State  Missionary  Board,  after  her  death, 
by  her  husband,  Alonzo  H.  Havens,  and  was  finally  deeded 
to  the  National  Benevolent  Association  in  March,  1902. 

In  September,  1902,  the  Cleveland  Christian  Orphanage 
was  established  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  This  property  is) 
worth  118,870.00.  About  seventy  children  can  be  com- 
fortably cared  for  in  it. 

In  1904  two  institutions  were  added  to  the  Association 
property.  Through  the  generous  gift  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Warren  of  Loveland,  Col.,  219  acres  of  fine  land,  supple- 
mented by  a  gift  of  |500.00  from  J.  N.  Cobb,  together 
with  13,000.00  bequeathed  by  Mrs.  Mary  McMillan,  the 
Association  was  enabled  to  erect  the  Memorial  Cottage. 
This  cottage  was  dedicated  in  1904.  After  about  three 
years  it  was  decided,  for  the  sake  of  the  greater  advan- 
tages and  convenience  which  a  large  city  can  give  in  many 
ways,  to  move  the  home  to  Denver,  where  it  is  now  caring 
for  about  twenty  children  in  a  rented  house,  while  a  com- 
modious building  is  in  process  of  erection  on  a  ten-acre 
tract  in  the  best  suburbs  of  the  city  of  Denver.  The  build- 
ings of  the  Association  for  the  Colorado  home  are  worth 
$25,000.00.  In  July,  1904,  the  Julliaette  Fowler  Home,  near 
Dallas,  Tex.,  became  a  part  of  the  National  Association's 
property.    The  estimated  value  of  this  home  is  $23,000.00. 

The  youngest  of  the  Association's  family  of  orphan 


658    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


homes  is  the  Southeastern  Christian  Home  at  Baldwin,  Ga. 
This  is  valued  at  $4,350,00.  This  home  is  to  be  moved  to 
Atlanta. 

In  1905  the  board  decided  to  purchase  a  hospital  prop- 
erty in  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  which  property  is  worth  |13,- 
000.00.  The  Home  for  the  Aged  at  Eugene,  Ore.,  was 
opened  January  15,  1908.  The  Association  has  issued  166 
annuity  bonds  for  amounts  ranging  from  $100.00  to  $10,- 
000.00.  The  holdings  of  the  Association  for  its  different 
institutions  amount  to  $350,000.00,  beside  the  monthly 
receipts  for  current  expenses. 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  brief  history  of  the  Association 
that  it  has  already  accomplished  a  great  amount  of  good, 
and  gives  unmistakable  promise  of  supplying  a  long-felt 
need  in  organised  benevolent  work  among  the  Disciples. 
J.  W.  Perry  is  now  the  president,  Lee  W.  Grant,  the  treas- 
urer, and  James  H.  Mohorter,  general  secretary.  Mrs. 
Hansbrough,  Mrs.  Ayars,  and  Mrs.  Mason,  who  have  been 
with  the  Association  from  its  inception,  are  still  active  in 
the  work. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW 

EVANGELISM,  from  the  very  beginning,  has  been  a 
marked  feature  of  the  Disciple  movement.  This  was 
altogether  the  most  absorbing  thought  of  the  early 
pioneers.  The  new  view  of  the  Gospel  which  they  re- 
ceived made  the  whole  message  very  inspiring  to  the  men 
who  became  identified  with  the  movement  before  it  reached 
the  period  of  introspection.  The  first  vision  of  the  Disciple 
leaders  was  almost  entirely  outward.  It  was  a  vision  of 
the  world's  need,  and  they  went  forth  into  the  world  with 
a  message  of  deliverance.  The  all-absorbing  thought  was 
to  preach  the  Gospel  in  its  simplicity  and  purity  to  the 
unredeemed  masses.  Later  on  the  Disciples  began  the 
earnest  work  of  introspection,  and  this  compelled  them 
to  provide  for  self-preservation  as  well  as  evangelisation. 

But  it  is  abundantly  evident  that  for  a  number  of  years 
the  preachers,  and  even  churches,  were  engaged  almost 
entirely  in  an  effort  to  seek  and  save  the  lost.  Doubtless 
this  earnest  spirit  of  evangelism  was  accentuated  to  some 
extent  by  the  clear  apprehension  which  the  Disciples  had 
of  the  Gospel  message  which  they  had  to  deliver.  It  was 
at  this  point,  more  than  any  other,  where  there  was  a 
striking  difference  between  them  and  other  religious  people 
at  that  time. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  doctrine  of  conversion,  as 
it  was  taught  in  those  days  by  the  denominations,  was 
very  obscure,  if  not  almost  in  total  darkness.  The  popular 
notion  was  that  in  conversion  the  sinner  is  wholly  passive, 
and  such  passages  of  Scripture  as  the  one  which  refers 
to  the  clay  and  the  potter  were  constantly  quoted,  to 
show  that  no  one  could  do  anything  of  himself,  but  he  was 
wholly  in  the  hands  of  God,  the  potter,  to  be  fashioned 
according  to  the  Divine  will.  The  usual  evidence  for 
conversion  was  the  recital  of  some  occult  influence,  either 
in  dreams,  feeling,  sights,  or  sounds.   But  very  rarely  was 

659 


660    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  Divine  Word  ever  quoted  correctly  in  support  of  any 
convert's  claim  to  acceptance  with  God. 

In  view  of  this  state  of  things,  it  is  not  remarkable 
that  the  Disciples  felt  compelled  to  seek  the  deliverance 
of  the  world  from  this  unreasonable  theology.  Their  view 
of  the  Gospel  was  that  it  is  a  message  adapted  to  man 
as  he  is ;  a  message  that  man  can  understand,  believe,  and 
obey;  and  therein  is  his  responsibility  distinctly  and  em- 
phatically emphasised.  The  Disciples  claim  that  man  is 
not  responsible  at  all  if  he  cannot  act  of  his  own  free 
will,  either  accept  or  reject  the  Gospel  message.  They 
claim  that  in  conversion  the  sinner,  instead  of  being  wholly 
passive,  is  wholly  active;  instead  of  conversion  being 
something  that  is  done  for  him,  and  in  him,  it  is,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  something  he  does  for  himself,  though  he 
is  influenced  to  take  the  step  by  the  high  considerations 
presented  in  the  Gospel  message.  In  short,  this  message 
is  adapted  to  his  needs,  and  pleads  with  him  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  God  instead  of  his  pleading  for  God  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  him. 

This  was  practically  a  new  revelation  to  the  age,  during 
the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century;  and  even  at 
the  present  time  there  are  some  to  whom  this  message 
is  still  a  new  revelation.  But  it  is  easy  to  see  how  it 
must  have  impressed  the  people  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Disciple  movement,  and  also  how  it  must  have  impressed 
the  Disciple  preachers,  for  it  undoubtedly  dignified  their 
mission  and  accentuated  their  responsibility  in  a  way  that 
the  old  view  could  not  do,  no  matter  how  earnestly  the 
proclaimers  of  it  may  have  preached  to  the  world.  But, 
however  this  may  have  been,  the  Disciples  gave  themselves 
up  almost  entirely,  for  nearly  the  first  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  to  evangelistic  work;  and  in  looking  back 
over  that  period  it  is  impossible  not  to  admire  the  self- 
sacrificing  spirit  of  the  itinerant  ministry  of  those  days. 
Many  of  these  men  left  their  homes  and  families,  and  spent 
weeks,  and  even  months,  travelling  from  place  to  place, 
preaching  in  private  houses,  schoolhouses,  courthouses, 
and  even  in  the  open  air,  under  the  forest  trees,  without 
money  and  without  price,  sometimes,  indeed,  without  food 
enough  to  sustain  their  physical  strength.  Of  course  this 
was  not  true  of  all  the  evangelists  at  all  times  during  this 
early  period,  but  it  was  true  of  many  of  them,  and  it  was 


SOME  COLLEGE  PRESIDENTS 


1,  F.  D.  Kershner,  Milligan  College.  2,  R.  E.  Hieronymus,  Eureka 
College.  3,  T.  C.  Howe,  Butler  College.  4,  Ashley  S.  Johnson,  Johnson 
College  5,  Clinton  Lockhart,  Texas  Christian  University.  6,  J.  B.  Jones, 
William  Woods  (Missouri).  7,  J.  C.  Caldwell,  Atlantic  Christian  College. 
8  Hill  j\L  Bell,  Drake  University.  9,  E.  L.  Barham,  Missouri  Christian 
College.  10,  Daniel  E.  Motley,  Washington  Christian  College.  11,  R.  H. 
Crossfleld,  Transylvania  University.  12,  W.  P.  Aylsworth,  Cotner  Uni- 
versity. 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  661 


equally  true  of  all  of  them  that  they  were  very  scantily 
supported. 

Considering  the  conditions  under  which  they  laboured 
their  success  was  almost  phenomenal.  Of  course  they 
met  with  violent  opposition.  This  was  inevitable.  Their 
message  was  a  direct  contradiction  of  the  popular  notions 
concerning  the  Gospel  and  the  doctrine  of  conversion.  It 
was  practically  turning  things  squarely  around  and  be- 
ginning at  the  other  end  of  the  line.  Those  who  did  not 
accept  the  Disciple  view  of  the  matter  felt  bound  to 
oppose  it,  and  thus  their  preaching  became  a  savour  of 
life  unto  life  or  of  death  unto  death.  It  either  killed  or 
cured.  The  issue  was  usually  clearly  defined  at  all  places 
where  the  Disciples  preached,  and  this  one  thing  brought 
their  preaching  into  collision  with  the  leaders  of  many 
of  the  denominations.  Their  evangelism  was  consequently 
intensely  aggressive,  and  could  only  succeed  by  overthrow- 
ing everything  that  stood  in  its  way. 

This  fact  will  explain,  as  well  as  apologise  for,  much 
of  the  friction  and  opposition  which  the  Disciples  produced 
during  the  first  half  of  the  century  in  which  they  began 
their  religious  movement.  Some  have  thought  that  these 
early  preachers  might  have  cultivated  a  less  aggressive 
spirit,  and  consequently  might  have  avoided  much  of  the 
opposition  and  ill  feeling  which  followed  their  preaching 
in  the  early  days.  But  this  conclusion  is  based  upon  a 
very  imperfect  knowledge  of  all  the  facts.  Any  compro- 
mise with  respect  to  what  the  Gospel  is,  and  man's  re- 
sponsibility to  accept  it,  would  have  been  precisely  equiv- 
alent to  surrendering  the  Gibraltar  of  the  Disciple  plea. 
Undoubtedly,  if  their  view  of  conversion,  or,  to  put  it  in 
other  words,  their  view  of  the  sinner's  return  to  God, 
was  not  Scriptural  and  reasonable,  then  it  followed  that 
the  most  fundamental  item  in  their  advocacy  was  a 
broken  reed,  consequently  their  whole  plea  might  well  be 
regarded  with  suspicion.  As  the  lawyers  say,  "  A  cause 
that  is  wrong  in  the  beginning  is  wrong  all  the  way 
through."  The  Disciples  felt  that  if  their  Gospel  message 
Avas  at  fault  then  they  could  not  be  sure  of  anything  else, 
since  this  message  was  the  very  foundation  of  everything 
for  which  they  contended. 

The  method  of  this  evangelism  was  very  simple.  Indeed, 
it  is  scarcely  proper  to  say  that  it  had  any  fixed  method 


662    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


at  all.  Every  evangelist,  in  some  respects,  had  a  method 
of  his  own.  Nevertheless,  there  were  some  things  that 
were  common  with  all  the  evangelists.  After  an  expository 
sermon,  in  which  the  Gospel  in  its  simplicity  was  declared, 
an  earnest  exhortation  was  made,  urging  believing  peni- 
tents to  come  forward  and  confess  their  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  which  faith  was  explained  by  the  evangelist 
to  comprehend  a  willingness  to  take  this  Christ  as  their 
Prophet,  Priest,  and  King.  A  song  was  then  sung,  so 
as  to  give  an  opportunity  to  all  who  were  disposed  to  come 
forward  in  order  to  make  "  the  good  confession,"  and 
this  confession  was  an  affirmative  answer  to  the  following 
question  propounded  by  the  evangelist  to  each  one  that 
came  forward :  "  Do  you  believe  with  all  your  heart  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God?  "  Nothing 
else  was  required  in  order  to  baptism,  and  consequently 
the  baptism  immediately,  or  soon  thereafter,  followed;  and 
then,  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  church,  the  hand  of 
Christian  fellowship  was  given  to  the  new  converts.  This 
was  usually  done  by  the  whole  church  coming  forward, 
while  an  inspiring  song  was  sung,  and  this  service  often 
presented  a  very  happy  scene  to  those  who  were  simply 
witnesses.  This  same  hand-shaking  often  took  place  when 
these  penitent  sinners  came  forward  and  made  the  con- 
fession. This,  however,  was  explained  to  mean  simply  the 
hand  of  encouragement,  a  sort  of  assurance  that  the  peni- 
tents were  heartily  welcome,  while  at  the  same  time  they 
were  to  be  congratulated  upon  taking  this  important  step 
in  their  return  to  God. 

This  simple  procedure  was  a  marked  feature  in  the 
early  evangelism  of  the  Disciples.  It  will  be  seen  that, 
so  far  as  faith  was  concerned,  all  extraneous  matters  were 
eliminated.  The  simple  proposition  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  was  the  only  thing  pre- 
sented to  the  candidate  for  baptism,  but  this  must  be 
accepted  with  all  the  heart. 

As  this  was  a  radical  departure  from  the  usual  re- 
quirements of  the  religious  denominations,  it  was  one  of 
the  points  at  which  the  Disciple  propaganda  was  severely 
criticised.  Sometimes  it  was  claimed  by  the  Disciple  oppo- 
nents that  such  a  confession  meant  practically  nothing, 
as  everybody  believes  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  living  God.    Disciples  replied  to  this  by  saying  that 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  663 


the  confession  which  they  required  went  deeper  than  the 
mere  admission  of  the  truth  as  to  the  confession  that 
might  be  made  by  many  who  felt  no  particular  interest 
in  trusting  Christ  for  salvation.  To  believe  in  Christ  with 
all  the  heart,  so  far  as  faith  goes,  is  all  that  is  needed 
by  any  one  in  order  to  salvation.  But  the  Disciples  also 
defended  their  confession  on  the  ground  that  it  ought 
to  be  simple,  if  it  is  intended  for  every  creature,  as  the 
Gospel  message  evidently  is,  according  to  the  commission 
which  Jesus  gave  to  His  Apostles.  They,  furthermore, 
affirmed  that  nothing  could  be  added  to  the  confession 
which  they  required.  They  insisted  that  to  add  anything 
to  Christ  was  like  trying  to  add  to  the  light  of  the  sun 
at  noonday  with  a  "  tallow  candle,"  and  this  "  tallow 
candle  "  argument  was  usually  quite  sufficient  to  set  aside 
all  objections  to  the  Disciple  contention  for  the  confession 
which  Peter  made,  and  on  which  Christ  said  He  would 
build  His  Church. 

Three  things  seem  to  have  been  very  prominent  in  the 
preaching  of  the  pioneers,  and  these  have  been  more  or 
less  prominent  in  the  preaching  of  the  Disciples  throughout 
their  whole  history,  viz. : 

(1.)  Belief  in  a  great  person,  Jesus  the  Christ,  rather 
than  the  doctrines  concerning  Him,  or  any  other  kind  of 
doctrines, 

(2.)  When  men  and  women  cried  out,  asking  what  they 
must  do,  they  were  told  explicitly  just  what  Peter  told 
the  Pentecostians,  or  in  equivalent  language,  according  to 
the  circumstances  of  every  individual  case. 

(3.)  They  were  exhorted  to  accept  the  conditions  pre- 
scribed without  unnecessary  delay,  so  that  the  same  day, 
or  same  hour  of  the  night,  the  whole  matter  was  settled. 

Of  course  it  can  easily  be  seen  that  preaching  which 
eliminated  all  recondite  philosophy  and  speculative  the- 
ology, and  that  was  concentrated  in  the  person  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  would  be  very  effective  with  the  masses.  It 
was  assumed  by  the  Disciples  that  not  one  person  in  a 
thousand  could  be  saved  if  the  doctrines  of  the  schools 
had  to  be  understood  before  salvation  could  be  secured. 
Then  it  was  urged  that  nothing  but  a  hearty  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ  is  at  all  necessary,  as  He  is  the  Saviour  of  men,  and 
not  doctrines  or  philosophies. 

The  people  also  were  charmed  with  the  idea  that  they 


664    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


were  strictly  following  the  Word  of  God  when  they  were 
told  what  to  do  in  order  to  be  saved.  In  the  very  language 
of  the  Scriptures  all  enquiries  were  answered.  Of  course 
the  answers  would  vary  somewhat  as  the  circumstances 
were  variable;  but  in  every  case  a  hearty  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  earnest  repentance,  a  confession  of  this 
faith  with  the  mouth,  and  then  a  burial  and  resurrection 
in  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  comprehended  the  conditions 
of  the  Gospel  as  these  were  presented  by  all  the  evangelists 
attempting  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  the  early  days  of  the 
movement. 

That  this  matter  is  stated  correctly  could  be  substan- 
tiated by  innumerable  quotations  from  the  writings  of  the 
Disciples.  But  the  following  from  Dr.  J.  H.  Garrison, 
editor  of  the  Christian  Evangelist,  not  only  furnishes  the 
proof  necessary,  but  is  itself  a  sane  and  luminous  state- 
ment of  Scriptural  evangelism,  such  as  the  Disciples  have 
always  claimed  to  advocate.  After  showing  what  the 
staple  preaching  was  among  the  denominations  in  the  early 
days  of  the  Disciple  movement,  he  says: 

But  leaving  other  religious  bodies  now  to  examine  them- 
selves, let  us  ask  if  we  have  attained  to  the  New  Testament 
ideal  in  the  work  of  converting  and  saving  men?  None  of  us, 
we  think,  would  make  such  a  claim.  Perhaps  the  chief  lack  is 
in  depth  of  faith  and  religious  experience.  Preaching  is  such 
a  strange  blending  of  truth  and  personality  that  the  higher 
the  type  of  character  which  the  preacher  possesses,  other  things 
being  equal,  the  greater  will  be  the  effect  of  the  truth  which  he 
presents.  The  careful  reader  of  the  New  Testament  cannot  fail 
to  be  profoundly  impressed  with  the  depth  of  sincerity,  the 
unaffected  piety,  the  entire  self-forgetfulness,  the  directness 
and  earnestness,  which  characterised  the  earliest  preachers  of 
the  cross.  They  prayed  for,  expected,  and  received  the  guid- 
ance of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  their  work.  They  realised  that  it 
was  not  they  but  Christ  working  in  them  and  through  them 
that  wrought  the  marvelous  results  which  astonished  men. 
They  were  not  fanatics;  they  used  their  reason  and  common 
sense,  but  they  lived  and  laboured  in  the  presence  of  the  un- 
seen world,  and  its  great  verities  were  more  real  to  them  than 
the  transitory  things  of  this  mortal  life.  We  shall  never  fully 
restore  apostolic  evangelism  until  we  restore  men  equally 
mighty  in  prayer,  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  in  the 
power  of  the  Spirit,  in  the  constraining  love  of  Christ,  and  in 
the  absorbing  passion  for  the  souls  of  men.  We  cannot  over- 
look the  potency  of  sanctified  personality  in  the  work  of 
restoring  New  Testament  evangelism. 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  665 


There  is  constant  danger  of  falling  into  a  sort  of  perfunctory 
style  of  preaching  which  is  void  of  life  and  of  the  power  that 
moves  men  to  action.  The  story  becomes  old  to  us  and  the 
tragedy  of  the  cross  loses  its  pathos  and  power  over  our  own 
hearts.  And  then  we  are  prone  to  fall  into  routine  methods 
and  stick  to  them  with  a  pertinacity  that  impresses  many  with 
the  thought  that  these  methods  are  of  divine  origin  and  of  per- 
petual obligation.  It  is  a  living  gospel  we  preach  to  living 
men,  and  Christ,  in  making  us  free  by  His  truth,  expects  us  to 
use  our  freedom  in  applying  this  unchanging  gospel  to  the  ever- 
changing  and  varying  conditions  of  humanity.  We  have  fallen 
into  a  more  stereotyped  method  of  questioning  candidates  who 
come  forward  to  signify  their  desire  to  be  Christians  than  is 
warranted  in  the  New  Testament.  The  essential  confession  of 
Christ  is  presented  to  us  in  various  forms,  and  we  ought  to 
exercise  the  same  liberty  to-day  in  adapting  it  to  the  needs  of 
various  classes — of  children,  of  moral  castaways  who  have  been 
brought  to  repentance,  and  of  religious  people  who  come  for- 
ward to  render  a  more  perfect  obedience.  The  main  thing  is 
to  be  sure  that  the  person  making  the  confession  is  made  to 
understand  its  import,  and  to  commit  himself  to  an  uncon- 
ditional surrender  to  Christ  and  to  the  duties  and  obligations 
of  the  Christian  life.  It  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  the 
formal  manner,  in  which  the  single  question  is  sometimes  put 
and  answered,  has  created  the  impression  on  the  minds  of  many 
religious  people  that  there  is  something  superficial,  a  lack 
of  spiritual  depth,  in  our  manner  of  bringing  people  into  the 
church. 

Too  much  emphasis  cannot  be  laid  upon  the  importance  of 
thoroughness  in  preaching.  Men  must  be  made  to  feel  the 
awfulness  of  sin,  the  terribleness  of  its  consequences,  and  then 
the  way  of  escape  should  be  pointed  out,  not  in  a  mechanical 
way,  but  with  all  tenderness  and  love.  Every  semblance  of 
legalism  should  be  avoided.  No  man  entering  the  church 
should  be  permitted  to  feel  that,  cn  condition  of  his  doing 
certain  specified  things,  God  is  placed  under  obligations  to  save 
him,  so  that  there  is  an  equal  division  of  honour  between  him- 
self and  God,  in  the  matter  of  his  salvation.  Every  one  should 
be  made  to  feel  that  his  salvation  is  a  matter  of  grace,  that 
what  he  is  required  to  do  is  not  by  way  of  meriting  salvation, 
but  by  way  of  appropriating  the  salvation  which  is  offered 
freely,  without  money  and  without  price. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  chief  errors  in  our  evangelistic  efforts 
has  been  the  disproportionate  emphasis  we  have  laid  upon  the 
human  side  of  salvation,  that  is,  upon  the  things  which  are 
required  of  men  in  order  to  i-emission  of  sins,  as  compared  with 
the  divine  side,  or  what  God  has  done  for  us  and  must  do  in 
order  to  salvation.  This  is  already  being  corrected.  It  came 
about  in  a  natural  way,  since  the  human  side  needed  the  special 
emphasis  at  the  beginning  of  our  work.  But  conditions  have 
changed,  and  a  redistribution  of  emphasis  is  required.  This 


666   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


will  add  greatly  to  permanency  of  results  in  evangelistic 
work. 

The  great  evangelists  of  the  future,  as  of  the  past,  must  be 
men  of  profound  religious  convictions  who  know  by  actual 
personal  experience  the  power  of  Christ  to  deliver  from  sin. 
He  who  knows  this  will  not  go  far  astray  in  presenting  the 
claims  of  the  gospel  and  in  pointing  out  the  way  of  salvation  to 
sinners.  Let  us  close  by  saying  that  there  can  be  no  restora- 
tion of  New  Testament  evangelism  without  the  recognition  of 
our  dependence  upon  God  and  His  co  operation  with  us,  of  the 
value  of  prayer,  and  of  the  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
heart  of  the  preacher.  When  these  great  facts  are  recognised 
we  may  expect,  with  our  clear  understanding  of  the  message  to 
be  preached,  which  is  Christ,  and  of  the  conditions  of  salvation 
through  Him,  that  we  shall  raise  up  a  mighty  army  of  evan- 
gelists who  will  bring  back  to  the  Church  the  triumph  and 
enthusiasm  of  the  days  of  the  apostles.* 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Disciple  movement 
aimed  at  restoring  the  ancient  Gospel  that  had  been  lost, 
especially  during  the  Dark  Ages.  It  is  not  assumed  that 
it  was  lost  entirely.  Some  of  the  elements  of  the  Gospel 
have  been  faithfully  preached  throughout  the  whole  his- 
tory of  the  Church.  What  the  Disciples  aimed  to  do  was 
to  restore  the  lost  elements,  and  put  them  in  their  proper 
place.  Looking  carefully  through  the  book  of  Acts, 
wherein  are  recorded  the  preaching  and  practice  of  the 
Apostles,  the  Disciples  contended  for  what  they  conceived 
to  be  the  simplicity  and  effectiveness  of  Apostolic  evangel- 
ising. In  the  first  place  these  Apostles  evidently  relied 
exclusively  upon  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  as  the  means 
by  which  to  produce  conviction  in  the  sinner.  They  recog- 
nised that  the  Holy  Spirit's  work  in  conversion  is  through 
the  truth  presented,  and  they  therefore  brought  that  truth 
to  bear  upon  the  conscience,  so  as  to  awaken  the  sinner 
and  bring  him  into  sympathy  with  their  great  message. 
Understanding  the  Gospel  to  be  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth,  and  having  received 
a  Divine  commission  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
that  Gospel  to  every  creature,  we  find  them  in  every  place, 
and  at  all  times,  faithfully  proclaiming  the  good  news  to 
all  who  would  hear  them.  Disciples  claim  that  we  do  not 
hear  of  any  special  meetings  either  for  prayer  or  for 
anything  else  in  order  to  make  the  Gospel  message  effect- 
ive.   They  have  never  said  that  such  meetings  are  wrong 

•  "  A  Modern  Plea  for  Ancient  Truths,"  Christian  Pub.  Co.,  St.  Louis. 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  667 


in  themselves,  but  they  have  always  contended  that  they 
are  generally,  if  not  always,  misleading.  Instead  of  trust- 
ing to  the  Gospel  message,  when  faithfully  preached,  many 
modern  evangelists  seem  to  turn  the  mind  away  from  the 
Gospel  itself  to  something  else,  and  consequently  the 
Gospel  message  is  practically  nullified  by  expedients  which 
are  wholly  human  in  their  origin,  and  serve  to  weaken 
rather  than  strengthen  the  message  which  is  delivered. 
Disciples  have  not  objected  seriously  to  modern  enquiry 
rooms,  when  these  rooms  have  been  used  legitimately; 
but  they  have  contended  that  much  of  the  instruction 
given  in  these  rooms  is  crude,  even  at  best,  and  is  often 
a  perversion  of  Scriptural  teaching.  When  earnest  souls 
are  seeking  the  way  of  salvation,  it  is  claimed  that  the 
answers  often  are  vague  and  unsatisfactory.  This  is  not 
the  Apostolic  style.  When  the  Apostles  preached  the 
Gospel,  and  the  people  enquired  what  they  must  do,  the 
answer  was  definite,  in  language  which  could  not  be  mis- 
taken. The  enquirers  were  told  precisely  what  the  con- 
ditions of  pardon  and  adoption  were,  so  that  when  these 
conditions  were  heartily  accepted  there  could  be  no  reason- 
able doubt  as  to  the  position  any  one  occupied.  Every  one 
could  tell  whether  he  had  believed,  repented,  and  been  bap- 
tised, and  when  he  was  conscious  that  he  had  heartily 
done  all  these,  he  had  then  a  right  to  claim  with  certainty 
the  promises  of  remission  of  sins,  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  well  as  the  hope  of  eternal  life. 

Disciples  have  always  claimed  that  much  of  the  de- 
nominational teaching  comes  short  of  this.  The  enquirer 
is  told  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  then,  the 
remaining  portion  of  the  narrative,  where  this  text  is 
found,  is  apparently  studiously  suppressed,  and  the  en- 
quiring sinner  is  left  with  the  understanding  that  a  sort 
of  sentimental  belief  in  Jesus  Christ  is  all  that  is  needed, 
whereas,  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  the 
whole  heart  is,  not  only  to  accept  Him  as  the  only  Saviour, 
but  to  obey  Him  as  the  Divine  Lord.  The  importance  of 
this  obedience  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  jailer  took 
the  Apostles  the  same  hour  of  the  night,  washed  their 
stripes,  and  was  baptised,  "  he  and  all  his  straightway." 

In  order  to  comprehend  the  whole  teaching  of  the  Dis- 
ciples on  this  subject,  and  also  to  realise  why  they  are 
so  earnest  in  contending  for  what  has  been  stated  as  their 


668   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


view  of  evangelism,  it  is  important  to  indicate  very  clearly 
their  point  of  view  with  respect  to  the  teaching  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  this  cannot  be  comprehensively  understood 
without  a  full  explanation  from  the  Scriptural  point  of 
view. 

As  Pentecost  furnishes  us  with  the  first  Gospel  sermon 
that  was  ever  preached  in  the  fulness  of  the  Gospel,  it 
may  be  well  to  look  at  the  whole  matter  under  considera- 
tion from  this  "  beginning  at  Jerusalem." 

In  all  our  reckonings  a  well-defined  starting-point  is  all- 
important.  There  must  be  no  uncertainty  as  to  this. 
Whatever  obscurity  there  may  be  in  reference  to  other 
things,  we  must  have  a  clear  conception  of  the  particular 
point  at  which  we  begin  our  calculations.  Anything  like 
uncertainty  here  is  sure  to  beget  uncertainty  at  the  end. 

In  view  of  this,  there  is  no  wonder  that  our  risen  Lord 
gave  very  specific  instructions  to  His  Apostles  concerning 
the  time  tvlien  and  place  ichcre  they  were  to  enter  upon 
their  great  mission  of  preaching  the  Gospel.  They  were 
distinctly  told  that  they  must  tarry  at  Jerusalem  "  until 
they  were  endued  with  power  from  on  high."  Jerusalem 
was  then  the  place  where  the  Gospel,  in  its  fulness,  should 
first  be  preached,  while  the  time  was  to  be  determined  by 
the  "  enduing  power  from  on  high."  They  were  to  wait 
at  Jerusalem  until  they  received  the  promise  of  the 
Father."  And  all  this  was  in  harmony  with  prophecy, 
as  well  as  the  antecedent  facts  in  the  history  of  the  case. 

Turning  now  to  the  second  chapter  of  Acts,  we  reach 
the  fulfilment  of  the  conditions  necessary  to  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  under  the  commission  which  the  Apostles 
had  received.  In  vain  do  we  look  for  this  fulfilment  any- 
where else.  Here  we  find  the  place  is  Jerusalem,  the  time 
is  when  they  have  received  the  promise  of  the  Father, — 
"  the  enduing  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  And  as  if  to  make 
the  occasion  more  emphatic,  as  regards  the  starting-point 
in  the  history  of  Apostolic  preaching,  Peter  is  the  person 
who  proclaims  the  joyful  message,  and  announces  the  con- 
ditions of  pardon  to  the  enquiring  Pentecostians.  His 
Divine  Master  had  promised  as  much  to  him  by  conferring 
upon  him  the  privilege  of  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  (see 
Matt.  xvi:19). 

Let  us  now  take  our  reckoning  from  this. starting-point. 
And  if  we  will  carefully  note  everything  connected  with 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  669 


this  "  beginning  at  Jerusalem,"  we  shall  be  greatly  helped 
to  a  right  understanding  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  as  well 
as  of  our  own  relations  to  that  Gospel.  But  if  we  are  in- 
different to  the  wonderfully  suggestive  history  of  Pente- 
cost, it  is  impossible  for  us  to  have  any  clear  conception 
either  as  to  what  the  Gospel  is,  or  what  our  duties  are 
in  reference  to  it. 

It  may  help  us  to  appreciate  the  importance  of  this 
Pentecostal  occasion  if,  in  the  order  of  time,  we  approach 
it  somewhat  gradually.  Stepping  back  from  Pentecost  to 
the  scene  of  the  crucifixion,  what  are  now  the  facts  in 
the  matter  of  human  redemption,  so  far  as  they  have  trans- 
pired? Simply  these.  Christ  had  come,  had  spoken,  as 
no  one  ever  before  spake,  had  fulfilled  His  personal  min- 
istry on  earth — during  which  He  made  known  the  great 
principles  of  His  coming  reign — and  had  offered  Himself 
a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 

Now,  whatever  was  said  or  done  in  reference  to  salva- 
tion prior  to  the  death  of  Christ  upon  the  cross  must  be 
interpreted  in  the  light  of  an  incomplete  history  of  the 
case.  Were  conditions  of  pardon  announced?  These  must 
be  necessarily  limited,  to  some  extent  at  least,  to  the 
period  antedating  the  death  of  Christ  for  our  sins,  accord- 
ing to  the  Scriptures,  and  cannot,  therefore,  be  used  now 
as  a  full  statement  of  the  conditions  upon  which  salvation 
depends  with  those  icho  live  on  this  side  of  the  time  when 
Christ  was  crucified.  Hence,  all  Scripture  spoken  before 
the  blood  of  the  ucav  covenant  wi^s  actually  shed  was  more 
or  less  prospective  in  its  bearing ;  and  when  such  Scripture 
had  special  reference  to  the  pardon  of  sins,  or  salvation, 
it  must  be  understood  as  only  a  partial  statement  of  what 
we,  who  live  in  a  new  dispensation,  have  received  in  ful- 
ness. This  must  necessarily  be  so,  since  the  greatest  facts 
in  the  history  of  salvation — the  death,  burial,  and  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ — had  not  at  that  time  transpired. 

Let  us  now  step  a  little  further  in  the  direction  of  the 
dispensation  under  which  we  live.  Let  us  stop  just  this 
side  of  the  resurrection.  From  this  point,  looking  back, 
we  observe  a  great  change  has  taken  place.  The  veil  of 
the  temple  has  been  rent;  the  middle  wall  of  partition 
has  been  broken  down  between  Jews  and  Gentiles;  a  pro- 
pitiation has  been  made  for  the  sins  of  the  world ;  the 
sting  of  death  has  been  taken  away;  the  grave  robbed  of 


670    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


its  victory ;  all  pow  er  in  heaven  and  in  earth  has  been  given 
to  the  triumphant  Conqueror;  and  now  He  tells  His 
chosen  Apostles  to  "  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
Gospel  to  every  creature ;  he  that  believeth  and  is  baptised 
shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
Or,  as  recorded  hj  Matthew,  they  were  to  go  and  "  Disciple 
all  nations,  baptising  them  into  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

Standing  in  the  light  of  this  great  commission,  we  dare 
not  rest  upon  those  statements  of  Scripture  which  belong 
essentially  to  the  time  of  CJvist's  personal  ministry  upon 
earth,  and  which  do  not  take  into  account  His  death, 
burial,  and  resurrection.  The  great  commission,  however, 
is  the  full  statement  of  the  Gospel  as  we  have  it  on  this 
side  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Divine  Redeemer. 

But  even  at  that  time  they  were  not  permitted  to  enter 
upon  the  work  for  which  they  had  been  commissioned. 
As  already  stated,  they  were  to  "  tarry  at  Jerusalem  "  until 
they  were  qualified  for  their  work  by  the  Divine  Paraclete. 
As  they  had  received  a  great  commission,  they  must  now 
make  no  mistake  in  carrying  it  out.  They  must  be  "  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit,"  so  that  what  they  do  will  be  binding 
for  all  time.  Surely  we  ought  to  be  profoundly  thankful 
for  all  this  care!  How  wisely  every  step  is  taken!  How 
secure  everything  is  made!  How  definite  are  all  the 
instructions  given !  How  specific  as  to  time,  place,  person, 
and  circumstance! 

At  last  the  day  of  Pentecost  has  "  fully  come."  The 
time  has  arrived.  The  place  is  Jerusalem.  Peter  is  the 
person.  The  conditions  are  all  fulfilled.  And  now  the 
Holy  Spirit  descends,  Peter  is  filled  with  it,  and  is  at 
once  ready  to  enter  upon  his  ministry.  He  does  not  dis- 
appoint his  Divine  Master.  Jesus  has  been  constituted 
"  both  Lord  and  Christ,"  and  Peter  does  not  hesitate  to 
proclaim  this  fact  as  the  crowning  part  of  his  wonderful 
sermon;  and  when  the  people  heard  this  (that  is,  that  this 
same  Jesus,  whom  they,  with  wicked  hands,  had  crucified, 
was  now  raised  up,  and  was  constituted  both  Lord  and 
Christ),  they  cried  out,  "  Men  and  brethren,  what  must  we 
do?"  The  answer  was,  "Repent  and  be  baptised,  every 
one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

Who  shall  say  that  the  Gospel  which  Peter  preached  on 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  671 


the  day  of  Pentecost  has  not  been  the  Gospel  of  the  New 
Institution  since  that  time?  And  who  will  say  that  the 
answer  which  he  gave  to  enquirers  then  is  not  suitable  to 
the  same  class  now?  If  we  take  our  reckonings  prior  to 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  or  subsequently  from  Rome,  or  Augs- 
burg, or  Geneva,  or  Westminster,  we  may  be  sure  that  a 
different  Gospel  and  different  conditions  will  seem  to 
answer  to  our  purpose.  But  if  we  begin  with  Jerusalem, 
at  the  time  of  Pentecost,  and  receive  the  joyful  message 
as  delivered  by  the  divinely-commissioned  Peter,  then  it  is 
simply  certain  that  we  are  following  the  specific  directions 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  sent  down  from  Heaven ;  and  that  when 
we  answer  enquiries  as  the  Apostle  did,  we  are  pursuing 
the  only  course  which  will  give  infallible  certainty  to  those 
who  are  seeking  the  way  of  life  everlasting. 

It  will  be  seen  that  in  this,  as  well  as  in  all  other 
Apostolic  examples,  there  was  something  so  straight- 
forward, definite,  and  intelligible  as  to  act,  time,  and  place 
• — something  so  satisfactory  to  the  people  who  were  ad- 
dressed— that  the  same  day,  or  the  same  hour  of  the  night, 
many  of  those  who  heard  believed,  obeyed,  and  rejoiced 
in  the  salvation  offered  through  Christ.  There  was  no 
delay  in  order  to  satisfy  certain  imaginary  conditions — 
no  waiting  for  power  to  be  added  to  the  Gospel  to  make 
it  effective.  The  Gospel  itself  was  the  power,  and  whoever 
rejected  it  rejected  the  only  means  by  which  he  could  be 
saved.  This  view  made  the  issue  definite  and  clear,  and 
drew  a  distinct  line  between  those  who  were  in  Christ 
and  those  who  were  out  of  Him,  those  who  were  His 
Disciples  and  those  who  were  not,  and  those  who  were 
children  of  God  and  those  who  were  children  of  wrath. 
In  view  of  this  clearness  of  doctrine  and  practice  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  Apostle  Paul  could  write  to  the  Colos- 
sians,  pointing  back  to  the  time  when  they  had  been  buried 
with  Christ,  and  had  been  raised  with  Him  to  walk  a  new 
life;  nor  is  it  surprising  that  the  force  of  the  aorist  tense 
in  the  Greek  always  gives  us  a  starting-point  somewhere 
in  the  past  history  of  every  Disciple,  from  which  he  is 
enabled  to  reckon  with  certainty  precisely  when  and  how 
he  entered  upon  the  Divine  life. 

The  aorist  tense  is  so  important  a  factor  in  reference 
to  the  matter  under  consideration  that  it  is  worth  while 
to  quote  a  few  passages  of  Scripture  where  it  is  used. 


672    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Quotations  are  made  from  the  Revised  Version.  Romans 
vi :  2,  "  died ;  "  17,  "  became  obedient ;  "  I.  Cor.  vi :  11, 
"  were  washed ;  "  "  were  sanctified ;  "  "  were  justified ;  " 
II.  Cor.  i :  21, 22, anointed,"  sealed,"  "  gave ; "  Gal.  iii :  27, 
"  were  baptised,"  "  did  put  on ;  "  Eph.  ii  :1,  5,  6,  "  did  he 
quicken,"  "quickened,"  "raised;"  Col.  ii:6  "received," 
11,  "were  circumcised;"  12,  "were  raised;"  13,  "did  he 
quicken ;  "  20,  "  died ;  "  iii :  1,  "  were  raised ;  "  3,  "  ye  died ;  " 
II.  Tim.  i :  9,  "  saved  us." 

Now  it  will  be  seen  that  all  these  references  point  out 
distinctly  certain  facts  in  the  past  history  of  the  persons 
addressed  with  which  these  persons  must  have  been  famil- 
iar, so  that  the  Apostle  could  appeal  to  these  facts  as 
proof  of  the  claims  which  Christ  had  upon  their  faith- 
fulness. It  ought  to  be  possible  to  make  the  same  appeal 
to-day  in  the  case  of  every  one  who  professes  to  be  a 
follower  of  Christ.  But  it  is  to  be  feared  that  many  of 
our  modern  Christians  have  no  distinct  consciousness  of 
any  such  experiences  in  their  past  history  as  those  referred 
to  by  the  Apostle  Paul.    This  ought  not  to  be  the  case. 

There  is  another  difficulty  in  the  way  of  Gospel  progress. 
Even  when  the  Gospel  is  faithfully  preached  in  all  its 
facts,  commands,  and  promises,  there  is  often  no  such 
result  following  as  we  have  a  right  to  expect,  in  view  of 
the  success  which  attended  its  proclamation  in  Apostolic 
days.  Why  is  this?  Undoubtedly  one  reason  is  because 
our  modern  preaching  is  really  not  preaching  but  teaching. 
We  may  not  do  too  much  for  the  head,  but  we  certainly 
do  too  little  for  the  heart.  True  preaching  is  telling 
the  story  of  infinite  love  in  which  there  is  a  strong  appeal 
to  the  affections.  Of  course  the  "  eyes  of  the  understand- 
ing "  must  be  enlightened,  but  after  all  these  eyes  belong 
to  the  heart,  and  if  the  heart  is  not  reached,  vain  will  be 
all  our  efforts  to  move  the  people  to  action.  Mark 
Antony,  speaking  over  the  dead  body  of  Julius  Caesar, 
moved  the  people  to  action  when  he  had  touched  their 
hearts.  The  success  of  the  Wesleyan  movement  was  as 
much  owing  to  Charles  Wesley's  songs  as  to  John  Wesley's 
sermons.  We,  in  these  days,  undervalue  the  true  source 
of  power ;  but  the  preaching  of  the  Apostles  was  successful 
because  they  recognised  what  we  do  not.  Many  preachers 
now  spend  their  time  in  discussing  theological  questions 
which  lie  entirely  outside  the  area  of  human  need,  and 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  673 


hence  the  partial  failure  of  the  modern  pulpit,  which 
ought  to  be  the  centre  of  the  most  potent  influences  to  be 
found  anywhere  in  the  moral  world.  The  preaching  of 
the  Apostles  was  simple,  straightforward,  direct,  and  to  the 
heart.  The  modern  pulpit  is  abstruse,  often  lacking 
frankness,  full  of  circumlocution,  and  mainly  to  the  head ; 
and  herein  we  find  a  reason  why  success  in  evangelising 
the  world  is  not  commensurate  Avith  the  amount  of  means 
and  energy  expended.  But  this  preaching  to  the  heart 
must  not  be  confounded  with  illicit  appeals  to  the  emo- 
tional nature,  which  may  be  also  a  great  evil. 

This  brings  me  to  notice  what  Disciples  have  always  re- 
garded as  a  very  common  fault  in  modern  evangelistic 
methods,  viz.,  the  practice  of  preaching  to  the  multitude, 
rather  than  to  the  individual.  They  do  not  wish  to  be 
misunderstood  when  they  make  this  objection.  They 
surely  do  not  mean  that  we  should  dispense  with  preaching 
to  large  congregations,  if  they  can  be  secured.  The 
Apostles  had  much  of  their  success  in  addressing  great 
multitudes,  and  it  is  probable  there  will  always  be  men 
who  can  succeed  in  this  kind  of  work,  and  where  such  is 
the  case  much  good  can  be  accomplished  in  this  way.  But 
in  the  Apostolic  days  every  member  of  the  church  was  a 
preacher  to  the  individual,  and  consequently  when  the 
Disciples  were  scattered  abroad  by  persecution,  "  they 
went  everywhere  preaching  the  Word,"  and  doubtless  much 
of  this  preaching  was  to  single  individuals. 

Philip  preached  both  to  the  multitude  and  to  the  in- 
dividual. He  preached  to  the  people  of  Samaria  and  also 
to  the  Ethiopian  eunuch.  In  both  cases  he  was  success- 
ful; and  there  are  still  persons  who  can  succeed  in  both 
these  ways ;  but  a  large  majority  of  Christians  will  do  best 
hj^  confining  their  labours  to  one  person  at  a  time.  But 
this  is  the  work  which  very  few  care  to  do,  and  the  result 
is  that  very  little  of  this  kind  of  work  is  attempted.  We 
trust  to  our  popular  evangelists,  and  the  men  who  can 
"  draw,"  while  individual  effort  is  practically  ignored 
by  nine-tenths  of  those  who  ought  to  be  personally  labour- 
ing for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 

The  great  commission  instructs  us  to  go  into  all  the 
world,  but  it  does  not  say  that  we  are  to  preach  the  Gospel 
unto  all  the  world;  but  when  we  come  to  the  preaching  of 
it,  it  is  at  once  individualised,  addressed  not  to  the  multi- 


674    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tude  as  a  whole,  but  to  "  every  creature  " ;  or,  in  other 
words,  the  message  is  personally  applied  to  each  indi- 
vidual, as  if  he  were  the  only  person  in  all  the  world. 
Our  Divine  Lord  gave  special  prominence  to  the  value  of 
the  individual  man.  He  taught  that  there  is  joy  in 
heaven  with  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that  re- 
penteth.  Earth's  joy  does  not  rise  very  high  until  the 
converts  are  numbered  by  the  hundreds,  but  one  sinner, 
returning  to  God,  sends  all  heaven  into  raptures.  It  is 
this  personality  and  individuality  about  the  Divine  method 
of  saving  souls  which  give  that  method  its  distinct  origi- 
nality, and  distinguish  it  from  what  is  human.  We  go 
out  after  the  multitudes,  but  the  Divine  plan  is  to  save 
the  one  man.  We  find  our  enthusiasm  in  the  hundreds 
and  thousands,  but  the  angels  of  God  are  thrilled  with 
infinite  delight  when  a  single  individual  is  made  to  realise 
his  lost  condition,  and  to  seek  for  pardon  in  the  Blood  of 
the  Lamb. 

The  great  need  of  the  present  hour,  as  regards  this 
matter,  is  undoubtedly  an  earnest  and  hearty  acceptance 
of  the  New  Testament  doctrine  of  individual  responsibility. 
This  should  manifest  itself  in  two  directions.  Each  in- 
dividual Christian  should  become  a  missionary  to  each 
individual  sinner.  Where  any  one  is  capable  of  address- 
ing effectively  large  audiences,  let  him  not  fail  to  do  so, 
w^hether  these  audiences  are  gathered  in  churches,  chapels, 
halls,  in  the  streets,  market  places,  or  anywhere  else  out 
of  doors.  But  let  this  not  excuse  those  who  may  labour 
from  house  to  house,  and  from  individual  to  individual. 
Let  each  Christian  be  instrumental  in  saving  his  neighbour, 
without  waiting  for  some  one  else  to  do  it.  And  Disciples 
believe  that  whenever  this  method  shall  be  honestly  ac- 
cepted and  thoroughly  worked,  the  problem  of  saving  the 
world  will  be  stripped  of  at  least  half  of  its  difficulty. 
They  do  not  undervalue  associated  work.  All  their  so- 
cieties are  perhaps  necessary;  certainly  they  cannot  do 
without  their  churches.  But  these  ought  to  emphasise 
individual  effort,  rather  than  minimise  it.  And  yet  they 
may  well  fear  that  the  more  they  organise  co-operative 
work,  the  more  individual  labour  will  be  practically  dis- 
continued. This  ought  not  to  be  the  case.  But  I  am 
speaking  of  what  actually  is,  and  I  believe  that  no  one 
who  understands  the  present  condition  of  things  will 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  675 


attempt  to  deny  my  conclusion.  At  any  rate,  the  fact 
stated  is  a  crying  evil,  and  stands  in  the  way  of  evangelistic 
success.  Christians  must  seek  to  counteract  this  tendency; 
they  must  fully  accept  the  responsibility  of  individual 
work;  each  man  must  attempt  to  save  some  other  man. 
In  this  way  every  Christian  will  become  an  important 
factor  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  the  consequence  will 
be  the  dawning  of  a  new  life  and  a  new  hope  in  all  our 
efforts  to  evangelise  the  world. 

So  far,  under  this  division  of  the  subject,  the  practice 
of  the  Christian  world  generally,  without  specific  reference 
to  any  particular  denomination,  has  been  considered. 
Doubtless  the  Disciples  of  Christ  will  say  that  they  can 
heartily  endorse  the  contention  made  with  respect  to 
evangelistic  methods.  But  the  Disciples  are  far  from 
being  entirely  exempt  from  blame  as  regards  the  indict- 
ments made  against  modern  Christendom.  It  is  perhaps 
quite  true  that,  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  Disciples,  their 
evangelistic  methods  were  not  altogether  objectionable. 
Even  now  Disciples  are  not  liable  to  all  the  charges  that 
have  been  made.  In  some  respects  they  work  upon  lines 
which  are  distinctly  Scriptural ;  and  in  most  respects  they 
are  able  to  prove,  by  an  appeal  to  the  facts  of  their  success, 
that  their  methods  are  at  least  not  obsolete.  Neverthe- 
less, it  cannot  be  denied  that  they  are  rapidly  tending 
toward  stereotyped  formalities  and  doubtful  expedients. 
It  is  furthermore  perfectly  true  that  some  of  these  formali- 
ties are  practically  interwoven  with  every  page  of  Disciple 
history.  It  is  necessary  at  present  to  refer  to  only  a 
few  of  the  most  pronounced  evils  which  their  false  methods 
have  produced. 

The  first,  and  perhaps  the  most  common,  evil  which 
needs  to  be  considered  is  what  may  be  not  inappropriately 
called  hypnotic  conversion.  In  the  early  days  of  their 
Reformation  it  was  the  proud  contention  of  the  Disciples 
that  they  appealed  mainly  to  the  reason,  rather  than  the 
emotional  nature,  in  seeking  to  bring  sinners  to  Christ. 
But  how  has  the  mighty  fallen!  We  have  come  to  times 
when  the  preaching  of  the  regular  pastor  is  not  supposed  to 
be  sufficient  to  turn  men  to  God ;  consequently  an  evangel- 
ist with  hypnotic  powers  must  be  sent  for  to  influence  the 
hardened  sinners  who  could  not  be  reached  through  the 
regular  ministrations  of  the  Word.    When  this  evangelist 


676    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


makes  his  appearance  it  is  curious  to  study  his  methods. 
The  main  effort  is  pitched  upon  the  plane  of  the  emotions ; 
and  sad  to  tell,  the  exhortations  sometimes  fall  to  the  low 
level  of  the  auctioneer  pleading  for  another  bid  on  the 
article  he  is  proposing  to  sell.  As  the  success  of  these 
evangelists  is  measured  mainly  by  the  additions  they  are 
able  to  secure,  it  is  not  altogether  strange  that  by  hook 
or  crook  a  respectable  number  must  be  added  to  the  roll 
of  church  members.  This  is  necessary  to  give  the  evan- 
gelist a  favourable  introduction  to  the  next  church  in  need 
of  his  help. 

Now  let  no  one  misunderstand  these  statements.  There 
can  be  no  reasonable  objection  to  additions  to  the  church. 
By  securing  these  a  church  is  built  up  more  readily  and 
effectually  than  in  any  other  way.  What  may  be  objected 
to  is  the  manner  in  which  these  additions  are  made.  Did 
any  one  ever  stop  to  think  about  the  solemn  farce  to  which 
attention  is  called?  Then  did  any  one  ever  estimate  the 
actual  results  of  such  a  protracted  meeting  upon  the 
religious  growth  of  the  community  where  it  is  held?  Addi- 
tions are  made,  not  by  the  Gospel's  appeal  to  the  whole 
man — spirit,  soul,  and  body — but  by  the  art  of  manipu- 
lation, or  the  trick  of  playing  on  the  feelings,  or  what 
is  worse  still,  by  a  skilful  use  of  hypnotic  power.  We 
ought  to  end  all  this  unworthy  manipulation  of  illicit 
forces  in  the  great  work  of  saving  souls.  The  Gospel  is 
still  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that 
believeth;  and  when  this  is  faithfully  proclaimed  the 
work  of  the  evangelist  is  finished,  so  far  as  bringing  the 
people  to  Christ  is  concerned. 

It  need  scarcely  be  explained  that  all  evangelists  are 
not  included  in  the  category  here  indicated.  Many  will 
be  glad  that  some  one  has  spoken  out  so  freely.  These 
do  not  approve  the  unscriptural  methods  to  which  refer- 
ence has  been  made.  There  are  evangelists  and  evangel- 
ists. For  the  better  class  I  have  nothing  but  praise, 
but  for  those  who  practise  the  arts  of  manipulation  I 
have  nothing  but  contempt.  If  there  is  ever  a  time  when 
a  man  needs  to  be  honest  and  careful  in  the  highest  sense 
it  is  when  he  is  dealing  with  immortal  souls.  Nothing 
can  excuse  the  hypnotic  evangelist.  He  plays  with  the 
will  through  the  influence  of  a  human  power  which  prac- 
tically ignores  the  Gospel,  except  so  far  as  the  Gospel 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  677 


is  used  in  order  to  give  a  solemn  sanction  to  wliat  he 
says.  He  uses  heavenly  wisdom  with  which  to  make  suc- 
cessful his  earthly  tricks.  Surely  the  time  has  come  when 
this  trafficker  in  human  credulity  should  be  remanded  to  a 
back  seat  in  the  work  of  converting  the  world. 

Again,  it  is  more  than  doubtful  whether  the  old  method 
among  the  Disciples  of  asking  sinners  to  come  forward 
to  the  front  bench,  in  order  to  make  the  confession,  is 
any  longer  the  wisest  that  could  be  adopted.  It  is  probable 
that  some  regard  this  method  as  divinely  inspired,  in 
view  of  the  fact  it  has  been  so  long  and  so  generally 
practised.  But  every  one  ought  to  know  that  there  is 
neither  precept  nor  example  for  it  in  the  New  Testament. 

It  always  did  seem  to  smack  of  artificiality,  and  I  am 
more  and  more  satisfied  that  it  has  come  to  be  largely 
a  perfunctory  performance.  Disciples  have  railed  against 
the  "  mourners'  bench,"  but  they  have  substituted  for 
this  what  they  call  the  "  front  bench,"  only  they  manage 
differently,  when  they  have  got  their  sinner  there. 

Why  not  change  all  this?  Why  not  ask  for  expressions 
from  the  congregation  while  the  preacher  is  declaring  his 
message?  Or,  if  no  one  interrupts  him  while  he  is  speak- 
ing, why  not,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  discourse,  ask  the 
people  to  rise  in  their  seats,  or  to  indicate  in  any  other 
way  they  wish  their  willingness  to  accept  Christ  and  follow 
Him.  Present  methods  are  too  stereotyped.  The  age  de- 
mands something  altogether  more  flexible. 

Nor  is  it  necessary  to  sing  a  song  while  decisions  are 
being  made.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  song  is  quite  an 
addition  to  Apostolic  practice;  but  it  is  doubtless  an 
element  in  the  atmosphere  that  will  usually  help  hypnotic 
influence.  Let  no  one  think  that  this  characterisation 
is  irreverent.  I  solemnly  protest  against  such  construc- 
tion of  my  words.  I  have  the  most  profound  regard  for 
every  legitimate  effort  to  persuade  men  to  turn  away 
from  sin  and  accept  Christ  as  their  Saviour;  but  I  believe 
that  this  cannot  be  properly  done  through  many  of  the 
methods  that  are  used  by  even  Disciple  preachers,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  remarkable  expedients  resorted  to  by  some 
popular  evangelists  of  other  religious  bodies.  Surely  a 
new  reformation  is  needed  with  respect  to  the  whole  work 
of  evangelising  the  world. 

This  old  evangelism  was  doubtless  just  the  thing  for  the 


678    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


day  when  it  was  used.  Nor  is  it  certain  that  anything 
better  has  ever  been  invented  that  is  now  called  the  new 
evangelism."  Possibly  the  new  conditions  of  society  re- 
quire some  new  methods  in  preaching  the  old  Gospel,  but 
the  old  Gospel  must  still  be  preached  if  any  legitimate 
and  permanent  results  can  follow.  For  several  years  the 
evangelism  of  the  Disciples  has  been  undergoing  a  change 
with  respect  to  methods,  the  real  value  of  which  has  not 
yet  been  clearly  demonstrated.  Mr.  Moody  was  perhaps 
the  first  who  systematised  the  methods  of  evangelism  and 
showed  the  effectiveness  of  organisation  in  preaching  the 
Gospel,  as  well  as  in  other  things.  He  has  been  followed 
in  some  of  his  methods  by  the  great  evangelists  among 
the  Disciples.  The  present  plan  very  generally  adopted 
is  to  arrange  beforehand  with  the  church  or  churches  where 
the  evangelistic  services  are  to  be  held,  one  of  the  features 
of  which  is  to  have  ready  a  number  of  persons  who  will 
make  confession  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  services. 
Often  as  many  as  fifty  or  more  make  the  "  good  confession  " 
at  the  first  service  held.  These  are,  for  the  most  part, 
members  of  Sunday  Schools,  and  are  often  rather  small 
children,  though  well  instructed  in  the  step  they  are 
taking.  Many  Disciples  are  not  quite  satisfied  with  this 
apparently  perfunctory  way  of  making  converts.  They 
are  not  sure  that  there  is  much  conviction  or  even  re- 
pentance possible  in  this  method.  Nevertheless,  if  we 
are  to  know  the  tree  by  its  fruits,  this  method  has  not 
been  tried  long  enough  to  determine  certainly  just  how 
these  converts  will  stand  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  Chris- 
tian life.  However,  as  the  parable  of  the  sower  contains, 
perhaps  unintentionally,  a  very  suggestive  prophecy*  it 
may  be  well  not  to  prematurely  judge  the  results  of  a 
protracted  meeting  which  is  conducted  according  to  the 
most  approved  methods  of  modern  evangelism.  Evidently 
only  one-fourth  of  the  people  reached  by  the  Word  were 
permanently  benefited  by  the  seed  sown.  Only  one-half 
of  these  would  be  regarded  as  thoroughly  converted  by 
almost  any  evangelist  of  either  the  old  or  the  new  school. 

With  the  Disciples  their  new  evangelism  is  still  on  trial, 
though  in  any  case  their  evangelism  differs  from  any  of 
the  denominations.  With  such  men  as  Charles  Reign  Sco- 
ville  (who  properly  stands  at  the  head  of  the  list),  James 
Small,  Brooks  Brothers,  W.  E.  Harlow,  Herbert  Yeuell, 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  679 


etc.,  etc.,  to  lead  the  evangelistic  forces,  the  new  methods 
will  undoubtedly  have  the  very  best  chance  of  proving 
their  efficiency  that  is  at  all  possible.  Some  of  the  greatest 
evangelistic  meetings  that  have  ever  been  held  in  the 
history  of  Christianity  have  recently  been  held  by  Disciple 
evangelists.  Still,  it  must  be  confessed  that  there  are 
certain  drawbacks  which  should  be  reckoned  with  before 
unlimited  praise  can  be  given  to  the  modern  methods. 
Perhaps  one  of  the  most  serious  objections  is  not  usually 
considered  at  all.  It  is  this:  Many  churches  do  not  now 
attempt  evangelistic  work  at  all,  unless  they  can  secure 
the  services  of  some  of  these  remarkably  successful  evan- 
gelists. Ordinary  preaching  for  the  salvation  of  souls  is 
very  far  below  par,  and  evangelists  who  do  not  employ 
the  modern  methods  are  themselves  not  generally  employed. 
They  are  not  wanted  by  the  churches,  and  consequently 
a  great  many  of  the  smaller  churches,  where  evangelistic 
work  is  most  needed,  but  where  these  great  evangelists 
will  not  come,  for  the  reason  that  they  cannot  be  sup- 
ported, are  practically  left  to  take  care  of  themselves,  with 
a  very  feeble  ministry  frequently,  and  with  a  very  dark 
outlook  with  respect  to  their  future.  Many  country 
churches  are  dying  simply  because  they  cannot  afford  to 
have  a  protracted  meeting  according  to  the  new  methods, 
and  consequently  they  have  no  protracted  meeting  at  all, 
and  some  of  them  are  giving  up  these  meetings  altogether. 

In  considering  the  evangelists  of  the  present  among  the 
Disciples,  it  must  be  understood  that  those  who  advocate 
the  new  methods  contend  that  these  new  methods  must 
be  followed,  or  else  success  cannot  be  assured.  No  doubt 
there  is  something  in  this  contention.  But  there  are  those 
among  the  Disciples  who  refuse  to  accept  this  conclusion, 
and  these  are  "  progressive  "  men,  consequently  their  oppo- 
sition to  the  new  methods  cannot  be  ascribed  to  any  un- 
willingness to  keep  up  with  what  is  called  the  "  pro- 
cession." This  protest  was  very  emphatically  voiced  at 
a  recent  congress  of  the  Disciples  by  Earle  M.  Todd.  His 
paper  was  a  masterly  discussion  of  the  whole  question 
of  evangelism  from  the  New  Testament  point  of  view, 
and  a  very  trenchant  criticism  upon  the  extreme  new 
methods  which  have  been  adopted  since  the  days  of  Mr. 
Moody.  It  is  claimed  by  very  many  that  Mr.  Todd's  paper 
criticised  a  phase  of  things  which  does  not  prevail  among 


680    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  Disciples  at  all,  and  was,  therefore,  a  useless  and 
extravagant  presentation  of  evils  which  no  one  among 
the  Disciples  would  for  a  moment  advocate.  Nevertheless, 
there  are  not  a  few  who  believe  that  Mr.  Todd's  paper, 
while  somewhat  overdone  at  particular  points,  was,  after 
all,  a  necessary  protest  in  view  of  the  tendencies  of 
modern  evangelism  among  the  Disciples.  Undoubtedly 
there  are  dangers  to  be  avoided,  but  there  are  dangers  in 
everything  where  there  is  life.  Life  itself  is  a  signal  to 
intimate  that  there  are  always  breakers  ahead. 

But,  however  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  the  Disciples 
are  an  evangelistic  people,  and  nothing  short  of  a  vigorous 
representation  of  this  feature  of  their  plea  will  satisfy 
the  yearning  of  the  churches  for  aggressive  work.  This 
has  been  from  the  beginning  a  distinct  characteristic  of 
the  Disciple  movement,  and  it  will  probably  continue  to 
be  to  the  end,  for  their  whole  movement  means  to  take 
the  world  for  Christ,  and  this  involves  an  aggressive 
warfare  on  everything  that  opposes  His  reign. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  prevalence  of  this  evangelistic 
feature  of  the  movement,  the  following  list  of  evangelists 
is  given.  It  is  not  claimed  to  be  perfect,  as  these  men  are 
occasionally  changing  from  the  evangelistic  work  to  pas- 
toral work,  and  pastors  are  entering  the  evangelistic 
field,  but  it  is  believed  to  be  practically  correct  for  the 
present  year. 

Alabama:  Clarkson,  E.  R. 
Arizona  :  Conder,  J.  Perry. 

Arkansas:  McCarty,  H.  A.;  Mason,  W.  B. ;  Meyers,  W.  H. ; 
Taylor,  J.  J. 

California:  Brown,  J.  A.;  Child,  E.  A.;  Darst,  E.  W.; 
Martin,  Sumner  T. ;  Shepherd,  R.  P.;  Spiegel,  O.  P.;  Stivers, 
J.  T. ;  Ward,  H.  Elliott. 

Canada  :  Stevenson,  R.  W. ;  Wade,  A.  B. 

Colorado:  Stout,  Chas.  G. 

Georgia:  Clarkson,  E.  R. ;  Shellnut,  E.  L. 

Illinois :  Davis,  H.  A. ;  Monser,  H.  E. ;  Scoville,  Chas.  Reign; 
Snively,  Geo.  L. 

Indiana:  Alford,  W.  H. ;  Brooks,  W.  T.;  Bulgin,  R.  R.;  Can- 
field,  J.  M. ;  Carpenter,  L.  L. ;  Chappie,  William ;  Clark  Family 
(A.  K.,  Mrs.  A.  K.,  and  Susie)  ;  Combs,  J.  V.;  Crabb,  A.  W.; 
Legg,  T.  J.;  Sellers,  L.  E. ;  Shearer,  W.  F. ;  Small,  James; 
Snodgrass,  R.  E. ;  Trucksess,  F.  E. ;  Wilson,  Allen. 

Iowa:  Burton,  B.  B. ;  Carney,  Ira  J.;  Chambers,  C.  E. ; 
Curless,  Eugene;  Fuller,  John;  Liverett,  A.  R. ;  Lockhart,  W. 
J.;  McKenzie,  J.  A.;  Martin,  A.;  Maxey,  R.  Tibbs;  Newland, 


THE  OLD  EVANGELISM  AND  THE  NEW  681 


J.  S. ;  Organ,  C.  L. ;  Stout,  Chas.  G, ;  Wright,  Lawrence ;  Youtz, 
B.  E.;  Zenor,  W.  H. 

Michigan:  Arthur,  F.  P.;  Bellingham,  T.  W.;  Ice,  I.  M.; 
Varney,  Chas.  E. 

Missouri:  Bowen,  F.  L. ;  Brandt,  John  L. ;  Brooks,  Arthur 
K. ;  Bryan,  J.  H. ;  Butler,  G.  A. ;  Butterfield,  G.  A. ;  Creel,  J.  C. ; 
Callithan,  K.  E.;  Fife,  C.  L.;  Earl,  S.;  Fife,  R.  H.;  Fife,  R.  S.; 
Gaylor,  Joseph;  Harlow,  W.  E. ;  Harbord,  C.  L. ;  Harrison,  W. 
L.;  Head,  T.  J.;  Hood,  W.  S.;  Ireland,  G.  E.;  Jones,  O.  W.; 
LeBaron,  Irving  T. ;  Moore,  A.  B. ;  Mundell,  W.  M.;  O'Neal, 
F.  M.;  Reavis,  T.  F. ;  Sharratt,  James;  Siberell,  Horace; 
Vance,  S.  J.;  Wallace,  A.  R.;  Ward,  Wm.  A.;  Warren,  D.  B.; 
Williamson,  E.  H.;  Wood,  J.  Y.  B.;  Yocum,  E.  W.;  Yokley, 

F.  J. 

Nebraska:  Clutter,  Edw. ;  Doward,  Z.  O. ;  Forell,  Evon; 
Gregg,  Samuel;  Hall,  H.  M.;  Knowles,  H.  G.;  Mitchell,  H.  M.; 
Stine,  John  L. ;  Walker,  J.  W. ;  Whiston,  R.  F. ;  Wilkinson, 
B.  A. 

Ohio:  Higgins,  Frank  A.;  Nichols,  Roland  A,;  Vawter,  G. 
R.  L. 

Oklahoma:  Beach  and  Beach;  Cameron,  I.  W, ;  Chapman, 

G.  J.;  Garner,  J.  W. ;  Greenwade,  J.  B. ;  Haddock,  J.  L. ;  In- 
gold,  Oscar;  Kindred,  W.  H.;  LeMay,  W.  M.;  Mason,  Mrs.  M. 
W. ;  Minton,  J.  A.;  Murphey,  Chas.  P.;  Newby,  H.  W. ;  Reborn, 
W.  S. ;  Reynolds,  H.  A. ;  Sexson,  W.  M. ;  Smith,  M.  G. ;  Thomas, 
Geo.  T. ;  Trimble,  C.  F. ;  White,  Dr.  J.  E. ;  Wolfe,  Geo. 

Oregon:  Jackson,  S.  W. 

Texas:  Harrington,  Vernon;  Harrington,  I.  Estelle;  Webb, 
Polk,  G. ;  Stevens,  John  A. ;  Boggess,  W.  A. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


EDUCATION  AND  LITERATURE 

THE  Disciples  have  always  been  friends  of  education. 
The  very  essence  of  their  plea  demands  this.  "  Let 
there  be  light "  was  Alexander  Campbell's  great 
slogan  throughout  the  whole  of  his  public  ministry.  He 
constantly  attributed  much  of  the  influence  of  sectarianism 
to  the  ignorance  of  the  people,  especially  with  respect  to 
the  teaching  of  the  Word  of  God.  The  founding  of  Beth- 
any College  was  with  a  view  to  overcome  this  ignorance 
as  far  as  this  one  college  could  accomplish  that  end.  The 
Bible  was  made  one  of  the  fundamental  books  in  the  curri- 
culum of  study,  while  every  branch  of  education  that  could 
throw  light  on  the  Bible,  and  that  could  be  made  available, 
was  co-ordinated  with  the  study  of  the  greatest  of  all  books. 

It  was  not  long  until  other  colleges  were  founded.  The 
life  of  some  of  these  was  of  short  duration,  but  a  few 
have  survived  the  struggles  of  the  past,  and  are  to-day 
giving  evidence  of  renewed  vigour  and  permanent  use- 
fulness. Recently  some  new  colleges  have  been  organised, 
and  these  also  give  promise  of  helpfulness  in  the  field  of 
education. 

Doubtless  some  mistakes  have  been  made  with  respect 
to  the  matter  of  education  among  the  Disciples.  The 
supreme  independency  which  controlled  in  the  organisation 
of  churches  controlled  also  in  the  organisation  of  colleges. 
For  the  want  of  some  central  directing  superintendency 
every  one  was  at  liberty  to  start  a  college  where  he  might 
choose  to  do  so,  and  often  a  college  was  started  at  a  par- 
ticular place  largely  for  the  local  influence  it  was  supposed 
to  exert  upon  the  development  of  the  town  where  it  was 
located.  This  was  unfortunate  in  some  respects,  but  per- 
haps it  could  not  be  helped.  Indeed,  it  seems  now  to 
have  been  the  only  way  a  college  could  be  started  in  the 
days  when  there  was  no  practical  co-operation  among  the 
churches.    Looked  at  from  the  present  point  of  view,  it 

682 


EDUCATION  AND  LITERATURE 


683 


is  remarkable  that  any  of  these  colleges  have  lived.  Many 
of  them  have  certainly  lived  at  a  half-dying  rate.  They 
have  received  no  substantial  endowment.  However,  the 
time  has  come  when  there  is  a  better  outlook  for  these 
educational  institutions.  Some  of  these  have  received 
already  a  substantial  endowment,  though  much  yet  remains 
to  be  done  before  they  can  take  their  places  among  the 
colleges  that  are  well  equipped  and  securely  made  perma- 
nent for  usefulness. 

The  following  list,  made  for  the  year  1908,  embraces 
most,  if  not  all,  the  colleges  that  have  any  recognition 
among  the  Disciples: 

Some  of  these  colleges  have  recently  come  into  existence, 
while  other  colleges,  not  enumerated  in  this  list,  but  which 
once  had  considerable  influence,  have  been  discontinued. 
However,  it  is  worth  while  to  remark  that  most  of  the 
colleges  inaugurated  by  the  Disciples  are  still  in  evidence 
in  their  centennial  year.  Undoubtedly  this  speaks  well  for 
the  educational  spirit  which  has  characterised  the  Disciples 
from  the  beginning  of  their  movement.  They  are  still 
criticised  by  not  a  few  for  their  apparent  indifference 
to  the  educational  problems  which  confront  them.  But 
there  are  some  good  reasons  why  this  indifference  exists. 
Perhaps  it  is  not  correct  to  say  that  it  is  indifference  in  all 
respects.  The  seeming  indifference  doubtless  comes  from 
the  fact  that  there  has  been  no  systematic  general  co- 
operation with  respect  to  educational  matters.  Individual- 
ism has  been  a  characteristic  of  the  Disciple  movement 
in  all  that  they  have  undertaken  to  do.  Their  educational 
work  has  therefore  been  fragmentary,  sometimes  their 
methods  have  been  wasteful.  A  college  has  been  started 
mainly  because  of  a  local  interest  in  it,  and  usually  in  such 
cases  most  of  the  money  invested  in  it  would  soon  be  ex- 
hausted, and  then  the  college  would  have  to  appeal  for  other 
help  in  order  to  keep  it  from  at  once  failing.  But  these 
appeals,  even  when  responded  to  liberally,  would  furnish 
the  means  for  only  a  short  duration  of  efficiency,  for 
instead  of  using  the  interest,  as  in  the  case  of  Avell-endowed 
institutions,  all  the  money  contributed  would  be  used  in 
keeping  the  institution  going. 

It  can  be  readily  seen  that  this  method  must  necessarily 
lead  to  ultimate  failure,  unless  a  permanent  endowment 
fund  is  secured.    This  is  the  rock  on  which  many  of  the 


684 


HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


£■£5  2  =  i 

^  S  i  a)  o  S 


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.E  .E  =  «  c  r; -c  j=  »  —  =  c 

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§5o  -  o 
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Oi-H  O  OO  CO 


>  »ft  o  o 
5  CO  O  O 
5  QO  O  »C 


 ooo 

OOOOOC:OQ0,OOOOO^ 
o'o  o'o'o  in  co'o'o  o'lO  tf^' 
•^wo^mTj-t-om^iot-c* 


oooooooooooooooooo 

SOO0O00O00O00-30O0O 
^o o oo^oo oo^o o o^o__o o^o  c_o 
ift  o  in  o  o  o"  (D  o  o'  CO  o  in  CD  ifT  m'  irT  o'  o" 
«-<    CTi~»ao       K-i  »-i  T-1  CO 


<cico«aoc>o«P'^ojotaooi; 

CO  t-CXJCOOSt-COt-'-'iGW 


■OW^COOO^iC 


■OCT  o  o 
■  O  »b  ^  eo 


ni  on 


EDUCATION  AND  LITERATURE  685 


colleges  have  been  wrecked,  and  it  is  still  a  great  danger  to 
those  that  are  now  in  existence.  People  become  tired  of 
giving  to  an  institution  when  they  know  that  their  con- 
tributions will  be  soon  exhausted  in  meeting  the  running 
expenses.  Perhaps  this  vicious  method  could  not  be  well 
avoided  in  the  past  history  of  the  Disciples.  It  proved 
to  be  a  hand-to-mouth  method,  but  nearly  everything  con- 
nected with  the  movement  was  somewhat  of  this  character, 
for  at  least  the  first  half  century.  In  the  later  days  this 
defective  method  is  not  used  where  it  can  possibly  be 
avoided.  Nevertheless,  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  none 
of  the  colleges,  ostensibly  under  the  patronage  of  the  Dis- 
ciples, have  been  supported  in  a  degree  commensurate  with 
the  demands  of  these  colleges.  Some  contend  that  they 
have  too  many  colleges.  But  this  is  doubtful.  It  is  not 
that  there  are  too  many  colleges,  but  that  only  a  few  of 
these  are  at  all  adequately  supported,  and  even  the  best 
support  must  be  regarded  as  almost  infinitesimal  in  view 
of  the  real  needs  to  be  supplied.  But  as  has  already 
been  indicated,  some  of  these  colleges  are  reaching  out 
hopefully  for  worthy  endowments.  Doubtless,  all  these 
must  be  subject  to  the  inexorable  law  of  progress.  The 
survival  of  the  fittest  will  ultimately  determine  which  col- 
leges shall  live  and  which  will  die.  It  may  be  that  the 
managers  of  these  colleges  will  regard  this  law  as  an 
unworthy  test.  They  may  be  right  in  this,  but  all  the 
same  the  test  will  prevail,  and  will  ultimately  determine 
the  place  that  each  college  shall  occupy. 

Those  who  have  been  most  prominent  as  educators 
are  as  follows :  Alexander  Campbell,  president  of  Bethany 
College;  W.  K.  Pendleton,  president  of  Bethany  College; 
Walter  Scott,  who  was  a  finely  educated  man,  was  con- 
nected with  several  educational  institutions  at  different 
times  of  his  life.  James  Shannon  was  president  of  Bacon 
College,  Harrodsburg,  Ky.,  also  president  of  the  University 
of  Missouri,  Columbia,  Mo.,  and  was  president  of  Christian 
University  at  Canton,  Mo.,  when  he  died.  Robert  Milligan 
was  president  of  Kentucky  University  as  well  as  professor 
in  several  colleges ;  D.  R.  Dungan  was  president  of  Cotner 
University,  and  is  at  present  a  professor  in  the  Biblical 
department  of  Drake  University,  Des  Moines,  la. ;  P.  S. 
Fall,  a  finely  educated  gentleman,  was  president  of  a 
female  college  at  Frankfort,  Ky.,  and  was  also  connected 


686    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


with  other  educational  institutions;  John  Augustus  Wil- 
liams was  the  first  president  of  Christian  Female  College, 
Columbia,  Mo.,  and  then  president  of  Daughters  College, 
at  Harrodsburg,  Ky.  He  was  a  distinguished  educator. 
J.  K.  Rogers  was  president  of  Christian  College,  Columbia, 
Mo.,  for  about  twenty  years,  and  was  one  of  the  noted 
educators  of  his  time.  B.  A.  Hinsdale  was  president  of 
Hiram  College,  Hiram,  Ohio,  for  several  years,  and  after- 
wards a  professor  in  Michigan  University.  He  was  not 
only  an  educator  in  the  college,  but  also  in  literature. 
He  wrote  several  works  of  much  importance  along  educa- 
tional lines.  S.  K.  Hoshour  was  president  of  Butler 
College,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  for  a  few  years.  Robert 
Graham  was  president  of  Kentucky  University,  and  also 
for  a  time  was  president  of  Hamilton  College,  and  the 
College  of  the  Bible,  all  three  of  these  located  at  Lexington, 
Ky.  George  T.  Carpenter  was  president  of  Oskaloosa 
College,  la.  J.  M.  Atwater  was  president  of  Hiram 
College,  and  also  served  as  professor  in  Eureka  College, 
Illinois.  H.  W.  Everest  was  president  of  Eureka  College, 
and  afterwards  president  of  Butler  College,  and  then  dean 
of  the  College  of  the  Bible  in  Drake  University.  C.  L. 
Loos  was  president  of  Eureka  College  for  a  time  and 
afterwards  of  Kentucky  University,  where  he  is  still  a 
professor,  though  he  has  reached  an  extreme  old  age. 
Mrs.  W.  T.  Moore  was  president  of  Christian  College, 
Columbia,  Mo.,  for  the  past  twelve  years.  Other  presi- 
dents, now  serving,  are  noted  in  the  preceding  list  of  col- 
leges. Perhaps  other  names  might  be  added  to  this  list, 
but  those  mentioned  include  the  most  prominent  among 
the  educators  of  the  Disciples. 

It  has  already  been  intimated  that  some  of  the  colleges 
mentioned  are  beginning  to  receive  an  encouraging  endow- 
ment fund.  An  effort  is  now  making  to  add  to  the  endow- 
ment fund  of  Bethany,  at  least,  |500,000.00  during  this 
Centennial  year.  It  is  believed  that  this  amount  should 
be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  trustees  of  the  college  as 
one  of  the  Centennial  offerings  in  recognition  of  the  great 
service  Bethany  College  has  rendered  to  the  Disciple  move- 
ment. Butler  College,  at  Indianapolis,  has  also  received 
a  substantial  addition  to  its  endowment  fund,  and  is 
already  one  of  the  best  colleges  among  the  Disciples,  and 
has  perhaps  the  highest  standing  of  any  for  thorough 


SOME  COLLEGE  PRESIDENTS  (continued) 

1,  E.  C.  Sanderson,  Eugene  Bible  University.  2.  E.  V.  Zollars,  Okla- 
homa Christian  University.  3,  A.  J.  Thompson,  Louisville  Christian  Bible 
School.  4,  Mrs.  W.  T.  Moore,  Christian  College  (Missouri).  5,  -Miner 
Lee  Bates,  Hiram  College.  6,  ;Mrs.  O.  A.  Carr,  Carr-Burdettte  College. 
7,  Josephus  Hopwood,  Virginia  Christian  College.  8,  Thomas  E. 
Cramblet,  Bethany  College.  !),  W.  J.  Lhamon.  Bible  College  of  ^Missouri. 
10.  Carl  Johann,  Christian  University.  11,  Herbert  L.  Willett,  Disciple* 
Divinity  School  and  University  of  Chicago.  12,  .Mrs.  Luella  W.  St.  Clair, 
Hamilton  College. 


EDUCATION  AND  LITERATURE  687 


college  work.  Drake  university,  at  Des  Moines,  la.,  is 
making  very  commendable  progress,  while  Hiram  College, 
at  Hiram,  Ohio,  has  just  added  materially  to  its  endow- 
ment fund.  Furthermore,  Eureka  College,  at  Eureka, 
111.,  has  also  received  a  valuable  addition  to  its  endowment 
fund,  while  nearly  all  the  other  colleges  are  more  or  less 
beginning  to  receive  help  somewhat  commensurate  with 
their  pressing  needs.  Indeed,  it  may  be  said  truthfully 
that  the  day  of  small  things,  as  regards  the  colleges  of 
the  Disciples,  is  passing  away.  Their  ambition  was  very 
great  at  the  beginning,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  it  some- 
times became  ridiculous,  such  as  calling  what  was  little 
more  than  a  grammar  school  a  university.  But  even  that 
apparently  absurd  way  of  styling  things  must  be  regarded 
as  an  evidence  of  the  hope  which  the  founders  of  these 
institutions  had  with  respect  to  the  future.  These  men 
ought  to  be  honoured  for  the  very  absurdities  which  they 
committed,  for  these  were  committed  in  the  name  of  a 
great  faith  which  they  had  in  their  brethren  to  build  up 
and  sustain  their  educational  institutions.  It  is  a  great 
thing  to  believe  in  success,  for  this  is  practically  success 
half  won.  After  Dean  Stanley  had  returned  to  England 
from  a  visit  to  this  country,  in  stating  his  impression  he 
declared  that  he  did  not  meet  a  man  or  woman  in  America 
that  did  not  believe  in  the  almost  infinite  possibilities  of 
this  great  land.  This  fact  illustrates  one  of  the  funda- 
mental things  in  the  success  of  the  American  people. 
America  can  never  fail  while  the  people  believe  in  America. 
After  all,  it  is  faith  that  overcomes  the  world,  whether 
that  faith  be  a  religious  faith  or  some  other  faith.  In- 
fidelity is  a  death-knell  to  any  enterprise,  and  pessimism 
always  raises  the  flag  of  failure  all  along  the  pathway  of 
human  progress,  and  this  flag  will  bring  failure  to  every 
soul  who  follows  its  lead.  Disciples  may  congratulate 
themselves  that  their  heroic  educators  have  believed  in 
success  even  where  to  believe  seemed  almost  folly. 

While  perhaps  the  apology  made  for  some  of  the  eccen- 
tricities, in  the  educational  methods  of  the  Disciples,  is 
entirely  just,  it  ought  to  be  stated  that  the  truth  of  history 
compels  the  further  statement  that  the  Disciples  as  a  whole 
do  not  seem  to  realise  the  importance  of  their  colleges. 
The  most  fundamental  thing  in  their  plea  is  mainly  educa- 
tion.   Their  appeal  has  always  been  to  a  sanctified  intelli- 


688    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


gence,  and  their  movement  has  gained  its  greatest  victories 
where  this  intelligence  has  been  addressed.  This  is  the  day 
of  colleges  and  universities.  Whoever  does  not  recognise 
this  fact  is  surely  out  of  touch  with  the  great  progressive 
movements  of  the  age.  Undoubtedly  the  future  of  the 
Disciple  movement  will  depend  largely  upon  the  wise 
use  made  of  present  opportunities  to  make  their  colleges 
what  they  ought  to  be.  This  is  the  vision  of  the  most  far- 
seeing  men  among  them,  and  it  is  an  encouraging  fact  that 
even  the  indifference  which  seemed  to  prevail  for  a  time 
is  beginning  to  give  way  before  the  onward  march  of  prog- 
ress. It  may  be  that  some  of  the  colleges  that  are  still 
in  existence  will  not  be  found  among  the  fittest  that  will 
survive,  but  it  seems  practically  certain  that  not  a  few  of 
the  colleges  that  have  been  struggling  for  an  existence, 
through  many  years  and  many  disappointments  will  soon 
be  permanently  established. 

What  some  believe  to  be  a  great  movement  in  the  right 
direction  is  the  establishment  of  Bible  chairs  and  colleges 
in  connection  with  the  state  universities.  This  has  be- 
come a  very  prominent  feature  in  the  educational  out- 
look of  the  Disciples.  Several  experiments  of  this  kind 
have  already  been  made  in  connection  with  some  of  the 
best  state  universities,  such  as  Michigan,  Virginia,  Califor- 
nia, Missouri,  etc.,  etc.  In  connection  with  Missouri  Uni- 
versity, a  Bible  college  has  been  inaugurated,  and  very 
suitable  buildings  erected.  This  college  has  received  con- 
siderable endowment  fund.  The  Bible  chairs  have  been 
under  the  supervision  of  the  C.  W.  B.  M.,  and  the  experi- 
ment, though  not  altogether  satisfactory,  is  making  some 
progress,  and  may  ultimately  prove  to  be  a  valuable  asset 
in  the  educational  system  of  the  Disciples.  It  is  claimed 
by  the  friends  of  these  Bible  chairs  that  there  is  no  good 
reason  for  endowing  colleges  to  educate  young  men  for 
the  ministry  in  the  academic  departments,  as  this  can  be 
done  by  the  universities  much  better  than  by  a  half-en- 
dowed college  for  that  purpose.  Hence,  the  location  of 
these  Bible  chairs  at  these  state  universities  is  believed  to 
be,  partially  at  least,  the  solution  of  the  problem  for  the 
better  education  of  the  Disciple  ministry.  There  are,  how- 
ever, certain  drawbacks  to  these  Bible  chairs  and  Bible 
colleges  connected  with  these  universities.  One  of  these 
drawbacks  is  that  the  students  in  the  university  are  usually 


EDUCATION  AND  LITERATURE  689 


pressed  very  heavily  with  their  academic  work,  and  have 
no  time  to  devote  to  studies  lying  outside  of  the  university 
curriculum,  and  especially  as  they  receive  little  or  no 
credit  for  work  done  in  these  Bible  chairs  or  Bible  colleges. 
The  result  so  far  has  been  that  the  students  very  generally 
hesitate  to  take  up  the  Bible  work  offered  simply  because 
it  does  not  help  them  in  their  graduation  from  the  univer- 
sity. Another  drawback  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  Dis- 
ciples are  the  only  religious  people  who  have  availed  them- 
selves of  the  opportunity  offered  in  this  respect,  and  conse- 
quently their  presence  at  the  state  universities  is  regarded 
with  some  suspicion  by  the  denominations,  and  in  a  few  in- 
stances their  presence  at  these  universities  has  been  op- 
posed, if  not  openly,  at  least  secretly.  The  consequence 
is  that  this  whole  system  is  yet  on  trial,  and  may  or  may 
not  be  such  a  success  as  will  justify  the  existence  of  these 
Bible  chairs  and  colleges.  It  is  easy  to  see  the  advantages 
of  this  plan,  but  the  difficulties  in  the  way  may,  after 
all,  make  the  plan  practically  inefficient  as  a  satisfactory 
solution  of  the  educational  problem. 

The  Disciples  have  been  rather  slow  in  creating  a  litera- 
ture. The  reason  for  this  is  not  far  to  seek.  During 
their  early  history  they  had  very  little  use  for  books 
of  a  general  character.  They  were  most  concerned  with 
the  Book.  They  appealed  everything  to  the  Bible,  and  con- 
sequently they  studied  this  book  as  they  did  no  other,  and 
when  they  were  well  acquainted  with  it  they  felt  them- 
selves fully  equipped  for  the  great  work  committed  to  their 
hands.  Nor  was  much  else  necessary.  The  people  very 
generally  read  few  books  in  the  early  days  of  the  move- 
ment. Cultivation  was  at  a  premium,  and  every  Disciple 
preacher  illustrated  constantly  the  old  exhortation  to  "  be- 
ware of  the  man  with  one  book." 

It  has  already  been  seen  that  several  magazines  and 
papers  were  started  at  different  times;  most  of  these  had 
short  lives,  but  frequently  did  good  service  while  they 
were  able  to  live.  The  real  period  of  Disciple  literature 
did  not  begin  until  after  the  war.  A  few  books  had  been 
written  mostly  of  a  controversial  character  before  the  war, 
but  not  until  about  the  year  1865  was  there  much  attention 
paid  to  general  literature.  About  this  time  a  new  hymn- 
book  was  published;  and  this  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  books  of  hymnody  in  the  English  language.    It  sue- 


690    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ceeded  a  book  published  by  Mr.  Campbell.  His  book  was 
the  only  one  used  by  the  Disciples  for  a  number  of  years. 
However,  another  book  was  published  by  B,  F.  Hall  to- 
wards the  close  of  the  fifth  decade  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. But  this  book  had  a  very  limited  circulation,  though 
it  contained  some  of  the  splendid  old  hymns  which  are 
now  almost  entirely  unknown. 

The  environment  in  which  the  Disciple  literature  had 
its  birth  is  well  sketched  by  a  recent  writer: 

"  Fortunately  for  us,  we  were  launched  at  a  favourable 
period.  Not  to  speak  of  the  religious  agitation  of  the  early 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century  or  of  the  tendency  of  the  better 
religious  people  to  examine  their  standing,  New  Testament  in 
hand,  we  are  to  be  congratulated  on  the  fact  that  our  literature 
was  in  process  of  formation  prior  to  the  setting  in  of  that 
period  of  modern  science  which  has  so  shaken  the  faith  of  the 
multitude.  May  I  add  that  the  same  is  true  in  respect  to  his- 
torical criticism,  as  it  would  have  affected  the  American  mind. 
In  the  first  quarter  of  that  century  there  were  no  new  scientific 
ideas,  whether  applying  to  Nature  or  the  Bible,  to  draw  aside 
earnest  minds.  Biology  and  geology  as  now  taught  were  yet 
in  embryo,  and  the  battle  of  Moses  and  the  myths  had  not  yet 
reached  the  western  ear. 

What  might  have  transpired  had  our  life  begun  half  a  century 
later,  no  one  knows.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  Alexander 
Campbell  in  his  last  days  was  asked  whether,  in  the  light  of 
new  facts,  he  was  still  satisfied  with  his  conception  of  creation. 
That  conception  can  be  best  understood  by  noting  one  feature 
of  it.  He  held  that  by  a  flat  of  Jehovah  the  trees  instantly  sprang 
into  maturity.  His  answer  betrayed  doubt  of  this  position, 
but  he  was  too  near  the  end  of  his  earthly  life  to  tackle  the 
problems  of  modern  science.  We  smile  at  so  crude  a  thought. 
But  he  laughs  best  who  laughs  last.  Had  this  prince  in  Israel 
attempted  such  a  revision  as  the  evolutionist  of  the  '60s  de- 
manded, who  knows  but  that  even  he  might  have  been  thrown 
out  of  balance,  giving  to  the  world  merely  an  ambitious 
apology  for  a  personal  God,  rather  than  his  great  demonstra- 
tion of  the  Christ.  Valuable  as  any  true  knowledge  must  be 
to  the  student  of  progressive  life,  does  a  person  really  need  to 
know  scientific  truth  to  secure  a  correct  understanding  of  the 
will  of  God?  Is  there  not  a  clear  and  ample  knowledge  of 
God  to  be  derived  from  his  Word,  and  sufficient  for  a  full 
salvation?  If  so,  a  leader  such  as  Campbell  would  surely  be 
on  the  safe  side  to  adopt  it,  and  thus  steer  clear  of  confusion. 
For  this  man  had  a  purpose  and  he  did  not  propose  to  mar  it 
by  devoting  his  energy  to  a  field  which  did  not  belong  to  him, 
or  by  indulging  in  idiosyncrasies.  Progress  to  him  stood  for 
naught  unless  it  led  one  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Sciences 
might  be  true  or  false,  that  was  not  his  question.    If  false,  he 


1) 


PROMINENT  EVANGELISTS  OF  TO-DAY 


1,  S.  M.  Martin.  2,  W.  T.  Brooks.  3.  James  Small.  4,  H.  E.  Wilhite. 
5,  H.  O.  Breeden.  C,  Allen  Wilson.  7.  George  L.  Snively.  8,  Charles 
Reign  Scoville.  9,  Herbert  Yeuell.  10,  Roger  F.  Fife.  11,  W.  E.  Harlow. 
12,  John  A.  Stevens.    13,  William  J.  Lockliart. 


EDUCATION  AND  LITERATURE  691 


would  profoundly  regret  it  and  pass  them  by.  He  never  dab- 
bled with  them.  The  course  of  our  modern  Theists,  Monists, 
and  Theosophists  would  have  been  abominable  in  his  eyes.  He 
would  have  spurned  such  samples  of  progressive  thought.  Far 
wiser  is  he,  as  a  builder,  who  has  the  instinct  to  reject  un- 
suitable material,  chooses  the  choice  stones  for  his  arch,  drives 
the  keystone  home,  and  thus  clenches  the  whole.  That  was  the 
way  of  this  man  of  God. 

It  was  an  age  of  the  grossest  ignorance  respecting  the  Word 
of  God.  In  the  cities,  those  who  occupied  the  pulpits  usually 
chose  half  a  dozen  words  of  Scripture,  beating  out  a  finespun, 
ethical  essay,  till  one  wondered  as  to  the  principle  of  interpre- 
tation by  which  such  a  store  of  revelation  could  be  educed. 
In  country  churches  and  at  school  houses  where  meetings  were 
held  no  man  was  considered  in  good  company  who  did  not  cry 
out  loudly  for  the  Holy  Ghost.  Thus  the  very  virtue  of  Chris- 
tianity was  frustrated  by  those  who  professed  to  esteem  it. 
Every  expedient  and  pretext  was  resorted  to  to  keep  out  an 
intelligent  conception  of  the  truth.  Every  corruption  of  prac- 
tice was  devised  to  make  the  terms  and  names  of  the  popular 
religion  designate  and  sanction  the  will  of  God.  Some  of  these 
teachers  were  honest,  and  thought  they  were  doing  God's 
service,  but  the  pall  of  ignorance  had  spread,  absolutely,  over 
them.  Ignorance  had  so  become  a  fertile  breeding  ground  that 
prejudice  came  forth  as  native  offspring.  This  ignorance  could 
not  annihilate  the  principle  of  religion  in  the  spirit  of  man, 
but  in  removing  the  exactions  contained  in  the  Saviour's  teach- 
ing it  left  that  spirit  to  take  its  own  wayward  course.  The 
unenlightened  mind  threw  a  fictitious  authority  into  its  own 
phantasms,  and  into  whatever  elements  of  dogma  and  wor- 
ship were  preferred.  Much  was  said  about  depravity  in  those 
days,  but  how  could  such  gross  souls  know  the  essential  nature 
of  perfect  goodness?  Much  as  they  might  have  resented  the 
imputation,  the  fact  is  there  is  no  more  riskful  depravity 
than  arises  from  the  corruption  of  truth.  Here,  then,  was 
the  problem  for  our  forefathers.  All  about  them  were  people 
who  had  never  learned  to  think.  Beings  who  had  hardly  ever 
in  their  whole  lives  made  a  real  effort  to  concentrate  the  action 
of  their  faculties  on  anything  abstracted  from  the  objects 
palpable  to  the  senses.  Whose  entire  attention  had  been  en- 
grossed with  the  fearful  narrations  and  frenzied  exclamations 
of  backwoods  preachers ;  or  who  were  easily  led  astray  by  the 
wiles  of  pulpit  demagogues.  It  took  a  keen  eye  to  detect  the 
perverse  cast  in  the  exposition  of  the  Christian  faith,  distorting 
and  cramping  it,  as  a  foot  in  a  Chinese  shoe,  but  our  leaders 
were  equal  to  the  task,  at  all  times,  and  the  course  they 
adopted  was  replete  with  wisdom.  It  was  their  duty  to  give 
the  bewildered  conscience  a  rational  direction,  and  in  order 
to  achieve  this  they  gave  to  the  people  the  Scriptures  in  their 
purity."  * 

*  "  Literature  of  the  Disciples,"  J.  W.  Monaer. 


692    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


There  is  one  thing  that  needs  to  be  corrected  in  this 
statement.  Mr,  Campbell  never  said  that  "  by  a  fiat  of 
Jehovah  the  trees  instantly  sprang  into  maturity."  How- 
ever, he  did  say  that  by  a  fiat  of  Jehovah  he  could  make 
these  trees  instantly  spring  into  maturity,  but  he  was 
always  careful  not  to  affirm  anything  positively  as  to 
Jehovah's  method  in  doing  things,  unless  this  method  was 
clearly  defined  in  the  Bible.  Mr.  Campbell's  position  on 
this  subject  was  well  understood  by  those  who  heard  him 
in  his  morning  class  lectures  in  Bethany  College.  He  had 
the  most  supreme  reverence  for  the  Bible,  and  whatever  it 
said  he  said.  But  he  was  never  known  to  add  to  the 
Bible  in  all  his  teachings  or  his  writings.  It  is  perfectly 
true  that  he  did  not  go  into  the  history  of  creation  accord- 
ing to  geological  science.  Geology  as  a  science  was  not 
quite  fifty  years  old  when  Mr.  Campbell  had  reached  the 
highest  point  of  his  intellectual  powers,  and  it  was  scarcely 
known  at  all  when  he  began  his  public  ministry.  It  would 
have  been  the  supremest  folly  if  he  had  attempted  to 
interpret  the  Bible  in  the  light  of  modern  science,  for  no 
such  light  was  then  available. 

But  the  liberal  extract  we  have  given  serves  well  to  illus- 
trate the  condition  of  the  people  as  regards  literature 
during  the  earlier  days  of  the  Disciple  movement.  Even 
at  the  beginning  of  the  second  half  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury the  Disciples  had  not  made  much  progress  in  de- 
veloping a  literature  worthy  of  the  name.  Their  maga- 
zines were  generally  filled  with  strong  articles,  but  these 
were  mainly  confined  to  special  subjects  bearing  upon  their 
religious  movement.  Everj'thing  was  subordinated  to  the 
plea  which  they  were  making.  They  practically  knew 
nothing  but  Christ  and  Him  crucified,  and  such  things 
as  essentially  belonged  to  this  particular  message.  Every- 
where the  preachers  burned  this  message  into  the  souls 
of  men,  and  most  of  them  utterly  refused  to  give  attention 
to  side  issues. 

It  must  not  be  understood  by  this  that  the  men  of  that 
period  did  not  read  anything  outside  of  the  Bible  and  the 
magazines  of  the  Church.  Some  of  the  men  could  claim 
a  considerable  knowledge  of  general  literature.  Mr. 
Campbell  himself  was  a  wide  reader,  but  even  he  confined 
most  of  his  reading  to  the  particular  matter  which  he  had 
in  hand.    He  was  a  controversialist  from  necessity,  and 


EDUCATION  AND  LITERATURE  693 


much  of  his  reading  was  with  a  view  to  equip  himself  with 
the  facts,  and  arguments  necessary  to  meet  his  opponents. 
He  was  leading  a  mission,  whose  object  was  to  overturn 
or  break  down  all  influences  that  stood  in  the  way  of  a 
return  to  New  Testament  Christianity  in  both  its  faith 
and  practice.  His  writings  show  rather  a  remarkable 
acquaintance  with  general  literature,  notwithstanding  the 
busy  life  which  he  lived  in  a  somewhat  circumscribed 
environment  in  view  of  the  special  plea  which  he  was 
making. 

Walter  Scott  was  also  a  man  of  fine  literary  touch. 
The  same  can  be  said  of  Dr.  Robert  Richardson.  W.  K. 
Pendleton  was  a  man  of  very  wide  reading  and  of  high 
culture,  though  he  was  not  a  writer  of  books.  It  is  really 
a  pity  he  did  not  put  into  permanent  form  what  he  could 
have  so  well  accomplished.  P.  S.  Fall  was  another 
scholarly  man,  and  yet  he  did  not  write  anything  in  the 
way  of  literature  of  any  special  permanent  value.  Indeed, 
it  may  be  said  in  truth  that  the  Disciples  are  just  begin- 
ning to  make  a  literature  somewhat  outside  of  their  special 
theological  contentions.  This  literature  shows  itself  in 
several  directions,  although  nearly  everywhere  in  the  end 
the  direction  is  turned  toward  the  special  plea  which  the 
Disciples  are  making.  Several  important  works  have 
appeared  of  a  biographical  character,  such  as  Richardson's 
"  Memoirs  of  Alexander  Campbell,"  Lamar's  "  Life  of 
Isaac  Errett,"  Williams'  "  Life  of  John  Smith,"  and 
Shackelford's  "  Life  of  Dr.  Pinkerton,"  and  other  books  of 
a  like  character.  Some  histories  have  also  appeared,  but 
are  all  confined  to  the  treatment  of  the  life,  character, 
and  progress  of  the  Disciple  movement.  These  histories 
are  referred  to  under  the  head  of  Bibliography. 

Sermonic  literature  and  essays  began  to  have  a  prom- 
inent place  soon  after  the  war,  and  this  tendency  was 
focalised  in  a  volume  entitled  "  The  Living  Pulpit  of  the 
Christian  Church."  Devotional  books  have  had  a  wide 
sale  among  the  Disciples,  and  this  is  a  sign  of  spiritual 
development  which  needs  to  be  recorded.  "  Communings 
in  the  Sanctuary,"  by  Dr.  Robert  Richardson,  "  Evenings 
with  the  Bible,';  by  Isaac  Errett,  "  Alone  with  God,"  "  The 
Heavenly  Way,"  and  "  Half  Hour  Studies  at  the  Cross," 
all  three  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Garrison,  have  had  a  very  healthful 
influence  in  developing  the  spiritual  life  of  the  Disciples. 


694    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


"Alone  with  God"  is  said  to  have  had  a  circulation 
of  over  50,000  copies.  It  has  been  thought  that  the  Dis- 
ciples have  not  given  enough  attention  to  heart  culture. 
It  has  been  said  of  them  that  if  their  heads  were  cut  off 
they  would  have  no  religion.  Perhaps  that  is  true.  But 
it  would  be  equally  true  of  the  men  who  have  made  this 
sage  remark.  However,  what  is  meant  by  this  remark 
is  worth  while  for  Disciples  to  consider,  and  they  are 
considering  it  in  these  later  days  of  their  movement.  They 
have  passed  the  period  where  the  theological  tournament 
was  the  best  for  exercise  of  the  religious  function,  and  the 
consequence  is  they  are  turning  their  attention  to  the 
production  of  a  literature  somewhat  general  in  its  char- 
acter, but  always  helpful  in  cultivating  the  heart  life. 

In  reference  to  the  future  of  Disciple  literature,  I  crave 
the  privilege  of  quoting  again  from  Mr.  Monser's  informa- 
tive little  book.    He  says : 

Literature  is  the  gangway  between  separate  and  otherwise 
unapproachable  bodies.  It  is  the  medium  between  the  known 
and  the  unknown ;  between  what  is  sure  and  what  is  possible. 
Yes,  it  is  more.  Even  as  the  great  ships  tremble  under  their 
vast  cargoes,  bearing  them  seaward,  and  at  last  placing  them 
on  the  wharfs  of  the  world's  distant  markets,  so  it  is  the 
province  of  literature  to  convey  foreign  ideas  into  the  most 
remote  and  indifferent  minds.  Thoughts  which  were  once  un- 
welcome become,  through  this  medium,  the  common  property 
of  man.  Week  by  week,  and  day  by  day,  these  thoughts  come, 
dropping  upon  us  like  flakes  of  snow,  until  they  eventually 
melt  and  pass  into  the  heart  and  life  of  men.  We  have  a  noted 
instance  of  this  in  the  plea  for  Federation.  Nothing,  at  first, 
could  have  been  more  distasteful  to  us.  Tutored  as  we  were 
in  our  peculiar  idea  of  Christian  Union,  it  was  difficult  to  see 
any  place  for  provisional  measures.  With  us  it  was  all  or 
nothing.  We  were  too  impatient  for  results  and  too  jealous 
for  the  truth,  as  we  saw  it,  to  submit  to  any  conciliation.  It 
was  difficult  for  us  to  see  another  group  besides  our  own, 
equally  anxious  for  unity,  but  puzzled  as  to  how  to  accomplish 
it.  Had  they  enjoyed  such  a  training  in  union  as  we  had,  it 
might  have  been  easier  for  both  to  get  together.  But  they 
did  not.  Such  as  they  were,  they  were  at  work,  and  the  im- 
partial, generous  eye  could  easily  behold  them  across  the 
chasm  building  this  way.  It  could  also  be  seen  that  they, 
like  us,  had  chosen  the  spot  where  the  least  construction  was 
necessary,  and  that,  as  in  building  a  bridge,*  they  had  chosen 
the  narrowest  part  of  the  chasm  and  were  placing  their 
buttresses  solidly  in  the  bank.  So  there  were  two  groups,  but 
one  work.    Each  could  hear  the  sound  of  the  other's  hammers. 


EDUCATION  AND  LITERATURE  695 


But  both  were  labouring  against  environments, Tooted  heredi- 
ties, and  persistent  educational  influences.  To  close  up  the  spans, 
therefore,  while  a  noble  ideal,  seemed  still  impractical.  And 
yet,  if  Farrar  could  entertain  an  eternal  hope  for  the  incor- 
rigible, surely  there  must  be  some  value  in  looking  forward  to 
the  ultimate  unity  of  the  Church.  A  few  earnest  spirits  so 
feeling  and  believing  formed  themselves  into  a  pioneer  corps 
and  persisted.  For  a  while  it  seemed  as  though  this  had 
stopped  the  work  of  the  bridge.  Nothing  of  the  sort.  It  is 
simply  the  temporary  taking  up  of  an  auxiliary  labour.  Both 
sides  are  at  present  engaged  in  removing  obstacles  and  in 
smoothing  the  way.  The  tide  of  destiny  seems  setting  in,  for 
the  forces  are  daily  increasing  in  numbers  and  in  interest. 
How  is  the  new  move  affecting  us?  Is  it  making  our  love  for 
Christian  Union  grow  cold?  Surely  not.  On  the  contrary, 
that  love  is  steadily  increasing.  We  are  catching  such  glimpses 
of  the  future  Kingdom  of  God  as  promise  us  great  fruition. 
Only,  let  us  not  weary  in  well-doing;  nor  in  the  midst  of 
prosperity  become  arrogant.  God  is  at  the  helm  and  he  will 
guide  the  good  ship  Zion  into  the  harbour.  *'  It  may  not  be 
my  way,  it  may  not  be  thy  way,  and  yet  in  His  own  way,  the 
Lord  will  provide." 

There  is  perhaps  nothing  more  marked  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Disciples  than  their  interest  in  both  education 
and  literature.  Most  of  their  modern  preachers  have  had 
a  collegiate  or  university  education,  and  these  preachers 
are  educators  in  the  pulpit,  and  there  is  no  other  kind 
of  education  more  helpful  to  the  common  people  than 
that  w^bich  unconsciously  pervades  an  audience  that  is 
dominated  by  a  speaker  whose  every  utterance  is  an  evi- 
dence of  genuine  culture.  It  is  affirmed  that  association  is 
a  great  power  in  moulding  character.  This  is  no  doubt 
true.  But  the  power  of  the  pulpit  to  mould  character 
has  perhaps  never  been  fully  appreciated.  When  we 
think  of  this  power  we  associate  it  almost  entirely  with 
religious  influence.  This  is  certainly  its  chief  aim,  and 
it  should  never  be  diverted  from  this  aim.  Still  the  mes- 
sage of  the  Gospel  has  an  educational  influence  as  well 
as  a  saving  influence.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the 
matter  that  the  primary  object  of  the  Gospel  is  to  save 
men,  but  a  secondary  object  of  the  Gospel  is  to  make 
these  men  worthy  of  being  saved.  Education  is  an  essen- 
tial condition  to  true  spiritual  manhood,  and  there  is  no 
teacher  whose  influence  is  more  powerful  to  educate  than 
the  preacher  who  speaks  to  his  people  two  or  three  times 
during  every  week.    His  very  gestures  will  have  either 


696    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

a  refining  influence  or  the  contrary.  This  being  true,  how 
important  it  is  that  the  preacher's  mind  should  be  well 
stored  with  the  best  literature,  and  his  heart  full  of  the 
grace  of  God  in  order  that  this  literature  may  be  seasoned 
and  in  every  way  prepared  to  work  its  influence  upon  the 
souls  of  those  who  hear  the  preacher. 

It  is  surely  an  encouraging  feature  of  the  Disciple  move- 
ment that  at  least  some  of  the  well-educated  men  are  be- 
ginning to  write  books,  and  these  books  are,  for  the  most 
part,  gaining  considerable  recognition,  not  only  for  their 
high  literary  quality,  but  also  for  the  stimulating  message 
which  they  contain.  There  is  generally  a  freshness  and 
vigour  about  the  writings  of  Disciple  authors  that  com- 
mend their  books  to  those  who  are  tired  of  weary  plati- 
tudes, such  as  are  often  in  books  written  simply  for  the 
sake  of  making  books  rather  than  for  the  sake  of  delivering 
a  live,  earnest,  and  influential  message  to  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


GOVERNMENTS,    NEWSPAPERS,    SOCIETIES,    AND  FEDERATIONS 

THE  average  man  likes  to  be  governed.  He  will  prob- 
ably not  admit  this.  If  told  that  he  is  governed, 
he  will  instantly  resent  it.  Nevertheless,  he  enjoys 
the  feeling  of  irresponsibility  which  the  exercise  of  author- 
ity over  him  imparts.  Even  a  man  who  is  governed  by 
his  wife  will  not  seriously  admit  it,  though  he  knows  well 
enough  that  her  soft  words,  where  all  authority  is  melted 
into  loving  tenderness,  are  doing  the  work  for  him  in 
bringing  him  into  subjection,  although  in  a  very  formal 
way;  and  with  strong  words  of  protest  he  will  declare 
that  he  is  the  head  of  the  family,  and  that  all  talk  about 
his  wife  ruling  him  is  simply  nonsense.  But,  after  all, 
he  fairly  revels  in  the  thought  that  some  way  or  other 
he  is  not  responsible  no  matter  how  things  may  go;  at 
least  this  is  how  he  feels  when  authority  is  exercised  over 
him  by  some  one  outside  of  the  family.  When  things  go 
wrong  he  likes  to  be  able  to  say,  "  I  told  you  so,"  and 
then  to  hide  behind  the  man  in  authority  and  say,  "  But 
it  is  not  my  fault,  I  am  in  no  way  responsible."  Pilate 
used  this  same  argument  when  he  washed  his  hands  and 
declared  himself  irresponsible  for  the  persecution  of  Jesus. 
It  is  a  cowardly  way  to  dispose  of  the  most  magnificent 
gift  that  God  has  conferred  upon  human  beings,  but  it 
is  sometimes  very  convenient  to  shift  responsibility  from 
our  own  shoulders  and  place  it  upon  the  shoulders  of 
others.  It  is  an  unmanly  way  to  dispose  of  personal 
obligation,  with  respect  to  looking  after  important  matters ; 
but  it  is  a  popular  way,  nevertheless.  Despotism,  where 
it  does  not  persecute  us,  is  the  most  agreeable  form  of 
human  government,  because  it  makes  every  one  else  behave 
himself,  while  we  may  do  as  we  please.  Give  some  men 
their  regular  porridge  and  mutton  chops,  and  they  do  not 
care  very  much  who  runs  the  government. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  is  it  any  wonder  that  government 
by  a  newspaper  is  a  possibility?    A  well-established  and 

697 


698    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


widely  circulated  journal  is  undoubtedly  a  great  power. 
This  position  is  not  easily  reached,  but  when  it  is  reached 
it  is  an  influence  which  can  stand  against  the  most  de- 
termined opposition.  To  build  up  a  newspaper  to  where 
it  wields  a  decisive  governmental  influence  is  no  very  easy 
task,  but  when  it  is  fully  established  it  is  equally  a  difiicult 
task  to  break  it  down,  or  even  to  circumscribe  its  influence. 
The  editor  has  the  ear  of  his  subscribers,  and  very  gen- 
erally these  subscribers  believe  in  him,  and  are  therefore 
converts  to  the  policy  of  the  paper  which  he  edits.  He  can, 
consequentlj',  count  upon  their  sympathy  and  support, 
even  where  there  is  strong  opposition  to  his  paper,  by 
many  who  do  not  believe  in  what  it  advocates.  These 
friends  of  the  paper  will  be  excited  to  work  for  its  circula- 
tion by  the  very  opposition  which  is  manifested  to  it, 
and  what  the  paper  may  lose  in  support,  in  any  given 
case,  will  be  more  than  made  up  by  new  subscribers  secured 
by  the  old  friends.  This  fact  alone  makes  a  newspaper 
a  great  power,  and  the  editor  a  great  despot,  if  he  chooses 
to  exercise  the  authority  of  his  position. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Campbell  was  recognised  every- 
where as  the  most  prominent  leader  of  the  movement  with 
which  he  was  identified.  But  his  influence  would  have 
been  much  circumscribed  had  he  not  been  the  editor  of 
the  leading  magazines  among  the  Disciples.  In  the  days 
of  the  Christian  Baptist  that  magazine  had  all  the  author- 
ity of  an  oracle  with  those  who  accepted  the  truth  it 
advocated;  but  during  those  days  the  Disciple  movement 
was  still  in  chaos,  and  consequently  the  Christian  Baptist 
was  doing  simply  a  pioneer  work.  But  from  1830  to 
the  death  of  Mr.  Campbell,  the  Millennial  Harbinger  was 
the  medium  through  which  he  mainly  spoke  to  the  re- 
ligious people  who  had  rallied  around  the  standard  of 
Reformation,  and  finally  Restoration,  as  the  years  went 
on.  Perhaps  the  influence  of  the  Harbinger,  as  an  oracle, 
was  emphasised  by  the  fact  that  there  was  no  close 
organic  co-operation  among  the  Disciples  by  which  official 
authority  was  conferred  upon  any  one.  By  a  sort  of  com- 
mon consent  the  Harbinger  was  supposed  to  indicate  what 
ought  to  be  done  and  what  ought  not  to  be  done  in  all 
cases  that  came  up  for  consideration. 

It  has  been  said  that  a  monarchy  is  the  best  government 
when  the  monarch  is  wise  and  good.    This  was  evidently 


GOVEENMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  699 


demonstrated  to  be  true  in  the  case  of  the  Millennial  Har- 
hinger.  Its  advocacy  was  always  wise  and  its  counsel 
always  good.  It  was,  however,  a  supreme  governor,  dur- 
ing the  period  of  Mr.  Campbell's  mature  manhood.  Per- 
haps this  was  the  very  best  that  could  have  been  done 
under  the  circumstances.  It  would  have  been  unfortunate, 
if  a  number  of  journals  had  attempted  to  do  what  the 
Harbinger  was  doing  so  well.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there 
were  a  few  magazines  and  newspapers  started  at  different 
times,  and  some  of  these  were  evidently  inclined  to  share 
with  the  Harbinger  in  directing  the  movement.  Others 
heartily  co-operated  with  it,  and  never  gave  any  sign  of 
jealousy  with  respect  to  the  exercise  of  authority.  But 
there  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that,  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  movement  to  the  present  time,  the  chief 
authority  in  regard  to  all  important  questions  has  been 
the  Disciple  press.  For  a  time  the  American  Christian 
RevieiD,  with  Benjamin  Franklin  as  its  editor,  spoke  the 
oracles  for  the  movement;  but  when  this  journal  became 
somewhat  oppressive  in  its  decisions  to  very  many  who 
did  not  believe  in  Mr.  Franklin's  advocacy,  they  cried  out 
for  another  paper  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the  Review. 
This  cry  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Christian  Stand- 
ard, and  with  a  view  to  the  balance  of  power  the  Apostolic 
Times  had  its  birth.  Finally,  when  Mr.  Errett  died,  in 
1888,  and  the  Apostolic  Times  died  also,  at  least  in  influ- 
ence, having  changed  to  the  Guide,  the  Christian  Evangel- 
ist became  the  embodiment  of  Mr.  Errett's  spirit  and 
advocacy,  and  has  practically  held  that  place  ever  since. 

While  Mr.  Errett  was  living,  the  Standard  and  Evan- 
gelist worked  heartily  together,  as  they  represented  prac- 
tically the  same  view  of  the  Disciple  movement.  But  after 
Mr.  Errett's  death  the  Standard  became  the  exponent  of  a 
somewhat  reactionary  policy,  and  it  has  ever  since.  At 
first  Mr.  B.  W.  Johnson  was  associated  with  Mr.  Garrison 
in  the  editorship  of  the  Christian  Evangelist.  He  was  a 
scholarly  man  and  also  a  vigorous  writer.  Under  their 
mutual  editorship  the  Evangelist  soon  occupied  an  influ- 
ential position,  and  became  the  exponent  of  a  liberal-con- 
servative representation  of  the  Disciple  movement,  and 
this  position  it  has  held  up  to  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Johnson  died  in  1894,  and  since  then  it  has  been  edited 
by  Mr.  Garrison,  who  has  shown  great  wisdom  in  avoiding 


700    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


extremes,  while  at  the  same  time  his  advocacy  of  the 
Disciple  plea  has  been  earnest  and  vigorous. 

Of  course  there  have  been  other  papers  in  the  field, 
and  some  of  these  have  been  ably  conducted.  The  Chris- 
tian Centuri/,  published  in  Chicago,  and  now  edited  by 
C.  C.  Morrison  and  Herbert  L.  Willett,  has  had  a  rather 
checkered  career,  at  times  coming  very  near  to  failure, 
but  recently  apparently  taking  on  new  life  and  showing 
conspicuous  ability  in  its  advocacy.  It  has  always  occu- 
pied a  rather  extreme,  radical  position.  However,  no 
papers  or  magazines  that  have  existed,  or  still  exist,  since 
Mr.  Campbell's  death,  have  been  as  influential  in  directing 
the  movement  as  the  Christian  Standard  and  the  Christian 
Evangelist  have  been.  These  two  papers  occupy  somewhat 
different  points  of  view,  and  though  sometimes  the  antag- 
onism between  these  two  views  is  emphasised  out  of  pro- 
portion, it  is,  after  all,  possible  that  both  of  these  papers 
are  necessary,  while  government  by  journalism  among 
the  Disciples  is  conceded.  It  may  be  that  this  kind  of 
government  is  all  wrong ;  but  if  it  is  not,  then  it  is  probable 
that  each  view-point  represented  by  these  respective  jour- 
nals should  in  some  way  be  recognised  in  the  management 
of  affairs.  It  is  claimed  that  we  must  have  two  great 
political  parties  with  respect  to  our  civil  government.  It 
would  seem  also  practically  impossible  to  avoid  the  same 
thing  with  respect  to  any  religious  movement;  and  if  the 
right  spirit  is  manifested  by  all  concerned,  there  need  not 
be  any  special  fear  that  this  is  a  great  danger.  The  cen- 
tripetal and  centrifugal  forces  in  nature  are  necessary  to 
the  harmony  of  the  universe,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  the 
centripetal  and  centrifugal  forces  in  the  Disciple  move- 
ment should  not  contribute  to  the  harmony  and  progress 
of  the  cause  they  represent.  The  only  trouble  in  this 
apparent  antagonism  comes  out  of  a  bad  spirit  which  is 
sometimes  manifested  by  the  respective  advocates  of  the 
different  view-points.  But,  however  this  may  be,  it  is 
certain  that  the  influence  of  journalism  in  the  Disciple 
movement  has  been  very  great,  and  it  ought  to  continue 
to  be  great;  but  it  needs  to  be  understood,  and  at  the 
same  time  held  somewhat  in  check  by  the  people  themselves 
who  are,  after  all,  largely  responsible  for  what  the  papers 
advocate.  Of  course  any  paper  may  be  dangerous  if  it 
has  influence.    Influence  is  always  dangerous,  though  it 


WORKING  NEWSPAPER  MEN 

1.  David  Lipscomb.  Gospel  Advocntc.  2,  Charles  Clayton  ^Morrison, 
Christian  Century.  3.  Jas.  T.  Jvichols.  Christian  Viiioit.  4.  S.  S.  Lappin, 
Christian  Standard.  5,  William  Worth  Dowling.  Christian  Publishing  Co. 
6,  James  Harvey  Garrison.  Christian-IJran;/elist.  7,  Russell  Errett, 
Christian  Standat-d.  8,  Paul  Moore,  Christian-Erangelist.  9,  J.  A.  Lord, 
Christian  Standard.  10.  W.  B.  Berry,  Pacific  Christian.  11,  F.  L.  Rowe, 
Christian  Leader  and  HVjy.  12,  G.  A.  Faris.  Christian  Courier.  13.  J.  A. 
Harding.  Christian  Leader  and  Way.  14,  Jas.  S.  Bell.  Christian  Leader 
and  Way. 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  701 

is  the  only  thing  that  is  helpful,  and  when  legitimately 
used  it  should  be  honoured  rather  than  condemned. 

Personal  journalism  among  the  Disciples  is,  however, 
passing  away.  It  will  probably  not  be  long  until  it  will 
be  simply  a  matter  of  history.  People  very  generally 
these  days  take  a  paper  because  it  pleases  them,  though 
they  may  not  know  even  who  the  editor  is.  Perhaps  the 
last  paper  among  the  Disciples  that  will  be  a  power,  partly 
because  of  the  man  who  edits  it,  is  the  Christian  Evangelist, 
and  no  one  need  fear  that  it  will  go  seriously  wrong  while 
its  present  editor  is  at  the  helm.  Dr,  Garrison  is  perhaps 
more  distinguished  for  level-lieadedness,  to  use  an  expres- 
sion which  is  at  least  descriptive,  than  for  anything  else. 
He  is  a  conservative-liberal ;  while  always  advocating  every 
legitimatelj'  progressive  movement  among  the  Disciples,  he 
is  nevertheless  always  helping  to  conserve  what  has  been 
gained.  His  paper  never  advocates  any  extreme  radical 
view,  though  it  is  in  the  front  of  everything  legitimately 
progressive. 

Recently  the  Sunday  Schools  of  the  Disciples  have  re- 
ceived much  attention  in  both  the  Standard  and  Christian 
Evangelist.  The  Standard  has  led  a  movement  in  advo- 
cating the  importance  of  Sunday  Schools  and  the  prepara- 
tion of  teachers  for  Sunday  School  work,  though  the  Chris- 
tian Evangelist  has  given  much  attention  to  the  same 
advocacy.  The  two  papers  have  heartily  co-operated  in 
this  splendid  work,  and  the  result  has  been  a  phenomenal 
success  in  reviving  Sunday  School  interest.  The  two 
papers  have  always  advocated  very  earnestly  the  En- 
deavour movement,  and  the  Disciples  are  now  leading  all 
other  religious  people  in  the  per  cent,  of  their  contributions 
to  this  remarkable  movement  among  young  Christians. 
These  facts  show  conclusively  that  whatever  may  be  the 
respective  view-point  of  these  journals,  it  cannot  be 
doubted  that  when  they  work  together  for  the  same  end 
their  combined  influence  is  very  great  in  directing  the 
movement  and  insuring  success. 

With  respect  to  the  missionary  societies,  the  Christian 
Evangelist  has  never  given  any  uncertain  sound.  How- 
ever, before  it  was  started,  for  a  time  at  least,  the  Christian 
Standard  was  the  only  paper  that  advocated  unflinchingly 
the  cause  of  the  society.  Recently,  however,  the  Stand- 
ard's  advocacy  has  apparently  been  somewhat  half- 


702   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

hearted,  and  it  certainly  does  not  stand  where  it  did  when 
its  distinguished  founder  was  its  editor. 

This  government  by  journalism  has  perhaps  been  un- 
avoidable in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Disciples  have  never 
had  any  organisation  of  the  churches  which  could  speak 
for  the  whole  brotherhood.  The  American  Christian 
Missionary  Society  has  been  regarded,  from  the  beginning 
of  its  existence  to  the  present  time,  as  the  only  organisa- 
tion which,  in  a  sense,  represents  the  whole  Disciple 
movement.  But  even  this  has  its  limitations,  for  it  only 
represents  such  Disciples  and  churches  as  voluntarily  be- 
come associated  with  it ;  and  though  it  has  become  a  power- 
ful organisation,  it,  after  all,  has  no  authoritative  function 
in  dealing  with  anything  that  has  to  do  specially  with  the 
churches.  Furthermore,  as  each  individual  congregation 
among  the  Disciples  is  independent  of  all  other  congrega- 
tions, and  is  bound  to  these  others  only  by  a  common 
faith  and  a  common  fellowship,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  the 
journalistic  element  became  a  powerful  factor  in  directing 
the  Disciple  movement,  and  how  it  must  continue  to  be  in 
a  Church  where  there  are  no  officials  who  represent  the 
whole  movement. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  American  Christian  Mis- 
sionary Society  has  been  a  sort  of  central  organisation 
through  which  the  general  tendencies  of  the  movement 
have  found  expression.  This  society  has  grown  both  in 
the  strength  of  its  influence  and  in  the  scope  of  this  in- 
fluence. It  is  no  longer  the  weakling  it  was  when  the 
Louisville  Plan  was  given  up.  Under  the  efficient  sec- 
retaryship of  Benjamin  L.  Smith  the  society  gained  stead- 
ily every  year,  and  now,  under  the  secretaryship  of  W.  J. 
Wright  and  his  associates,  the  society  is  moving  toward 
great  results. 

Not  the  least  of  the  results,  contemplated  in  its  prog- 
ress, is  the  cultivation  of  the  spirit  of  Christian  union 
which  has  always  been  a  great  feature  of  the  Disciple 
movement.  In  Canada,  where  the  Disciple  churches  have 
been  making  considerable  progress  under  the  leadership 
of  strong  and  valiant  men,  these  churches  have  been  culti- 
vating very  hearty  fraternal  relations  with  the  Baptist 
brethren.  In  some  places  a  union  between  the  local 
churches  has  been  consummated,  and  a  very  general  spirit 
of  fraternity  prevails  between  the  two  religious  bodies. 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  703 


There  has  been  also  correspondence  with  other  religious 
bodies  of  a  very  fraternal  character,  but  the  most  hopeful 
indication,  with  respect  to  union,  is  that  which  shows 
itself  in  the  mutual  approach  of  Disciples  and  Baptists. 
Nothing  very  definite  has  yet  been  accomplished,  but  there 
can  be  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  the  old  antagonisms 
are  rapidly  giving  way,  and  many  Baptists,  as  well  as 
many  of  the  Disciples,  are  hoping  for  the  day  to  speedily 
come  when  the  two  bodies  shall  be  practically  one.  The 
American  Christian  Missionary  Society  is  taking  the  lead 
in  this  union  movement  from  the  Disciple  point  of  view. 

In  October,  1902,  the  convention  was  held  at  Omaha, 
Neb.  Prior  to  this  convention  there  had  been  considerable 
discussion  in  the  Disciple  periodicals  with  reference  to  fed- 
eration, but  no  very  definite  steps  had  been  taken  with  re- 
spect to  co-operation  with  the  Federation  movement.  As  it 
is  very  desirable  to  state  the  facts  connected  with  the  action 
of  the  Omaha  convention  exactly  as  they  occurred,  the 
following  letter  from  Dr.  Garrison,  who  was  the  mover 
of  the  resolution  at  that  convention  expressing  sympathy 
with  the  federation  movement,  is  given  just  as  he  wrote  it: 

Dr.  W.  T.  Moore,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  May  3,  1909. 

Columbia,  Mo. 

Dear  Brother  Moore  : 

Responding  to  your  request  of  the  1st  inst.,  the  following  is 
a  brief  acount  of  the  acute  stage  of  federation  among  us : 

Just  before  the  Omaha  Convention  in  1902,  I  had  a  call  from 
Dr.  E.  B.  Sanford  at  my  office  in  St.  Louis.  He  wished  me  to 
present  the  matter  of  federation  to  our  forthcoming  conven- 
tion. I  said  to  him,  "  Doctor,  why  not  go  up  yourself  and 
present  the  matter  to  our  convention?  I  will  see  that  you 
have  opportunity  of  doing  so."  After  a  little  reflection  he  said 
he  believed  he  would  go.  Accordingly,  he  came  to  the  con- 
vention and  dined  with  me  at  the  hotel  in  the  evening  before 
going  to  the  convention.  He  told  me  the  substance  of  what  he 
would  report,  and  I  wrote  out  a  resolution,  which  I  thought 
common  courtesy  required,  as  an  expression  of  our  sympathy 
with  the  purpose  of  federation,  and  handed  it  to  him  to  read. 
He  said  that  would  be  entirely  satisfactory  to  him.  After  E. 
L.  Powell's  address  on  "  Christian  Union,"  by  permission  of 
the  President,  I  introduced  Dr.  Sanford  to  the  convention, 
who  made  the  following  statement  of  the  general  purpose  of 
federation : 

"The  movement  this  federation  seeks  to  aid  and  foster  is 
at  its  heart  a  missionary  movement,  spiritual  and  evangelistic 


704    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


in  its  spirit  and  purpose.  It  desires  to  bring  believers  of  every 
name  who  recognise  their  oneness  in  Christ  into  such  co- 
operative relations  that  along  lines  of  practical  service  and 
counsel  they  will  most  effectively  advance  the  kingdom  of 
God.  This  movement  contemplates  a  vital  linking  together  of 
forces  that  hold  to  Christ  as  the  head ;  forces  that  inscribe  upon 
their  banners  these  supreme  convictions: 

"  First.  That  the  gospel  affords  a  remedy  for  all  evil ;  fur- 
nishing as  it  does  redemptive  power  that  can  save  both  the 
individual  and  the  society. 

"  Second.  The  Church,  of  which  Christ  is  the  Head,  com- 
posed of  those  who,  in  loyalty  of  purpose,  trust,  love,  and 
serve  him,  is  the  chief  instrumentality  by  and  through  which 
this  gospel  is  to  be  brought  in  saving  power  into  the  life  of 
men  and  the  world. 

"  Holding  these  convictions,  federation  is  the  recognition  on 
the  part  of  those  who  enter  into  it,  of  the  essential  unity  that 
underlies  denominational  and  all  other  differences." 

Following  this  statement  by  Dr.  Sanford  I  offered  the  fol- 
lowing resolution : 

"  Resolved,  That  we,  representatives  of  the  Disciples  of 
Christ,  in  convention  assembled,  having  heard  with  pleasure 
the  presentation  of  the  claims  of  the  Federation  of  Churches 
in  the  United  States,  as  urged  by  the  national  secretary,  Dr. 
E.  B.  Sanford,  do  hereby  express  our  cordial  approval  of  the 
effort  to  bring  the  Churches  of  this  country  into  closer  co- 
operation and  to  give  truer  expression  to  the  degree  of  unity 
which  already  exists,  as  the  best  means  of  promoting  that  com- 
plete unity  for  which  our  Lord  prayed,  and  we  pledge  our 
hearty  co-operation  with  this  and  every  other  movement  that 
has  for  its  object  the  unification  of  believers,  to  the  end  that 
the  world  may  be  converted  and  the  kingdom  of  righteousness 
established  in  the  earth." 

A  motion  was  made  that  it  be  adopted,  and  the  motion  was 
put  and  carried  unanimously,  as  I  remember.  J.  A.  Lord,  how- 
ever, was  on  his  feet  to  speak  before  the  motion  was  put,  but 
was  not  .seen  by  the  chairman,  and  remarked  that  he  had  desired 
to  raise  the  question  as  to  whether  the  resolution  was  not  a 
recognition  of  denominationalism.  Someone  moved  that  the 
question  be  reconsidered  with  the  view  of  giving  Brother  Lord 
a  chance  to  express  his  objection.  He  did  so  in  a  short  speech, 
and  then  the  discussion  was  on.  There  were  several  speeches 
made,  pro  and  con,  and  the  motion  was  then  put  again,  and 
was  carried  by  a  large  majority,  though  there  was  a  con- 
siderable minority  vote.  The  discussion  created  a  good  deal 
of  excitement,  but  kept  within  parliamentary  lines.  It  was 
taken  up,  however,  in  our  newspapers  and  continued  to  be 
discu.ssed. 

At  the  Congress  held  in  Des  Moines  the  following  year,  I 
was  appointed  to  deliver  an  address  on  the  subject,  and  M.  M. 
Goode,  of  St.  Joseph,  was  appointed  to  review  it.    I  suppose 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  705 

this  discussion  created  as  much  interest  as  any  topic  that  has 
ever  been  before  one  of  our  public  assemblies.  It  ended,  how- 
ever, by  our  reaching  practical  unanimity,  for  when  the  breth- 
ren came  to  understand  each  other,  the  difference  was,  as 
Brother  Briney  expressed  it,  "  chiefly  about  definitions."  The 
matter  continued  to  be  a  theme  of  newspaper  discussion,  how- 
ever, until  the  Norfolk  Convention  in  1907.  At  that  conven- 
tion at  a  special  meeting  called  for  the  purpose,  a  committee, 
which  had  been  appointed  during  a  former  meeting  of  our 
Congress,  made  its  report  recommending  that  the  basis  of 
federation  adopted  by  the  New  York  Conference  be  approved, 
and  delegates  appointed  to  the  Philadelphia  Council.  After 
some  discussion  the  report  of  the  committee  was  adopted  by 
an  overwhelming  majority,  and  delegates  so  appointed. 

This,  I  believe,  covers  the  essential  facts.  You  understand 
the  nature  of  the  discussion.  Perhaps  for  no  other  position 
I  have  ever  taken  have  I  received  more  abuse  and  misrepre- 
sentation than  for  my  defence  of  federation,  nor  have  I  ever 
taken  any  position  about  the  correctness  of  which  I  was,  and 
am,  more  absolutely  certain. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

J.  H.  Garrison. 

This  action  of  the  convention  was  unfavourably  criti- 
cised by  some  of  the  Disciple  papers,  especially  the  Chris- 
tian Standard,  on  the  ostensible  ground  that  the  Disciples 
cannot  consistently  enter  into  such  a  compact  as  the  Fed- 
eration Council  involves.  Following  this  action  of  the 
convention,  a  long  and  somewhat  tedious  controversy  was 
precipitated.  It  was  claimed  by  the  opponents  of  federa- 
tion that  the  whole  idea  is  contrary  to  the  Restoration 
movement,  and  also  contrary  to  the  teaching  of  the  pioneers 
of  this  movement.  On  the  other  hand,  the  advocates  of 
federation  insisted  upon  the  fact  that  the  action  of  the 
convention  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the 
"  Declaration  and  Address "  by  Thomas  Campbell,  and 
was  also  in  harmony  with  the  views  propagated  by  Alex- 
ander Campbell  himself.  It  was  not  claimed  bj  these 
advocates  that  federation  is  a  finality  as  regards  Christian 
union,  but  that  it  is  a  step  in  the  right  direction,  and 
perhaps  a  necessary  step  before  Christian  union  can  be 
attained.  They  claimed,  furthermore,  that  it  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  spirit  of  toleration  which  has  come  to  be 
a  very  marked  feature  of  the  Disciples.  Emerging  out  of 
the  controversies  which  were  precipitated  during  the  war 
period  of  their  movement,  they  have  come  to  look  upon 
the  question  of  Christian  union  from  a  somewhat  different 


706    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


angle  of  vision.  During  the  time  they  were  pleading  spe- 
cially for  Restoration,  and  defending  their  movement  on 
the  ground  of  its  entire  Scripturalness,  their  leaders  were 
engaged  very  largely  in  emphasising  the  difference  between 
the  Disciples  and  the  denominations,  and  insisting  upon 
exact  conformity  to  the  Disciple  contention  in  order  to 
Christian  union.  This  view  of  the  matter  seemed  to  the 
denominations  to  be  practically  an  invitation  to  all  of  them 
to  come  over  and  join  the  Disciples.  This  was  not  exactly 
what  the  Disciples  meant.  Their  real  meaning  was  that 
these  denominations  should  give  up  the  things  that  divided 
them  into  denominations,  and  unite  upon  a  common  plat- 
form which  the  Disciples  claimed  was  all  they  required 
to  Christian  union.  This  platform  may  be  stated  in  the 
following  words: 

A  superficial  view  of  the  Disciple  contention  may  seem  to 
justify  the  point  which  the  denominations  have  constantly 
made  with  respect  to  this  matter,  viz. :  that  the  union  proposed 
by  the  Disciples  is  not  catholic.  But  a  deeper  and  more  com- 
prehensive view  will  show  that,  after  all,  the  Disciples  are 
right,  and  for  the  reason  that  they  are  pleading,  not  for 
denominational  union,  but  for  Christian  union.  Their  ad- 
vocacy, when  clearly  understood,  undoubtedly  means  that  when 
all  professing  Christians  shall  be  7-eal  Christians,  the  question 
of  union  will  be  at  once  greatly  simplified;  and  whether  a 
practical  union  can  be  efl'ected  or  not,  there  must  be  a  oneness 
of  Christians  before  any  kind  of  Christian  union  is  at  all 
possible. 

Neither  have  Disciples  pleaded  for  what  is  called  Church 
union  or  ecclesiastical  union;  but  they  have  stuck  closely  to 
their  original  contention,  that  the  first  thing  to  be  considered 
is  not  the  union,  but  the  unity;  or,  to  put  it  in  other  words, 
the  only  starting  point  that  promises  anything  like  a  worthy 
result  must  be  determined  by  asking  the  question,  Who  are 
Christians?  Hence,  the  Disciple  contention  for  Christian 
union  goes  back  to  the  question  of  obedience  to  the  Gospel, 
for  only  a  Scriptural  obedience  to  the  Gospel  can  give  us  the 
Christians  who  are  necessary  in  order  to  have  a  practicable 
and  permanent  Christian  union. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  ask,  Does  the  Disciple  plea  furnish 
a  common,  reasonable,  and  workable  ground  for  the  union  of 
Christians?  Let  us  briefly  consider  this  matter  in  the  light 
of  the  facts  of  the  case. 

What  the  Disciples  believe  and  teach  may  be  summarised 
as  follows: 

(1)  The  Old  and  New  Testaments  reveal  the  divinely  in- 
spired will  of  God  to  men,  and  these  Scriptures  contain  all  that 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  707 


is  necessary  for  "  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  in- 
struction in  righteousness,  that  the  man  of  God  maj'  be  perfect, 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works."  II.  Timothy 
iii:  16,  17.  But  the  New  Testament  is  the  source  of  authority 
in  matters  specially  pertaining  to  the  Gospel  and  the  Church. 

(2)  The  divine  excellency  and  worthiness  of  Jesus,  who  is 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God ;  and  his  official  authority 
and  glory  as  the  Christ — the  Anointed  Prophet,  Priest  and 
King,  who  is  to  instruct  us  in  the  way  of  life,  redeem  us  from 
sin  and  death,  and  reign  in  and  over  us  as  the  rightful 
sovereign  of  our  being  and  disposer  of  our  destiny. 

(3)  The  personal  and  perpetual  mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
to  convict  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment; 
and  to  dwell  in  believers  as  their  Comforter,  Helper,  and 
Sanctifler;  but  all  speculative  theories  as  to  special  operation?, 
apart  from  the  Word  of  God,  are  rejected. 

(4)  The  Gospel  as  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  believe th.  This  Gospel  in  its  fulness  embraces  (a) 
Facts;  (b)  Commands;  (c)  Promises.  The  facts  are  to  be 
helieved,  the  commands  obeyed,  and  the  promises  enjoyed. 

(5)  The  Church  of  Christ,  a  divine  institution,  composed 
of  such  as  have  turned  away  from  sin,  openly  confessed  Christ 
with  the  mouth,  and  have  been  baptised,  thereby  expressing 
their  loyalty  to  him  as  their  sovereign  Lord,  and  by  an  overt 
act  entering  into  covenant  relationship  with  him,  by  which  act 
they  definitely  decide  to  take  up  their  cross  and  follow  him. 
Baptism  (immersion)  is,  therefore,  not  a  regenerative  act,  nor 
is  it  simply  a  bodily  act.  It  properly  follows  such  a  change  of 
mind  and  heart  as  is  evidenced  by  "  repentance  toward  God 
and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  and  is  the  decisive 
step  by  which  the  penitent  believer  accepts  Christ,  and  assumes 
the  obligations  of  the  Divine  Government.  It  is,  consequently, 
an  act  in  which  the  whole  man — body,  soul,  and  spirit — moves 
up  "toward  God."  (See  I.  Peter  iii:  21).  This  view  makes 
neither  too  much  nor  too  little  of  the  ordinance.  While  on  the 
one  hand  it  repudiates  "  Baptismal  Regeneration,"  on  the  other 
it  rescues  baptism  from  the  meaningless,  formal  ceremony  into 
which  it  has  fallen  in  some  quarters. 

(6)  The  fulness  and  freeness  of  the  salvation  offered  in  the 
Gospel  to  all  who  will  accept  it  on  the  terms  proposed. 

(7)  The  necessity  of  righteousness,  holiness,  and  benevolence, 
on  the  part  of  professed  Christians,  alike  in  view  of  their  own 
final  salvation  and  of  their  mission  to  turn  the  world  to  God. 

From  this  statement  it  will  be  seen  that,  in  the  first  place, 
the  Disciple  movement  unquestionably  furnishes  a  common, 
ground,  or  a  ground  that  is  thoroughly  catholic  in  every  re- 
spect. A  careful  examination  of  the  principles  of  the  move- 
ment, to  which  attention  has  been  called,  will  reveal  the  fact 
that  there  is  nothing  in  these  principles  that  may  not  be  ac- 
cepted by  every  evangelical  denomination  in  Christendom.  It 
may  be,  and  no  doubt  is  true,  that  these  denominations  con- 


708    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


tend  for  some  things  that  are  not  included  in  the  Disciple 
contention,  but  these  are  things  that  are  not  absolutely  nec- 
essary in  order  to  either  Christian  state  or  character,  though 
they  may  be  of  considerable  importance  to  those  who  advocate 
them.  But  in  order  to  have  a  common  ground,  or  a  position 
that  is  entirely  catholic,  it  is  necessary  that  everything  should 
be  thrown  overboard  that  is  not  essential  in  the  making  of 
Christians,  and  in  keeping  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond 
of  peace.  Let  us  now  briefly  indicate  a  few  points  where  the 
catholicity  of  the  Disciples  may  be  clearly  made  evident. 

(1)  As  already  seen,  they  hold  to  the  Scriptures  as  furnish- 
ing an  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Now  this  is  com- 
mon ground  for  all  of  those  that  are  known  as  Evangelical 
denominations.  These  all  claim  to  take  the  Scriptures  as  a 
sufficient  guide  for  everything  in  religious  matters,  but  they 
add  to  the  Scriptures  certain  formulas  of  faith  or  human 
creeds.  Now  our  troubles  begin  the  moment  these  additions 
are  made.  We  have  no  controversy  with  any  of  our  religious 
neighbours  as  long  as  they  are  willing  to  take  the  Scriptures 
and  the  Scriptures  alone  as  a  sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  prac- 
tice. But  the  moment  human  creeds  are  added  then  divisions 
begin.  Disciples  say  let  all  give  up  these  creeds  and  im- 
mediately we  are  on  the  road  to  Christian  union. 

(2)  Equally  true  is  it  that  the  Disciple  position  with  re- 
spect to  Christ  is  common  ground  upon  which  all  can  unite. 
While  they  heartily  accept  the  Scriptural  Creed,  viz.,  Jesus  is 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God,  they,  at  the  same  time, 
reject  all  speculative  views  concerning  him,  so  far  as  these 
views  may  be  regarded  as  tests  of  Christian  fellowship.  Men 
may  speculate  if  they  will,  but  they  must  not  make  their 
speculations  barriers  in  the  way  of  Christian  union. 

(3)  A  common  ground  is  also  maintained  as  regards  the  of- 
fice and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Disciples  hold  strongly 
the  position  that  every  conversion  begins  and  ends  with  the 
Holy  Spirit,  but  they  decline  to  follow  those  who  go  beyond 
the  statements  of  Scripture  as  to  how  the  Spirit  operates. 
They  contend  that  as  long  as  it  is  simply  affirmed  that  the 
Spirit  operates  through  the  truth  there  is  no  need  of  con- 
troversy among  Christians,  but  the  moment  we  begin  to  specu- 
late and  declare  that  the.  Spirit  operates  independently,  or 
apart  from  the  truth,  in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  that  moment 
do  we  open  the  way  for  divisions  among  the  people  of  God. 
Nevertheless,  Disciples  do  not  make  the  extra  views  which 
others  may  hold  a  barrier  to  fellowship  with  them,  provided 
they  hold  to  the  common  ground  that  the  Holy  Spirit  does 
operate  through  the  truth. 

(4)  Disciples  teach  also  a  common  ground  upon  which  all 
Christians  may  unite  in  evangelising  the  world.  They  teach 
that  the  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  believeth  and  that,  in  order  to  believe,  this  Gospel 
must  be  carried  into  all  the  world  and  preached  to  every 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  709 


creature.  This  practically  unites  them  with  all  missionary 
people  in  sending  the  good  news  to  the  nations. 

(5)  The  same  course  of  argument  will  at  once  eliminate 
all  controversy  with  respect  to  the  baptisimal  question.  Prac- 
tically there  has  never  been  any  controversy  about  whether 
immersion  is  baptism  or  not.  With  the  exception  of  a  few 
very  small  men  it  has  always  been  conceded  by  the  whole  of 
Christendom  that  immersion  is  valid  baptism.  But  very  many 
are  unwilling  to  concede  that  sprinkling  and  pouring  can  be 
baptism  at  all.  Now  as  the  controversy  is  about  the  latter, 
Disciples  say,  why  not  give  up  what  is  not  at  all  necessary, 
and  for  the  sake  of  union  adopt  that  action  of  baptism  which 
is  practically  universally  admitted  to  be  both  Scriptural  and 
valid? 

Following  the  same  line  of  argument,  we  at  once  reach  a 
common  platform  with  respect  to  the  subject  of  baptism. 
Nobody  questions  that  believer's  baptism  is  valid.  Contro- 
versy among  professed  Christians  is  impossible  as  long  as  we 
occupy  the  catholic  ground  of  believer's  baptism.  It  is  only 
when  we  contend  for  infant  baptism  that  alienation  and  strife 
take  the  place  of  union  and  harmony. 

The  Disciple  position,  as  regards  the  design  of  baptism,  ad- 
mits also  an  irenicon  which  makes  Christian  union  not  only 
possible  but  very  easily  accomplished,  if  all  will  accept  sub- 
stantially the  main  thing  for  which  Disciples  contend.  They 
contend  strongly  for  what  they  believe  the  Scriptures  teach 
as  to  the  design  of  baptism;  but  as  this  question  belongs 
properly  to  the  domain  of  philosophy  rather  than  to  the  plain 
facts,  Disciples  do  not  make  agreement  with  them  on  this 
matter  a  necessary  condition  of  fellowship.  If  the  command 
to  be  baptised  is  honestly  obeyed,  Disciples  will  not  allow 
their  views  as  to  what  baptism  means  to  stand  in  the  way 
of  Christian  union. 

(6)  Equally  true  is  the  contention  of  the  Disciples,  when 
we  test  it  by  the  name.  They  have  always  been  willing 
to  be  called  by  any  Scriptural  names,  such  as,  "  Christians," 
"  Disciples  of  Christ,"  "  Children  of  God,"  "  Saints,"  "  Breth- 
ren," etc.,  etc.,  but  in  refusing  to  be  called  by  any  human 
name,  or  after  any  human  leader,  they  have  simply  refused 
to  abandon  a  catholic  platform  for  that  which  is  narrow  and 
exclusive.  They  say,  why  not  exclude  all  names  that  are  di- 
visive in  their  character  and  adopt  only  those  that  are  Scrip- 
tural and  that  all  can  accept? 

(7)  The  subject  of  Church  government  may  also  be  settled 
by  the  same  method  of  contending  for  catholicity.  Disciples 
occupy  a  position  with  respect  to  this  matter  which  practically 
covers  the  whole  ground.  They  have  bishops  or  presbyters  in 
all  the  churches,  while  these  churches  are  nevertheless  congre- 
gational in  the  best  sense.  They  hold  that  while  the  Church 
certainly  occupies  a  very  prominent  place  in  the  remedial 
system,  nevertheless  it  is  not  the  first  nor  the  most  important 


710    HISTOEY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

thing  to  be  considered.  It  may  be  that  too  much  emphasis  has 
not  been  placed  upon  it,  but  unquestionably  too  little  has  been 
placed  upon  that  which  properly  comes  before  it,  and  without 
which  the  Church  is  not  worthy  of  consideration  at  all.  The 
world  has  really  nothing  to  do  with  the  Church;  it  is  Christ 
that  the  world  must  consider.  Not  only  Christ,  but  "  Christ 
and  him  crucified."* 

But  even  so  reasonable  a  platform  as  this  seems  to  be 
could  not  be  generally  made  practical  in  breaking  down 
the  walls  of  denominationalism,  though  in  many  respects 
its  advocacy  had  the  effect  to  diminish  very  largely  the 
emphasis  which  had  been  placed  upon  the  divisive  elements 
which  had  separated  Christendom  into  different  denom- 
inational organisations. 

From  the  year  1870  down  to  the  present  time  there  has 
been  a  growing  feeling  that  Christian  union  cannot  be 
realised  by  simply  contending  for  a  platform  that  requires 
an  immediate  conformity  to  all  the  conditions  of  Scriptural 
union;  consequently  the  advocates  of  federation  hold  to 
the  notion  that  this  Scriptural  platform  must  be  ap- 
proached by  successive  steps  rather  than  by  one  step 
which  will  embrace  everything  that  ought  to  be  considered. 
These  advocates  claim  that  federation  wall  bring  the  de- 
nominational leaders  together,  and  that  this  is  an  im- 
portant step  in  the  right  direction.  In  other  words,  many 
of  the  Disciple  leaders  at  present  believe  in  Mr.  Campbell's 
idea  that  "  approaches  are  better  than  reproaches." 
Carrying  out  these  views,  they  think  it  is  well  to  emphasise 
the  points  of  agreement  rather  than  the  points  of  dis- 
agreement. They  think  that  the  points  of  disagreement 
will  not  be  long  in  disappearing  entirely  if  the  points  of 
agreement  are  sufficiently  brought  into  view.  Like  the 
old  leaves  that  stay  on  the  tree  during  the  winter,  and 
are  pushed  off  by  the  new  buds  of  spring,  so  these  differ- 
ences wull  drop  off  as  soon  as  the  warm  sun  of  love,  shining 
upon  the  points  of  agreement,  has  its  full  force. 

Now  whether  this  view  of  the  matter  is  correct  or  not, 
it  is  certain  that  this  is  all  that  the  friends  of  Federation 
mean  by  entering  into  co-operation  with  the  denominations. 
There  are  a  great  many  things  that  can  be  done  in  com- 
mon, and  it  is  believed  that  while  these  things  are  being 
done,  the  various  religious  bodies  will  become  acquainted 

*  "  Plea  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ,"  pp.  63-68. 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  711 


with  one  another,  and  will  learn  to  love  one  another; 
and  as  love  is  greater  than  either  faith  or  hope,  this  can 
ultimately  conquer  sectarianism  and  bring  about  the 
union  of  all  God's  people. 

Undoubtedly  this  is  a  somewhat  different  standpoint 
from  that  which  the  Disciples  occupied  after  they  entered 
fully  upon  the  era  of  Restoration.  They  are  still  thor- 
oughly committed  to  the  Restoration  principles;  nor  will 
they  surrender  these  for  any  compromise  Avhich,  in  the 
slightest  degree,  discounts  the  great  truths  for  which  they 
have  contended.  But  they  have  come  to  believe  that  Chris- 
tian union  can  be  effected  more  readily  by  working  from 
the  heart-life  than  from  a  purely  intellectual  point  of 
view.  As  long  as  intellectual  conceptions  of  Christianity 
are  emphasised  to  the  neglect  of  the  heart,  and  those  prac- 
tical things  which  are,  after  all,  the  most  important.  Chris- 
tian union,  in  any  helpful  sense,  is  little  more  than  a  dream 
never  to  be  realised.  Consequently,  the  present  attitude 
of  the  most  influential  leaders  of  the  Disciple  movement 
is  to  recognise  all  that  is  good  and  common  in  the  de- 
nominations, and  by  working  together  with  them  along  the 
lines  of  practical  co-operation  to  wait  on  "  sweetness  and 
light "  to  bring  about  the  overthrow  of  sectarianism,  and 
the  union  of  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  more  than 
religious  partyism. 

In  this  contention  these  Disciple  leaders  affirm  that  they 
occupy  precisely  the  ground  which  was  occupied  by  the 
pioneers  of  their  movement,  except  that  they  are  not 
willing  to  concede  as  much  as  the  pioneers  were  ready  to 
concede.  In  short,  they  contend  that  in  entering  the  Fed- 
eration movement  they  are  not  conceding  to  denomina- 
tionalism  as  much  as  even  Alexander  Campbell  was  willing 
to  concede  during  the  early  days  of  his  advocacy.  He 
declared,  forty  years  after  the  beginning  of  his  movement, 
that  he  never  would  have  left  the  Presbyterians  if  they 
had  allowed  him  to  remain,  and,  at  the  same  time,  allowed 
him  to  be  a  free  man.  Nor  would  he  ever  have  left  the 
Baptists  if  he  could  have  had  the  same  privilege  granted 
to  him.  Indeed,  he  claims  that  he  stipulated  for  this 
privilege  when  he  joined  the  Baptists,  but  it  was  after- 
wards denied  to  him,  and  that  this  was  the  reason  why 
he  did  not  remain  in  their  fellowship. 

It  is  evident  that  the  Disciple  leaders  have  changed 


712    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


somewhat  in  taking  up  the  position  which  we  have  ascribed 
to  them.  In  these  latter  days  they  are  relying  more  upon 
the  logic  of  the  heart  than  they  did  in  about  the  middle  of 
the  century  of  their  existence.  As  has  already  been  in- 
timated, they,  at  first,  aimed  chiefly  to  reform  the  de- 
nominations, and  consequently  the  movement  at  that  time 
was  properly  styled  a  Reformation.  When  they  separated 
from  the  denominations  it  became  a  Restoration  movement, 
and  while  that  has  not  been  given  up,  and  probably  will 
not  be  given  up  on  any  account  whatever,  at  the  same 
time  for  a  number  of  years  the  movement  has  been  much 
more  tolerant  toward  the  denominations  than  it  was  dur- 
ing the  reconstruction  period  when  it  had  to  fight  its  way 
against  all  the  denominations  of  Christendom.  This  toler- 
ation stage  of  the  movement  is  finding  organic  expression 
in  the  Federation  movement,  and  this  movement  is  itself 
an  emphatic  endorsement  of  much  for  which  the  Disciples 
have  always  contended,  and  it  will  probably  lead  to  a 
careful  examination  of  their  fundamental  principles  as 
they  have  never  before  been  examined,  and  this  of  itself 
will  be  a  very  great  gain  in  the  direction  of  Christian 
union,  the  one  great  thing  for  which  the  Disciple  movement 
has  stood,  and  still  stands. 

Meantime,  all  the  overtures  for  Christian  union  from 
any  of  the  denominations  are  gratefully  received  by  the 
Disciples,  and  when  these  overtures  are  made  to  the 
Disciples  themselves  they  are  most  respectfully  considered. 
It  has  not  been  long  since  a  correspondence  was  held  be- 
tween representatives  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
and  the  Disciples,  and  while  there  was  nothing  very  prac- 
tical that  came  out  of  this  correspondence,  it  undoubtedly 
served  to  lessen  the  value  placed  upon  denominational 
walls,  and  to  increase  the  value  set  upon  the  spirit  of 
unity  which  all  Christians  are  enjoined  to  keep  in  the 
bond  of  peace.  Indeed,  the  new  day  that  has  dawned 
upon  the  Christian  world  is  perhaps  largely  due  to 
the  Disciples,  especially  with  respect  to  the  matter  of  the 
growing  interest  in  favour  of  Christian  union.  This  was 
from  the  beginning  of  the  movement,  throughout  its  whole 
history,  the  chief  aim  of  the  Disciple  advocacy,  and  though 
this  great  ideal  has  been  regarded  from  different  points 
of  view,  during  the  past  hundred  years,  it  has  always  been 
in  view  and  has  been  set  among  the  high  things  for  which 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  713 


the  Disciples  have  contended.  While  in  these  later  days 
they  are  approaching  the  whole  question  of  Christian 
union  from  the  high  summit  of  love,  rather  than  as  a  mere 
matter  of  faith  or  doctrine,  they  are,  at  the  same  time, 
earnestly  "  contending  for  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered 
to  the  saints,"  and  are  equally  contending  for  the  hope 
that  is  an  anchor  to  the  soul  both  sure  and  steadfast. 
But  it  has  remained  for  these  later  days  to  demonstrate 
that  love  is  greater  than  either  faith  or  hope,  and  the  trial 
of  this  remedy  for  the  divisions  of  Christendom  is  the 
w  hole  meaning  of  the  Federation  movement. 

While  this  is  true,  and  while  the  Federation  movement 
evidently  means  just  that  much  and  no  more,  it  is  well 
for  the  Disciples  who  hold  to  this  view  of  the  matter  not 
to  judge  too  severely  those  who  have  not  heartily  joined 
with  them  on  this  high  summit  of  vision.  It  must  not 
be  forgotten  that  the  Disciples  have  their  prejudices  as 
well  as  other  people.  Many  of  them  have  been  on  the  firing 
line  during  the  days  when  debates  about  differences  were 
nearly  everywhere  relied  upon  as  the  most  important 
means  by  which  to  break  down  sectarianism  and  bring 
about  the  union  of  God's  people.  The  men  who  have  been 
engaged  in  these  debates,  or  who  have  been  fed  upon  the 
food  by  which  these  debates  were  nourished,  cannot  be 
expected  to  suddenly  leap  over  the  whole  boundary  line 
of  the  differences  between  the  Disciples  and  the  denomi- 
nations, and  begin  their  work  for  Christian  union  in 
a  movement  from  that  love,  which  is  greatest,  back  to  hope 
and  faith.  Love  must  work  in  these  Disciples  before 
they  will  be  ready  to  take  up  the  new  slogan  and  sound 
it  forth  without  any  cracks  in  the  lute.  The  Disciples 
have  had  to  discuss  this  matter  among  themselves.  They 
have  done  so,  and  though  sometimes  in  not  the  very  best 
spirit,  the  discussion  has  practically  ended  with  the  vic- 
tory on  the  side  of  progress.  This  has  been  the  result 
of  every  discussion  that  has  taken  place  among  the  Dis- 
ciples. Every  move  to  a  higher  point  of  view  has  been 
hindered  for  a  time  by  obstructions  put  in  its  way  by 
the  extreme  conservative  wing.  But  in  the  long  run  these 
discussions  have  cleared  the  atmosphere  and  have  made 
the  position  of  the  progressive  brethren  all  the  stronger 
by  the  opposition  which  had  to  be  overcome.  Victory 
over  nothing  is  a  victory  where  nothing  remains.    It  is 


714    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

a  name  to  live  by,  but  is  dead.  A  victory  over  fierce 
opposition  carries  with  it  a  strength  which  imparts  new 
vigour  to  those  who  have  gone  forward.  Climbing  a  moun- 
tain may  be  tedious  and  tiresome  work,  but  when  the  top 
is  once  reached  the  next  movement  is  easier,  not  only 
because  of  the  new  atmosphere  that  is  breathed,  but  also 
because  of  the  strength  received  in  the  very  climbing 
itself. 

For  the  last  ten  years  the  annual  meetings  of  the  Amer- 
ican Christian  Missionary  Society  have  been  remarkable 
for  the  number  of  people  who  have  attended  these  meetings. 
In  1899  the  jubilee  of  the  society  Avas  held  in  Cincinnati, 
during  the  month  of  October.  It  was  a  great  occasion. 
It  was  estimated  that  between  fifteen  and  twenty  thousand 
Disciples  were  in  attendance.  The  communion  service 
on  the  Lord's  Day  was  remarkable  in  both  the  spirit  mani- 
fested and  the  great  crowd  that  was  present.  Indeed,  no 
one  building  was  capable  of  seating  the  people  who  sought 
admission,  so  two  or  three  of  the  largest  buildings  in  the 
city  were  filled  with  earnest  Christians  seeking  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  was  an  occasion  long 
to  be  remembered  by  those  who  were  present. 

But  a  duplicate  of  this  occasion  has  been  produced  at 
every  annual  meeting  of  the  convention  since  that  time. 
Perhaps  the  largest  communion  service  in  one  building 
that  ever  was  held  in  the  history  of  Christianity  was  held 
in  St.  Louis  during  the  annual  convention  in  October, 
1904.  It  was  estimated  that  not  less  than  12,000  Chris- 
tians participated  together  in  the  communion  service  on 
the  Lord's  Day  during  the  convention.  It  was  an  in- 
spiring sight  to  see  all  these  Christians  devoutly  gather- 
ing for  this  great  service.  The  silence  which  prevailed, 
the  spirit  of  unity  which  pervaded  every  heart,  and  the 
profound  earnestness  which  characterised  all  who  were 
present,  while  partaking  of  the  emblems  of  the  Lord's 
death  and  suffering,  made  an  impression  which  can  never 
be  obliterated  from  those  who  were  in  attendance. 

At  all  the  annual  conventions  of  the  Disciples  since 
then  this  communion  service  has  been  made  a  principal 
feature,  and  it  has  demonstrated  the  power  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  to  cement  and  hold  together  Christian  hearts  as 
nothing  else  can  do.  In  fact,  the  Disciples  regard  this 
communion  service  as  an  effective  means  for  the  promotion 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  715 


of  Christian  union,  the  very  thing  they  have  enthusi- 
astically advocated  from  the  beginning  of  their  move- 
ment. 

Notwithstanding  that  Christian  union  is  a  fundamental 
feature  of  the  movement,  there  have  always  been  some 
brethren  associated  with  the  Disciples  who  have  contended 
for  what  are  evidently  divisive  elements.  This  fact  has 
shown  itself  in  every  step  of  progress  that  has  been  made. 
Recently  it  has  made  considerable  demonstrations  with 
respect  to  Biblical  criticism.  A  few  of  the  younger  men 
have  made  statements  with  respect  to  the  miracles  of 
the  Bible  and  other  things  involved  along  the  lines  of 
Biblical  criticism  that  are  not  quite  in  harmony  with  the 
views  generally  held  by  the  older  men,  and  especially 
by  the  men  of  limited  scholarship.  It  was  immediately 
declared  by  the  extreme  right  wing  that  these  men  ought 
not  to  have  any  place  on  the  Centennial  programme.  In- 
deed, some  of  the  super-sound  Disciples  went  so  far  as 
to  pronounce  these  "  free  thinkers  "  or  infidels,  and  there- 
fore unworthy  of  Christian  fellow^ship.  Justice  to  the 
majority  of  those  who  advocated  the  expulsion  of  these 
names  from  the  Centennial  programme  requires  that  it 
should  be  clearly  stated  that  their  objections  to  these  men 
were  not  against  their  Christian  character,  but  against 
their  representative  character,  and  especially  against  their 
fitness  to  teach.  However,  the  controversy  with  respect 
to  this  matter  became  somewhat  acute  at  times;  so  much 
so,  indeed,  that  there  were  those  who  feared  that  this 
controversy  was  the  entering  wedge  to  division  among 
the  Disciples.  But  those  who  had  been  with  the  move- 
ment for  many  years  were  not  frightened  at  this  "  tempest 
in  a  teapot."  A  movement  that  could  pass  through  the 
Unitarian  controversy,  the  baptismal  controversy,  the  soci- 
ety controversy,  the  communion  controversy,  the  war  con- 
troversy, the  organ  controversy,  and  the  federation  con- 
troversy, cannot  be  wrecked  by  a  question  of  Biblical 
criticism,  especially  as  the  question  involved  relates  en- 
tirely to  matters  outside  of  the  real  conditions  of  fellow- 
ship which  have  always  been  acknowledged  among  the 
Disciples.  The  platform  on  which  the  Disciples  rally  is 
claimed  to  be  wide  enough  for  all  shades  of  religious 
opinions,  if  these  are  not  made  questions  of  fellowship. 
This  undoubtedly  was  the  position  held  by  Alexander 


716    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Campbell  and  his  contemporary  associates.  If  men  were 
right  in  what  was  regarded  as  fundamental,  it  was  claimed 
that  no  one  should  question  their  Christian  character,  no 
matter  what  peculiar  opinions  they  might  hold  in  respect 
to  other  things,  provided  always  they  did  not  push  these 
"  other  things  "  into  the  front  and  make  them  practically 
take  the  place  of  the  fundamentals  concerning  which  all 
are  agreed. 

This  matter  is  referred  to  here  simply  to  indicate  that, 
notwithstanding  opinions  have  been  repudiated  from  the 
beginning  by  the  ablest  Disciple  leaders,  these  keep  coming 
up  and  asserting  themselves  through  their  advocates  right 
in  the  face  of  the  most  determined  protest  on  the  part 
of  the  real  leaders  of  the  movement.  Perhaps  no  feature 
of  the  Disciple  plea  has  been  so  difficult  to  manage  as  this 
one  concerning  the  position  which  opinions  must  occupy. 
This  difficulty  has  come  from  at  least  three  sources.  First 
of  all,  it  is  very  difficult  sometimes  to  determine  the  exact 
difference  between  faith  and  opinion.  Second,  when  this 
difference  is  clearly  defined  it  is  equally  difficult  to  keep 
a  great  many  people  from  insisting  upon  their  opinions 
as  articles  of  faith;  and  in  the  third  place,  there  is  a 
constant  tendency  in  human  nature  to  be  contentious  and 
to  divide  over  little  things,  and  there  are  not  a  few  people 
who  find  great  delight  in  elevating  their  opinions  into 
standards  of  faith.  It  would  seem  that  their  religious 
life  depends  mainly  upon  the  things  which  ought  to  be 
regarded  as  of  little  consequence. 

But,  however  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  the  very 
point  where  the  Campbellian  movement  is  most  distinctive 
is  just  the  place  where  it  has  been  the  most  difficult  of 
management.  Nevertheless,  owing  to  wise  leadership,  and 
above  all,  owang  to  a  Providence  which  can  scarcely  be 
denied  in  the  history  of  the  movement,  it  has  developed 
through  all  the  stages  of  its  past  history  without  any 
serious  break  in  the  ranks  of  its  adherents,  no  matter  how 
hard  the  pressure  may  have  been  at  times.  Surely  this 
fact  alone  is  worth  considering  by  the  whole  of  Chris- 
tendom. There  must  be  something  of  great  value 
in  the  principles  held  by  the  Disciples,  or  else  they 
must  have  gone  to  pieces  long  before  the  Centennial  cele- 
bration. 

In  this  Centennial  year  of  the  Disciples,  the  American 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  717 


Christian  Missionary  Society  has  reached  a  point  of  great 
usefulness.  It  has  had  a  checkered  history.  It  has  liter- 
ally come  up  through  great  tribulation,  but  has  washed 
its  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  conflict. 
The  churches  it  has  organised  dot  the  map  from  ocean 
to  ocean,  and  from  Canada  to  Mexico.  These  churches 
are  found  in  such  centres  as  the  following:  Halifax,  Bos- 
ton, New  York,  Philadelphia,  Harrisburg,  Buffalo,  Balti- 
more, Washington,  Richmond,  Norfolk,  Charleston,  Jack- 
sonville, Tampa,  Pensacola,  Mobile,  New  Orleans,  Gal- 
veston, Austin,  San  Antonio,  Fort  Worth,  El  Paso,  Ta- 
coma,  Seattle,  Spokane,  Vancouver,  Boise  City,  Winnipeg, 
Aberdeen,  Sioux  Falls,  Watertown,  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul, 
Milwaukee,  Grand  Rapids,  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Des  Moines, 
Denver,  Pueblo,  Colorado  Springs,  Oklahoma  City,  and 
Los  Angeles. 

There  are  churches  in  every  state  and  all  Canadian  prov- 
inces. They  include  many  of  the  greatest  congregations 
in  the  communion  of  the  Disciples,  and  in  several  Western 
states  each  strong  church  was  organised  and  aided  to 
self-support  by  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society. 
To  remove  the  congregations  brought  into  organic  exist- 
ence by  this  society  would  be  to  cripple  every  society 
and  college  and  paper  in  the  brotherhood,  and  to  divide 
the  present  membership  by  two. 

Three  thousand  five  hundred  Disciple  churches  were 
organised  by  this  society.  Many  others  have  been  aided 
by  supplies  of  tracts,  meetings  by  one  of  the  Disciple 
evangelists,  a  visit  from  one  of  the  Disciple  workers  or 
secretaries  during  some  crisis,  or  by  the  support  of  a 
minister,  until  they  were  able  to  sustain  themselves.  Per- 
haps sixty-five  per  cent,  of  all  the  churches  have  received 
aid  in  some  form  from  the  American  Christian  Missionary 
Society. 

In  addition  to  the  special  work  of  evangelising  which 
this  society  has  done,  it  has  as  auxiliaries  the  Board  of 
Church  Extension,  Ministerial  Relief,  and  Negro  Educa- 
tion and  Evangelisation.  The  last  mentioned  is  practi- 
cally under  the  direction  of  the  society's  board,  and  is 
becoming  a  power  for  good  in  educating  and  Christian- 
ising the  negroes  of  the  South. 

Nearly  all  of  the  Disciple  societies  and  organisations 
had  their  origin  through  the  American  Christian  Mis- 


718   HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

sionary  Society.  It  has  been  the  mother  of  them  all.  In 
1899  the  congress  of  the  Disciples  was  organised  and  met 
for  the  first  time  in  St.  Louis.  This  congress  has  met 
every  year  since,  save  in  1909,  and  has  discussed  many  of 
the  great  questions  relating  to  theology,  science,  and 
sociology.  It  is  believed  that  this  congress  has  been 
useful  in  furnishing  a  platform  to  discuss  the  very  ques- 
tions which  are  felt  to  be  important,  but  are  not  involved 
in  the  fellowship  of  the  churches.  It  has  been  seen  that 
the  Disciple  plea  excludes  a  great  many  interesting  and 
important  matters  from  the  sphere  of  faith,  but  all  the 
same  it  recognises  that  these  matters  belong  to  the  sphere 
of  knowledge,  and  may  be  discussed  by  all  Christians  for 
the  sake  of  a  better  understanding  of  the  deep  things  of 
God,  as  well  as  man's  relation  to  these.  The  only  difficulty 
in  the  case  of  the  congress  is  that  some  are  inclined  to 
make  the  utterances  of  this  congress  a  sort  of  test  of 
the  soundness  of  the  men  who  speak  these  things.  Others 
hold  that  nothing  said  in  these  meetings  shall  be  made 
tests  of  fellowship  or  Christian  character,  while  these 
utterances  do  not  in  any  way  attack  the  "  faith  once  for 
all  delivered  to  the  saints." 

The  organised  work  of  ministerial  relief  among  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  is  comparatively  new,  and  is  not 
yet  well  understood  nor  well  supported.  As  a  people 
they  made  three-quarters  of  a  century  of  their  splendid 
history  before  it  occurred  to  them  that  they  were  neg- 
lecting one  of  the  essential  features  of  the  Restoration 
movement. 

Prior  to  the  organisation  of  the  Board  of  Ministerial 
Relief,  some  little  work  had  been  done  along  the  line 
of  its  purpose.  Some  money  had  been  raised  and  expended 
in  the  support  of  a  few  needy  preachers.  The  General 
Missionary  Convention  in  1895  undertook  the  organisation 
of  this  work,  and  in  that  and  the  following  year  made 
some  progress.  The  brethren  of  Missouri  had  been  think- 
ing of  and  doing  something  in  this  interest,  and  after  the 
organisation  of  this  board,  turned  into  its  treasury  |800 
in  cash  and  |200  in  notes.  In  1897  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Scott, 
of  Detroit,  Mich.,  left  $2,000.00  to  the  General  Christian 
Missionary  Convention,  as  trustee,  to  be  invested  or  loaned, 
the  interest  only  to  be  used  in  the  relief  of  needy  preachers. 
Different  brethren  in  different  sections  of  the  country  had 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  719 

begun  the  agitation  of  this  ministry,  so  prominent  in  the 
early  Church.  An  effort  to  constitute  an  "  Old  Preachers' 
Home  "  had  been  claiming  the  attention  of  the  brethren 
in  Colorado,  under  the  leadership  of  R.  H.  Sawyer,  who 
had  taken  such  an  active  interest,  and  so  agitated  the 
matter,  that  by  action  of  their  state  convention  in  1894 
Mr.  Sawyer  was  sent  with  a  memorial  to  the  general 
convention,  held  in  Richmond,  Va.,  that  year.  By  action 
of  the  Richmond  convention,  the  matter  was  referred  to 
the  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means.  This  committee, 
through  its  chairman,  W.  F.  Cowden,  made  the  following 
report : 

1.  That  this  Convention  heartily  concurs  in  the  sentiment 
expressed  in  this  memorial,  as  to  the  importance  and  obliga- 
tion of  the  church  to  make  some  wise  provision  for  the 
adequate  support  of  our  faithful  and  worthy  preachers  who, 
in  the  decline  of  life,  find  themselves  overtaken  with  mis- 
fortune and  want. 

2.  That  we  recommend  the  appointment  of  a  standing  com- 
mittee on  Ministerial  Relief  to  which  this  memorial  and  all 
other  communications  and  matters  pertaining  to  this  depart- 
ment of  work  shall  be  referred,  and  that  this  committee  report 
annually  to  this  convention. 

J.  W.  Allen,  of  Chicago,  president  of  the  convention, 
appointed  the  following  committee  on  ministerial  relief: 
W.  S.  Priest,  A.  M.  Atkinson,  W.  F.  Cowden,  W.  F.  Rich- 
ardson, N.  S.  Haynes. 

During  the  year  following  this  convention  there  was 
considerable  agitation  of  the  question,  with  A.  M.  Atkin- 
son, of  Wabash,  Ind.,  as  leader.  In  May,  1895,  ex-Gov- 
ernor Ira  J.  Chase,  one  of  Indiana's  greatly  admired 
preachers,  while  engaged  in  a  meeting  with  the  church 
at  Lubec,  Me.,  suddenly  sickened  and  died.  Brother  Atkin- 
son's experience,  in  providing  support  for  Brother  Chase's 
family,  caused  him  to  be  filled  with  anxiety  for  the  welfare 
of  aged  and  disabled  ministers  and  their  families.  He 
talked  and  wrote  much  on  the  subject.  The  idea  had 
taken  possession  of  the  man.  Just  before  the  general 
convention  at  Dallas,  Tex.,  October,  1895,  he  issued  a  call 
through  the  Church  papers  for  a  conference  of  the  preach- 
ers to  be  held  at  the  Dallas  convention  to  consider  the 
organisation  of  the  work  of  ministerial  relief.  The  result 
of  this  conference  was  that  J.  H.  Hardin  presented  to  the 


720   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


convention  the  following  preamble  and  resolution,  which 
was  adopted : 

Whereas,  There  is  necessity  for  some  more  adequate  pro- 
vision for  our  disabled  preachers  and  the  relief  of  the  destitute 
widows  and  children  of  deceased  preachers,  and, 

Whereas,  The  Lord  has  put  it  into  the  heart  of  Brother  A. 
M.  Atkinson  to  take  steps  to  greatly  enlarge  our  Ministerial 
Relief  Fund ;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  to  submit  an 
amendment  to  our  Constitution  as  the  basis  of  such  Curator- 
ship,  or  Board  of  Control,  as  may  be  deemed  necessary  to  the 
effectiveness  of  this  important  feature  of  our  work. 

The  committee  appointed  was  composed  of  B.  L.  Smith, 
chairman,  A.  P.  Cobb,  A.  J.  Bush,  G.  L.  Brokaw,  and  F.  D. 
Power,    This  committee  made  the  following  report: 

1.  That  we  recommend  the  organisation  of  the  Ministerial 
Relief  Fund  of  the  Christian  Church  as  one  of  the  departments 
of  work  of  the  General  Christian  Missionary  Convention. 

2.  That  we  recommend  the  following  change  in  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  convention.  Article  IX.  The  convention  shall 
elect  annually  nine  brethren  to  serve  as  a  Board  of  Ministerial 
Relief  of  the  Christian  Church,  five  of  whom  shall  reside  in  or 
near  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

This  Board  shall  have  authority  to  raise  and  collect  funds 
for  the  relief  of  destitute  ministers  and  the  dependent  families 
of  deceased  ministers.  They  shall  appoint  their  own  meetings, 
make  rules  for  their  own  government,  elect  their  own  ofiBcers, 
including  a  treasurer,  who  shall  give  bond,  and  report  an- 
nually to  the  auditor  and  treasurer  of  this  convention. 

The  Board  of  Ministerial  Relief  shall  make  a  full  report  at 
each  annual  meeting  of  this  convention. 

3.  The  numbering  of  the  remaining  articles  of  the  consti- 
tution be  changed  to  provide  for  this  Article  IX. 

4.  The  committee  on  nominations  be  hereby  instructed  to 
present  to  this  convention  the  names  of  nine  brethren  to  serve 
as  a  Board  of  Ministerial  Relief. 

This  report  was  adopted,  and  in  harmony  therewith  the 
committee  on  nominations,  of  which  W.  Chenault  was 
chairman,  reported  the  following  named  nine  brethren 
as  the  first  Board  of  Ministerial  Relief : 

A.  M.  Atkinson,  Howard  Cale,  Amos  Clifford,  George  W. 
Snyder,  and  Simeon  Frazier,  of  Indiana;  J.  P.  Torbitt, 
Kentucky;  F.  E.  Udell,  Missouri;  F.  M.  Drake,  Iowa; 
W.  S.  Dickinson,  Ohio  (see  minutes  of  general  conven- 
tion, Dallas,  Tex.,  1895). 

In  the  organisation  of  this  new  board,  Howard  Cale. 


GOVERNMENTS,  NEWSPAPERS,  SOCIETIES  721 


was  elected  president;  W.  S.  Dickinson,  vice-president; 
Amos  Clifford,  treasurer;  Simeon  Frazier,  recording  sec- 
retary. A.  M.  Atkinson  was  chosen  corresponding  secre- 
tary. Soon  after  the  organisation  of  the  board,  and  for 
reasons  necessary  in  its  legal  affairs,  it  was  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  with  headquarters 
at  120  East  Market  Street,  Indianapolis. 

Mr.  Atkinson  served  as  corresponding  secretary  for  four 
years.  He  was,  however,  unable,  because  of  sickness,  to 
do  much  work  the  year  previous  to  his  death,  and  the 
year  following  no  secretary  was  chosen.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  sixth  year,  A.  L.  Orcutt  was  chosen  corresponding 
secretary,  and  served  two  years.  In  July,  1902,  J.  B. 
McCleary  retired  from  the  chaplaincy  of  the  United  States 
army  and  was  called  to  the  secretaryship.  He  served  until 
March,  1903,  when  he  died,  and  the  board  was  again 
without  a  corresponding  secretary.  Notwithstanding  the 
working  of  death  against  the  plans  of  the  board,  the  Lord 
provided  it  with  a  guiding  hand  in  the  person  of  the  presi- 
dent, Howard  Cale,  whose  wisdom  and  devotion  to  its 
interests  in  personally  directing  its  affairs,  and  bearing 
the  burdens  of  the  office  of  secretary,  twice  made  vacant 
by  death,  made  possible  to  many  deserving,  needy  saints 
the  blessings  of  this  Christ-like,  loving  ministry. 

Thus  began  the  work  of  ministerial  relief  among  the 
Disciples  of  Christ,  and  to  A.  M.  Atkinson,  more  than  to 
any  other  man,  is  due  the  permanent  organisation  of 
this  work.  So  completely  did  he  give  himself  to  the  Lord 
in  this  work,  that  he  virtually  sacrificed  his  life  upon 
the  altar  of  this  ministry.  Of  him  also  it  may  be  truly 
said,  "  Though  he  be  dead,  yet  he  speaketh."  Through 
all  the  years  of  its  history  this  board  has  ever  held  sacred 
the  purpose  to  provide  support  for  the  aged  and  un- 
fortunate in  the  ministry,  and  many  thousand  dollars  have 
gone  directly  to  those  needing  assistance. 

The  thirteenth  annual  financial  statement  of  the  board, 
made  at  the  New  Orleans  convention,  October,  1908,  showed 
total  receipts  of  |12,450,  of  which  amount  |2,000  was 
received  into  the  permanent  fund.  While  these  receipts 
were  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  demands,  they  were,  never- 
theless, encouraging  in  that  they  showed  thirty-five  per 
cent,  increase  over  the  receipts  of  the  previous  year. 

In  the  thirteen  years  of  the  history  of  this  work  the 


722    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


general  fund  has  received  about  |100,000.  The  permanent 
fund,  the  interest  only  on  which  is  used,  is  in  this  Cen- 
tennial year,  $26,559.  From  sixty-five  to  seventy-five 
preachers  and  preachers'  widows,  together  with  their  de- 
pendents, compose  the  regular  list  of  annuitants  each  year, 
which  usually  totals  from  one  hundred  and  twenty  to  one 
hundred  and  forty  persons. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


SOME  OF  THE  MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  MAKING  THE  MOVEMENT 

THE  man  behind  the  gun  is  more  important  than 
the  gun  itself.  In  ordinary  warfare  this  is  a  vital 
matter.  However  well  an  army  may  be  equipped, 
or  however  noble  and  just  its  cause  may  be,  if  the  men 
who  are  to  do  the  fighting  are  not  equal  to  the  task  it 
is  impossible  to  assure  success.  We  understand  this  fact 
when  we  are  dealing  with  physical  things,  but  we  seem 
to  lose  sight  of  it  entirely  when  we  enter  the  moral  or 
religious  sphere,  and  yet  in  this  sphere  men  are  more 
important  than  anywhere  else,  for  the  reason  that  mind 
is  the  chief  factor  in  all  moral  conflicts. 

In  the  religious  movement  now  under  consideration  there 
is  something  especially  appropriate  in  calling  attention 
to  the  men  who  have  been  instrumental  in  making  the 
movement.  The  Disciples'  plea  is  founded  upon  a  great 
personality.  Jesus  the  Christ  is  the  beginning  and  the 
end  of  all  for  which  the  Disciples  contend.  He  is  as  much 
the  centre  of  their  religious  system  as  the  sun  is  the 
centre  of  the  planetary  system.  They  build  not  on  the- 
ories, philosophies,  or  speculations  of  any  kind,  but  upon 
a  great,  transcendent  personality.  From  this  point  of 
view  it  is  easy  to  see  that  personality  must  respond  to 
personality.  Only  earnest,  consecrated  men,  inspired  by 
a  great  leader,  such  as  Jesus  the  Christ  is,  could  or  can 
make  the  Disciples'  plea  a  permanent  success.  Conse- 
quently, the  men  who  have  lived  and  acted,  preached  and 
worked,  suffered  and  rejoiced,  struggled  and  triumphed, 
must  be  regarded  as  an  integral  part,  and  also  an  important 
part,  of  the  forces  which  have  produced  the  great  results 
which  are  shown  in  the  history  of  the  Disciple  movement. 
For  this  reason,  as  well  as  for  others  that  might  be  men- 
tioned, the  Disciples  will  always  do  well  to  give  honour  to 
the  glorious  names  that  make  their  history  a  shining  light 
for  all  generations. 

723 


724    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

It  would  be  unreasonable  to  expect  that  all  the  names 
worthy  of  a  place  in  this  history  can  be  mentioned.  A 
whole  host  of  other  names,  quite  as  worthy  as  those  that 
may  be  mentioned,  could  be  given;  but  space  will  not 
allow  a  larger  list  than  that  which  is  here  presented. 

CHRISTIAN  STATESMEN 

At  the  head  of  this  list  we  place  the  name  of  James  A. 
Garfield,  not  because  he  is  entitled  to  more  honour  than 
many  others,  but  because  of  his  prominent  position  as  a 
statesman  and  Christian,  and  of  his  tragic  and  heroic 
death. 

Garfield  was  born  November  19,  1831,  in  Orange,  Cuya- 
hoga County,  Ohio,  and  was  educated  in  the  Eclectic  In- 
stitute at  Hiram,  Ohio,  and  finally  graduated  with  honour 
at  Williams  College,  in  August,  1856.  He  was  principal, 
professor,  and  lecturer  at  Hiram  from  1856  to  1866.  He 
began  to  preach  while  he  was  a  student  at  Hiram,  and 
continued  to  preach  until  he  entered  Congress,  in  1863.  In 
1859  he  was  elected  state  senator  of  Ohio,  and  entered 
the  Union  army  in  1861,  where  he  became  distinguished, 
and  was  finally  commissioned  major-general,  September  18, 
1863.  He  was  elected  United  States  senator  from  Ohio 
in  January,  1880.  He  was  nominated  for  President  of  the 
United  States,  June  8,  1880,  was  elected  in  November, 
and  inaugurated  March  4,  1881.  He  was  shot  by  an 
assassin  July  2,  1881,  and  died  at  Elberon,  N.  J.,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1881,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years  and  ten  months. 
He  was  a  man  of  unusual  strength  of  character,  with 
earnest  religious  convictions,  and  although  at  the  time 
of  his  election  to  the  presidency  the  Disciples  were  little 
known  in  the  capital,  he  was.  faithful  in  his  attendance  at 
the  church  over  which  F.  D.  Power  was  and  still  is 
pastor. 

Garfield's  death  produced  a  profound  sensation.  For 
a  long  time  his  life  hung  in  the  balance,  and  every  civilised 
country  on  the  earth  watched  with  intense  interest  its 
ebbing  tide;  and  when  he  died  a  Paris  paper  headed  an 
article  on  his  life  and  character  with  these  significant 
words,  "  The  Globe  in  Mourning,"  while  the  press  every- 
where repeated  this  sentiment  in  one  form  or  other.  But 
there  was  no  country  outside  of  the  United  States  where 


PROMKNEXT  WORKERS  OF  THE  PAST 

1,  Cyrus  Bosworth.    2,  .Tolin  Longley.  George  Darsie.    4,  Dr.  John 

P.  Robison.    5,  Pardee  Butler.    6,  J.  H.  Hardin.    7,  A.  Harmon  Austin. 

8,  G.  L.  Wharton.  9,  M.  D.  Todd.  10,  D.  Pat  Henderson.  11,  Jolin  A. 
Brooks.    12,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Tubman. 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  725 


the  public  heart  was  more  certainly  touched  and  more 
profoundly  impressed,  or  where  the  expressions  of  sym- 
pathy were  more  universal,  than  in  England.  As  an  illus- 
tration of  this  English  sympathy  it  is  only  necessary  to 
state  that  when  the  news  of  his  death  was  flashed  to 
that  country  a  solemn  memorial  service  was  held  in  the 
church  of  St.  Martin's-in-the-Lane,  where  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury  preached  a  sermon  suitable  to  the  occasion. 
The  church  was  crowded  in  every  part,  and  the  particular 
factor  emphasised  by  the  Archbishop  in  the  character  of 
the  deceased  President  was  the  simplicity  of  his  religious 
faith.  His  religious  character  was  highly  eulogised,  and 
nothing  could  have  been  more  profound  than  the  impres- 
sion which  was  made  upon  the  great  audience  in  attend- 
ance. 

But  a  still  more  striking  illustration  of  the  respect  which 
England  had  for  the  stricken  President  took  place  in  St. 
Paul's  churchyard  immediately  after  the  Archbishop's 
sermon.  Perhaps  as  many  as  five  thousand  Englishmen 
were  gathered  in  and  about  that  churchyard,  listening  to 
the  great  bell  of  the  cathedral  sounding  out  a  requiem  for 
the  dead  President,  and  this,  too,  for  the  first  time  that 
it  had  ever  been  tolled,  except  in  the  case  of  the  death 
of  royalty.  But  the  impressive  feature  of  this  manifesta- 
tion of  sympathy  was  shown  in  the  fact  that  in  the 
great  throng  assembled  around  the  cathedral  every  Eng- 
lishman had  his  hat  off,  and  was  listening  with  bowed 
head,  and  in  some  cases  with  tearful  eyes,  during  the 
whole  time  the  bell  was  tolling.  Not  an  audible  word 
was  spoken.  Every  heart  seemed  to  be  silently  sending 
a  tearful  message  of  condolence  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States  with  every  stroke  of  the  bell  which  tolled  out  the 
mournful  news  of  the  death  of  the  President.  In  this 
beautiful  and  touching  assurance  that  the  mother  country 
fully  appreciated  and  sympathised  with  the  great  loss  that 
the  United  States  had  sustained,  Englishmen  testified, 
in  a  most  impressive  way,  that,  after  all,  blood  is  thicker 
than  water,  and  that  though  they  were  separated  from 
the  people  of  the  United  States  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
they  were  their  near  kinsmen  both  by  blood  and  mutual 
interest  in  seeking  the  best  ideals  of  Anglo-Saxon  civil- 
isation. 

The  next  Sunday  evening,  after  this  great  demonstra- 


726    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


tion,  a  discourse  on  the  life  and  character  of  the  deceased 
President  was  preached  in  the  Kensington  town  hall,  one 
of  the  largest  halls  in  London.  At  this  service  the  hall 
was  crowded  in  every  part,  while  many  were  turned  away 
for  want  of  room.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  Mr.  W.  H. 
Channing,  who  was  chaplain  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives in  Washington,  when  Garfield  was  the  leader  of  the 
Republican  party  in  that  house,  arose  and  moved  that 
the  address  just  delivered  should  be  published  in  pamphlet 
form,  and  scattered  by  the  millions,  as  it  was  a  perfect 
representation  of  the  character  of  President  Garfield.  The 
following  is  a  verbatim  report  of  what  Mr.  Channing 
said,  and  also  what  Mr.  Coop  said,  who  seconded  the 
motion  for  the  publication  of  the  address : 

"  Fellow-Christians  and  Fellow-citizens  : 

My  aim  in  requesting  permission  to  address  you,  is  to  pro- 
pose that,  hy  your  vote,  Mr.  Moore  should  be  invited  to  publish 
the  heart-stirring  '  Memorial  Discourse '  to  which  we  have  just 
listened.  The  deep  emotions  excited  now,  should  not  be  al- 
lowed to  exhale;  but  they  should  be  preserved,  and  converted 
into  life.  Neither  should  they  be  confined  to  this  crowded 
assembly.  They  should  be  diffused  to  tens  of  thousands, 
throughout  this  city  and  nation.  In  my  conviction,  among 
the  good  words  which  have  been  spoken  and  printed  during 
the  last  ten  weeks,  in  regard  to  the  world-lamented  President 
of  the  United  States — ho  tribute  to  his  memory  has  so  deeply 
reached  to  the  centre  of  James  Garb^ield's  power  and  in- 
fluence, as  the  one  which  has  been  addressed  to  us  to-night. 
Our  preacher  has  revealed  to  us,  that  the  inner  secret  of  this 
great  man's  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen,  upon  the 
heart  of  this  empire,  upon  the  heart  of  Christendom,  was  hh 
own  Christ  Life. 

This  is  profoundly,  strictly  true,  and  the  person  who  now 
appeals  to  you  knows  it  to  be  true.  You  have  known  me  more 
or  less  as,  for  fifteen  years,  a  citizen  of  Kensington.  But  few 
of  you  know  that  during  the  Civil  War  of  the  United  States, 
my  duties — as  son  of  our  American  Republic — called  me  to 
Washington,  where  Congress  did  me  the  honou-r  to  appoint 
me  '  Chaplain  to  the  House  of  Representatives.'  And  then  it 
was,  that  it  was  my  high  privilege  to  know  James  A.  Garfield, 
— when  at  Mr  Lincoln's  urgent  request,  that  brave  young  hero, 
fresh  from  the  bloody  fight  of  Chickamauga,  resigned  his  higher 
generalship,  and  accepted  his  appointment  as  Representative 
from  Ohio,  in  Congress.  It  is  then,  at  once, — as  your  fellow- 
citizen,  and  as  a  fellow  countryman  of  our  friend  who  has 
so  eloquently  exhibited  the  claim  of  President  Garfield  to  the 
earnest  sympathies  of  all  Christians  of  every  communion, — 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  727 


that  I  ask  you  to  urge  Mr.  Moore  to  print  his  discourse.  Let 
it  be  circulated  far  and  wide,  throughout  all  classes  of  this 
great  nation.  And  may  it  aid  a  vast  multitude  to  become 
humble  and  devoted  followers  of  Christ,  and  to  live  for  the 
glory  of  God  as  did  our  blessed  brother,  whom  the  Father 
has  called  to  His  heavenly  home." 

Mr.  T.  Coop  arose  to  heartily  second  the  motion  to  publish 
the  sermon,  and  stated  that  such  was  his  interest  in  the  mat- 
ter, that  he  had  come  all  the  way  from  Carijenter's  *'  South 
Devon  Health  Resort," — where  he  had  been  under  treatment — 
about  200  miles,  for  the  express  purpose  of  being  present  at 
the  Memorial  Service.  He  said  that  General  Garfield  had 
been  personally  a  special  blessing  to  him.  He  (Mr.  Coop) 
had  been  conscientious,  but  very  narrow  in  his  religious  views. 
But  some  years  ago,  while  on  a  visit  to  America,  he  had  the 
pleasure  of  hearing  General  Garfield  deliver  an  address  before 
a  Missionary  Convention,  and  such  was  the  breadth  of  his 
ideas,  such  the  earnestness  of  his  spirit,  and  such  the  eloquence 
of  his  appeal  for  generous  missionary  enterprise,  that  he  (Mr. 
Coop)  from  that  time,  determined  he  would  act  upon  the 
suggestion  of  the  speaker;  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  that  oc- 
casion, as  regards  some  very  important  things,  was  the  turning 
point  in  his  religious  life. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Coop's  remarks,  the  great  audience 
(the  large  hall  was  crowded  in  every  part)  rose  to  their  feet, 
lifting  their  hands,  as  an  expression  of  their  desire  that  the 
sermon  should  be  published. 

When  it  is  stated  that  this  address  dealt  chiefly  with 
the  religious  principles  which  President  Grarfield  professed 
and  practised,  it  wall  be  seen  how  these  principles  were 
received,  even  in  England,  by  those  who  had  become 
acquainted  with  them  largely  through  their  acquaintance 
with  the  life  and  character  of  the  deceased  President.  It 
should  be  furthermore  stated  that  the  London  Times  sent 
a  special  reporter  to  take  down  this  address,  and  a  large 
portion  of  it  was  printed  in  the  next  morning's  edition 
of  that  paper,  being  the  first  time  that  so  lengthy  a  report 
of  a  sermon  had  ever  appeared  in  its  columns. 

It  is  difficult  in  so  brief  a  notice  as  this  sketch  must 
be  to  do  even  meagre  justice  to  a  character  such  as  that 
of  General  Garfield.  But  the  following  points  may  be 
noticed : 

(1.)  He  was  an  honest  man.  This  feature  of  his  char- 
acter manifested  itself  throughout  his  entire  career;  and 


728    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

it  was  this  perhaps  more  than  anything  else  that  swelled 
the  tide  of  sympathy  for  him  when  the  news  of  his  assas- 
sination reached  the  people.  His  brave  and  manly  fight 
against  political  intrigue,  corruption,  and  what  was  known 
in  America  at  that  time  as  the  machine  politicians,  and 
his  evidently  sincere  efforts  on  behalf  of  political  reform, 
at  once  challenged  the  respect  of  the  better  class  of  people 
in  all  countries.  He  was  not  able  to  accomplish  all 
he  wished,  for,  to  use  his  own  language,  he  could  not 
break  with  his  party  without  losing  much  of  his  power 
to  do  anything.  He  was  compelled  to  hasten  leisurely 
because  of  the  evil  influences  which  were  strongly  set 
against  him.  But  he  did  accomplish  something,  even  in 
the  short  time  he  was  permitted  to  occupy  the  presidency. 
Nor  is  it  probable  that  his  example  in  this  regard  will 
be  lost.  Though  dead,  he  yet  speaketh.  Unquestion- 
ably American  politics  still  needs  purification  at  the 
very  point  where  General  Garfield  was  labouring,  but  it 
must  be  admitted  that  since  his  time  there  has  been 
a  profoundly  growing  conviction  among  the  people 
that  the  greater  abuses,  at  least,  must  and  shall  be 
corrected. 

(2.)  He  was  also  a  brave  man.  Indeed  his  courage 
was  of  the  highest  quality — it  was  simply  sublime.  He 
was  never  rash,  for  true  courage  is  always  calm,  prudent, 
and  dignified.  Boisterous  self-assertion  and  inconsiderate 
haste  sometimes  pass  for  courage,  but  these  are  never 
associated  with  the  genuine  article.  While  General  Gar- 
field was  not  deficient  in  physical  courage,  as  was  fre- 
quently demonstrated  on  the  battle-field,  it  was  his  mag- 
nificent moral  courage  which  added  so  much  strength  to 
his  splendid  character.  He  could  say  Yes  or  No,  and 
say  it  with  a  downward  beat.  He  did  not  follow  public 
opinion;  he  helped  to  make  public  opinion.  He  did  not 
antagonise  his  opponents  simply  to  illustrate  that  he  was 
always  in  the  objective  case,  but  if  necessary  he  could 
stand  at  the  gate  of  any  Thermopylae  and  die,  Spartan- 
like, while  beating  back  more  than  the  millions  of  Xerxes. 
He  himself  drew  a  picture  of  his  own  moral  courage 
when  he  said  that  he  believed  in  the  man  who  could 
"  meet  the  Devil,  look  him  in  the  face,  and  tell  him  that 
he  was  the  Devil."  This  is  precisely  what  General  Gar- 
field himself  did;  it  is  precisely  what  he  did  many  times 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  729 


in  bis  life.  When  he  met  Secession,  under  the  plausible 
theory  of  State  Rights,  he  drew  the  cover  from  off  this 
dangerous  doctrine  and  looked  at  it  straight  in  the  face, 
fought  it  as  a  deadly  enemy  to  the  integrity  of  the  Union 
and  the  best  interests  of  the  people.  When  Lincoln  was 
assassinated  he  stood  before  the  swaying  crowd  in  Wash- 
ington City  and  calmed  their  turbulent  spirits  by  declaring 
that  the  "  Lord  still  reigned,  and  that  therefore  the  country 
was  safe." 

(3.)  His  private  life  was  also  singularly  pure.  Only 
those  who  knew  him  intimately  can  deal  properly  with 
this  subject,  but  those  know  that  nothing  was  more  char- 
acteristic of  him  than  his  beautiful  private  life.  His  ten- 
der sympathy  for  his  own  family  was  strikingly  illustrated 
when  he  was  stricken  down.  His  first  thought  was  of  his 
family,  and  especially  of  her  whom  he  called  "  the  dear 
little  woman,"  who  had  shared  all  the  sorrows  and  joys 
which  had  gathered  about  his  splendid  manhood.  This 
bit  of  home  life  touched  the  sympathy  of  the  whole  world. 
From  that  moment  he  was  at  home  with  the  world,  for 
the  world  saw  that  his  heart  was  at  home  with  his  family. 
The  kiss  which  he  gave  to  his  aged  mother  at  the  inaugu- 
ration ceremonies  was  not  a  piece  of  stage  acting,  but  a 
genuine,  heart-felt  expression  of  his  undying  devotion  to 
her.  Garfield  was  intensely  human.  It  was  this  touch 
of  nature  that  made  all  the  world  akin  to  him,  and  it 
was  in  the  electric  battery,  so  to  speak,  of  his  own  house- 
hold that  the  power  was  generated  with  which  he  electri- 
fied the  hearts  of  millions. 

(4.)  The  crowning  feature  in  President  Garfield's  life 
remains  to  be  stated.  He  was  a  Christian.  That  simple 
sentence  tells  the  story  of  his  great  character.  He  was 
a  Christian,  too,  without  the  pretence  of  the  tinselled 
display  of  ritualism;  without  the  stiffness  of  formalism; 
without  the  bigotry  of  sectarianism ;  and  without  the  cold- 
ness of  indifference.  He  was  simply  a  Christian,  un- 
affected, hearty,  liberal,  earnest.  His  was  an  intelligent 
faith.  Repudiating  the  superstitions  which  too  frequently 
supplant  Divine  teaching,  he  looked  reverently  to  the  Word 
of  God  as  the  lamp  to  his  feet  and  the  light  to  his  pathway. 
It  was  his  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Where  it  spoke 
he  spoke,  where  it  was  silent  he  was  silent  also.  This 
Word  had  been  his  constant  companion  from  his  youth. 


730   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

It  dwelt  in  him  richly  and  was  as  sweet  to  him  as  honey 
in  the  honeycomb. 

He  fully  sympathised  with  the  religious  people  with 
whom  he  stood  identified.  He  was  broader  in  his  con- 
ceptions of  both  faith  and  duty  undoubtedly  than  some 
of  these  were,  but  he  never  carried  his  breadth  beyond 
the  limits  of  a  legitimate  faith.  Both  his  faith  and  prac- 
tice were  bounded  by  the  Word  of  God  when  properly  in- 
terpreted. He  was  a  born  leader  and  consequently  his 
influence  upon  the  Disciples  themselves  was  very  great, 
especially  in  Ohio,  his  native  state.  He  was  an  eloquent 
preacher,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  occupy  the  pulpit  when- 
ever and  wherever  an  opportunity  offered  itself. 

His  religious  character  never  left  him.  It  grew  with 
his  growth,  and  strengthened  with  his  strength.  Many 
persons  who  are  religious  when  they  are  in  comparative 
obscurity  abandon  their  religion  when  the^^  become  famous. 
But  Garfield  was  not  one  of  these.  If  possible,  he  was 
a  more  devoted  Christian  as  he  rose  higher  and  higher  in 
the  scale  of  honour  and  fame.  One  of  his  last  acts  before 
leaving  his  home  in  Mentor  for  Washington  was  to  com- 
memorate the  Lord's  death  in  the  church  of  which  he  was 
a  member;  and  the  next  Lord's  Day,  after  entering  upon 
his  duties  as  President,  he  met  with  his  brethren  in  Wash- 
ington, and  continued  to  do  so  to  the  end. 

He  was  never  a  man  of  extremes,  and  this  was  especially 
true  of  him  in  his  religious  life.  He  was  too  honest  to 
be  a  latitudinarian  and  too  generous  to  be  a  sectarian. 
His  reverence  for  the  Bible  held  him  strictly  within  the 
lines  of  evangelical  truth,  while  his  broad  sympathies  made 
it  impossible  for  him  to  become  a  narrow-minded  bigot. 
He  was  evangelical  but  not  sectarian;  Scriptural  but  not 
uncharitable;  progressive  but  always  true  to  Christian 
principles.  Hence,  while  he  earnestly  contended  for  the 
faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints,  he  was  never 
unkind  toward  those  with  whom  he  might  religiously  differ. 
This  fact  was  so  abundantly  evident  that  no  one  was  ever 
driven  away  from  him  by  any  religious  views  which  he 
held,  and  it  was  perhaps  this  very  fact  that  gained  much 
for  him  of  the  confidence  and  respect  which  were  so  uni- 
versally accorded  to  him. 

(5.)  General  Garfield's  character  may  be  summed  up 
in  one  word,  namely:  Manliness.    But  manliness  in  the 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  731 


highest  degree  is  not  attainable  without  Christianity.  To 
be  like  Christ  is  to  be  manly.  One  may  have  every  other 
accomplishment,  but  without  the  grace  which  the  religion 
of  Christ  confers,  it  is  impossible  to  reach  the  best  de- 
velopment of  manliness.  But  President  Garfield's  man- 
liness was  of  the  highest  type.  While  it  was  polished  by 
a  generous  culture,  it  was  lit  up  and  warmed  by  the 
spirit  of  the  Divine  Master.  Notwithstanding  it  had  the 
symmetry  and  comeliness  which  a  wide  experience  and  a 
constant  contact  with  books  and  men  of  letters  always 
bring  with  them,  its  strength  and  breadth,  its  real  heart 
and  life,  its  highest  reaches  of  perfection,  and  its  deepest 
sympathy  with  human  need,  all  came  from  a  supreme  de- 
votion to  the  Christian  religion.  It  was  his  implicit  faith 
in  the  Christ  which  gave  General  Garfield's  character  that 
completeness  which  put  him  practically  beyond  the  success- 
ful criticism  of  even  his  bitterest  opponents. 

In  closing  this  brief  notice  of  this  distinguished  Chris- 
tian statesman  it  is  only  necessary  to  remark  that,  after 
all,  his  death  was  doubtless  providentially  overruled  for 
good.  This  may  sound  strange  to  people  who  do  not  think 
below  the  surface.  General  Garfield  occupied  a  peculiar 
position.  From  a  religious  point  of  view  he  represented 
a  rising,  vigorous,  and  influential  body  which  had  for 
both  church  and  state  a  distinct  and  far-reaching  message ; 
and  this  was  not  only  for  the  American  people,  but  for 
the  whole  world.  Garfield's  death  drew  very  emphatic 
attention  to  the  religious  principles  which  entered  into 
his  remarkable  character.  This  was  strongly  suggested 
in  the  sermon,  already  referred  to,  which  was  preached 
by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  From  that  sermon,  and 
through  the  reference  to  Garfield's  life  and  character  in 
the  journals  of  Europe,  the  principles  and  aims  of  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  became  widely  known  where  they  had 
never  before  been  even  heard  of  in  any  way  which  gave 
a  true  conception  of  what  these  were.  It  may  seem 
almost  sacrilegious  to  some  to  suggest  that  his  death  was 
much  more  powerful  for  good  than  his  life  could  have 
been,  even  if  it  had  continued  for  many  years.  Neverthe- 
less, it  is  believed  that  this  was  true  in  his  case.  To  use 
his  own  language,  when  another  martyred  President  fell, 
the  Lord  still  reigned,  and  the  country  was  saved,  even  if 
Garfield  died,  and  not  only  was  this  so,  but  the  Church  was 


732    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


saved  also,  and  a  new  force  entered  into  it  from  Garfield's 
death  chamber  when  it  was  told  everywhere  that  he  died 
the  death  of  a  Christian,  and  that  his  Christianity  con- 
sisted in  a  simple  faith  in,  and  obedience  to,  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  without  any  additions  such  as  belong  to  the  creeds 
of  Christendom.  At  any  rate,  it  is  certain  that  through 
his  death  the  plea  of  the  Disciples  was  practically  made 
known  to  the  civilised  world. 

Another  distinguished  statesman  associated  with  the  Dis- 
ciples was  Jeremiah  Sullivan  Black,  who  was  born  in  Som- 
erset County,  Pennsylvania,  January  10,  1810.  He  was 
trained  for  the  law,  and  soon  became  a  distinguished  advo- 
cate, having  been  appointed  presiding  judge  of  the  sixteenth 
judicial  district  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1851  he  was  elected 
judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania,  and  when 
Mr.  Buchanan  was  elected  President  in  1857,  Judge  Black, 
on  account  of  his  great  ability  and  incorruptible  integrity, 
was  appointed  attorney-general  in  Mr.  Buchanan's  Cabinet. 
He  soon  became  distinguished  in  this  official  position. 
At  the  age  of  fifty-one  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  law, 
having  maintained  his  character  for  incorruptibility 
throughout  his  official  administration.  He  was  a  devout 
Christian  and  a  very  strong  defender  of  the  faith.  At 
one  time  he  began  a  controversy  with  Robert  G.  IngersoU 
in  the  North  American  Review,  but  he  soon  found  that 
Ingersoll  was  a  man  not  at  all  worthy  of  his  esteem,  and 
the  judge  refused  to  continue  the  controversy  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  a  waste  of  time  to  deal  with  a  man  whose 
shallow  logic  was  not  worthy  even  of  a  schoolboy.  The 
articles  which  the  judge  wrote  gave  unmistakable  evidence 
of  his  comprehensive  grasp  of  the  evidences  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion. 

He  died  at  his  home  on  August  19,  1883.  It  is  said 
that  during  his  last  illness,  while  he  was  unable  to  rise 
from  his  bed,  he  asked  his  wife  to  go  to  the  window  and 
look  out  on  the  beautiful  landscape,  and  report  to  him 
how  it  looked,  especially  if  the  fields  were  green,  and  he 
always  listened  to  her  reports  with  the  greatest  apparent 
interest.  Judge  Black  was  a  man  characterised  by  un- 
flinching integrity.  He  was  acknowledged  by  all  parties 
to  be  incorruptible,  and  doubtless  this  was  largely  owing 
to  his  strong  faith  in  the  Christian  religion.  He  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Disciples'  body,  and  always  showed 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  733 


a  deep  interest  in  the  progressive  movements  of  the  Dis- 
ciples from  the  time  he  entered  the  Church  until  his 
death. 

Richard  M.  Bishop  is  another  name  that  deserves  a  high 
place  among  the  distinguished  Christian  statesmen  who 
have  been  identified  with  the  Disciples.  He  was  born  in 
Fleming  County,  Kentucky,  and  died  in  Jacksonville,  Fla. 
He  united  with  the  Disciples  early  in  life  and  remained 
a  consistent,  earnest  member  until  he  died.  He  removed 
to  Cincinnati  while  quite  a  young  man,  and  began  the 
wholesale  grocery  business,  in  which  he  was  very  successful. 
He  was  mayor  of  Cincinnati  at  the  time  the  Prince  of 
Wales  visited  this  country,  and  presided  at  the  great  meet- 
ing in  Pike's  Music  Hall,  where  the  Prince  of  Wales  was 
entertained.  In  1877  he  was  elected  governor  of  Ohio 
on  the  Democratic  ticket,  notwithstanding  the  state  was 
overwhelmingly  Republican  at  that  time.  Probably  his 
election  was  owing  largely  to  his  popularity  as  a  man  as 
much  as  to  his  generous  benefactions  as  a  philanthropist, 
and  to  his  hospitality  in  his  home  life.  His  house  was 
for  many  years  the  home  of  the  preachers  of  his  Church, 
as  well  as  of  any  other  Church,  for  he  was  not  a  sectarian 
in  any  sense. 

For  ten  years  he  was  president  of  the  American  Chris- 
tian Missionary  Society,  and  was  always  influential  in  the 
councils  of  that  organisation.  He  was  one  of  the  elders 
of  the  Central  Christian  Church,  and  contributed  very 
largely  of  his  means  in  erecting  the  present  splendid  build- 
ing of  that  church  on  Ninth  Street  in  Cincinnati. 

Owing  to  some  financial  reverses  his  fortune  was  greatly 
reduced  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  but  his  interest 
in  his  Church  and  in  his  brethren  generally  never  flagged, 
no  matter  what  his  reverses  may  have  been.  His  wife 
was  also  a  devoted  Christian,  and  her  influence  over  him 
had  much  to  do,  no  doubt,  in  forming  and  maintaining 
the  high  Christian  character  which  he  possessed.  He  had 
a  judicial  mind.  He  never  went  to  extremes.  His  friends 
said  of  him  that  he  asked  the  advice  of  everybody,  then 
finally  did  just  as  he  pleased.  Undoubtedly  he  was  careful 
to  investigate  all  the  facts  before  he  gave  a  decision  in 
any  case.  In  all  his  official  positions  he  was  regarded 
as  a  very  safe  counsellor,  incorruptible  and  cautious,  and 
he  was  at  one  time  spoken  of  freely  as  the  possible  candi- 


734    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


date  of  the  Democratic  party  for  the  presidency.  He  was 
eminently  fit  for  an  executive  position. 

Another  distinguished  governor  was  Francis  Marion 
Drake.  He  was  born  in  Rushville,  Schuyler  County,  Illi- 
nois, December  30,  1830.  In  1837  the  family  removed  to 
Iowa,  and  ever  afterward  Drake  remained  identified  with 
that  state.  He  united  with  the  Disciples  in  1843.  He  grew 
up  with  the  state  which  he  had  adopted,  and  accumulated 
a  large  fortune.  He  studied  law  and  engaged  in  its 
practice  for  a  while,  but  gave  most  of  his  time  to  the 
construction  of  railroads,  in  which  business  he  was  very 
successful.  He  assisted  in  founding  Drake  University  at 
Des  Moines,  and  was  a  large  contributor  to  its  building  and 
endowment  funds.  In  1895  he  received  the  unanimous 
nomination  of  the  Iowa  Republican  State  Convention  for 
the  governorship,  and  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming 
majority,  having  received  the  largest  vote  ever  cast  in  the 
state  for  that  oflflce.  He  was,  in  1885,  elected  president 
of  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society,  and  served 
for  one  year.  He  was  a  large  contributor  to  all  the  mis- 
sionary and  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  Disciples. 

Like  Governor  Bishop,  he  was  a  man  of  business,  as 
well  as  a  statesman.  He  left  a  very  considerable  fortune, 
some  of  which  was  bequeathed  for  the  benefit  of  Drake 
University,  to  which  he  had  already  contributed  gener- 
ously. His  memory  is  greatly  revered  in  Iowa,  and  he  can 
certainly  be  classed  as  one  of  the  men  who  were  influential 
in  making  the  Disciple  movement  a  success. 

Another  eminent  statesman  who  has  departed  this  life 
was  ex-Senator  Carmack  of  Tennessee,  whose  tragic  death 
recently  shocked  the  whole  civilised  world.  Carmack  was 
a  man  of  remarkable  characteristics.  He  Avas  one  of  the 
finest  orators  of  his  time.  In  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States  he  was  regarded  as  perhaps  the  superior  of  any 
other  man  in  that  body  as  a  public  speaker. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  courage,  and  to  this  fact  may 
be  ascribed  his  untimely  death.  He  was  an  uncompro- 
mising advocate  of  prohibition  in  his  state,  and  it  is  be- 
lieved that  this  fact  had  much  to  do  with  the  violent 
opposition  to  him  which  finally  ended  in  his  being  shot 
down  in  the  street. 

This  characteristic  of  courage  showed  itself  in  his  re- 
ligious life.    While  he  was  in  Washington,  attending  to 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  735 


his  official  duties,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  become  a 
Christian;  and,  instead  of  uniting  with  one  of  the  Chris- 
tian churches  in  Washington,  he  immediately  returned  to 
his  home  in  Tennessee  and  made  a  public  confession  of 
his  faith  in  Christ,  and  was  baptised  and  united  with  the 
little  church,  made  up  of  his  friends  and  neighbours.  He 
was  unwilling  to  take  so  important  a  step  anywhere  else. 
Ira  I.  Chase  was  at  one  time  governor  of  Indiana.  He 
was  also  a  devoted  Christian  preacher. 

A  few  of  the  representatives  of  the  Disciples  among 
Christian  statesmen  may  be  mentioned  as  follows :  ex-Gov- 
ernor Benton  McMillan  of  Tennessee,  ex-Governor  and  Sen- 
ator Alvin  Saunders  of  Nebraska ;  Private  "  John  Allen, 
member  of  Congress,  and  H.  D.  Morely  of  Mississippi; 
Senator  George  T.  Oliver,  and  Congressmen  W.  H.  Graham, 
T.  W.  Phillips,  and  Russell  Errett  of  Pennsylvania;  A. 
M.  Lay,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Joshua  Alexander,  Thomas 
Hackney  of  Missouri;  James  D.  Richardson,  William  C. 
Houston,  C.  E.  Snodgrass  of  Tennessee;  R.  M.  A.  Hawk 
of  Illinois;  Honorables  Albert  T.  Willis  and  John  D. 
White  of  Kentucky;  R.  F.  Armfield,  J.  D.  New,  Charles 
Cooper,  and  E.  D.  Crumpacker  of  Indiana ;  and  also  John 
C.  New,  United  States  treasurer,  of  the  same  state;  J.  A. 
Hughes  of  West  Virginia,  and  Champ  Clark  of  Missouri. 

Most  of  these  men  have  distinguished  themeslves  in 
the  positions  which  they  have  held.  Champ  Clark  is  now 
leader  of  the  Democratic  party  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. 

PREACHERS  AND  EDUCATORS 

One  of  the  oldest  of  Indiana's  pioneer  preachers  was 
John  Longley,  born  in  New  York  City  on  the  thirteenth  of 
June,  1782.  In  1790  with  his  family  he  emigrated  West, 
finally  settling  in  Kentucky,  and  was  immersed  in  the 
Ohio  River,  in  March,  1801.  In  1804  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Francina  Hendrickson  of  Fleming  County,  Kentucky. 
Some  time  after  this  he  came  under  the  influence  of 
Barton  W.  Stone  and  those  associated  with  him,  and  it 
was  not  long  until  he  gave  up  all  human  creeds  and  became 
thoroughly  identified  with  the  Disciple  movement.  In 
1826  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  in  1830  he  finally 
settled  in  Rush  County,  Indiana.    From  that  time  until  his 


736    UISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


death  lie  was  a  powerful  factor  in  that  state  in  advocating 
the  cause  of  the  Disciples. 

Another  pioneer  preacher  of  Indiana  was  John  Wright. 
He  was  born  in  Rowan  County,  North  Carolina,  December 
12,  1785.  He  was  largely  instrumental  in  uniting  a  num- 
ber of  churches  as  early  as  1819,  1820,  and  1821.  He  was 
a  man  of  strong  religious  convictions;  generous,  unselfish, 
and  broad-minded,  and  was  always  an  ardent  advocate 
of  Christian  union  on  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone. 

John  B.  New  was  another  earnest  advocate  of  the  ancient 
order  of  things.  The  Disciples  are  much  indebted  to  his 
influence  for  the  success  which  they  have  had  in  the  state 
of  Indiana. 

Beverly  Vawter  is  another  of  the  pioneers  whose  name 
deserves  honourable  mention. 

Elijah  Goodwin  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  movement ;  and  Samuel  K.  Hoshour,  both  as  a 
preacher  and  educator,  was  highly  respected  and  influen- 
tial as  a  leader  of  the  forces  in  the  early  history  of  the 
movement.  Love  H.  Jameson  was  one  of  the  sweet  singers 
of  Israel,  as  well  as  an  earnest  and  effective  preacher. 
He  was  identified  with  the  pioneers  in  Indiana,  Ohio,  and 
Kentucky,  though,  during  the  latter  days  of  his  life,  he 
laboured  chiefly  in  Indiana.  Other  pioneers  may  be  men- 
tioned, belonging  to  the  same  period,  such  as  Jacob  Wright, 
B.  K.  Smith,  Jose'^h  W.  Wolfe,  and  Thomas  J.  Edmond- 
son,  the  latter  being  somewhat  given  to  poetry.  One  of 
his  hymns  has  been  very  popular,  commencing  with  the 
line,  "  Among  the  Mountain  Trees." 

The  name  of  Jacob  Creath,  Jr.,  has  been  mentioned  in 
another  part  of  this  work,  but  he  deserves  to  have  a  special 
place  among  those  who  have  contributed  most  to  the  move- 
ment of  the  Disciples.  He  was  born  January  17,  1799,  in 
Mecklenburg  County,  Virginia.  Some  notice  has  al- 
ready been  given  of  his  uncle,  Jacob  Creath,  Sr.  The 
nephew  became  identified  with  the  Baptists  very  early  in 
life,  but,  having  removed  to  Kentucky,  and  coming  under 
the  influence  of  the  teaching  of  Alexander  Campbell,  he, 
with  others,  was  excluded  from  the  Baptists  on  account  of 
what  they  regarded  as  his  heretical  views.  He  ever  after- 
wards devoted  himself  to  the  promulgation  of  the  prin- 
ciples set  forth  by  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  In  the  later 
years  of  his  life  he  laboured  chiefly  in  Missouri,  and  was 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  737 

a  powerful  factor  in  building  up  the  cause  in  that  state. 
In  some  respects  he  was  perhaps  the  ablest  man  in  the 
state,  though  on  account  of  some  peculiarities  he  may  not 
have  exerted  as  much  influence  as  his  superior  abilities 
entitled  him  to  wield.  He  was  rather  inclined  to  cultivate 
a  dogmatic  spirit,  and  his  opposition  to  missionary  socie- 
ties and  other  progressive  movements  of  the  Disciples 
somewhat  circumscribed  his  influence,  although  no  one 
doubted  his  conscientiousness  or  his  supreme  devotion  to 
the  cause  he  had  espoused. 

Marcus  P.  Wills  was  a  very  influential  preacher  in  the 
early  days  of  the  movement  in  Missouri.  He  came  from 
southern  Kentucky  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Boone  County. 
He  preached  for  the  churches  in  Boone,  Calloway,  and 
Howard  Counties,  in  schoolhouses,  barns,  and  groves. 
The  congregations  at  Red  Top,  Columbia,  and  Friendship 
were  ministered  to  by  him.  He  baptised  great  numbers 
in  various  parts  of  the  state.  He  laboured  entirely  with- 
out any  salary,  depending  on  his  farm  for  support.  It  is 
certainly  worth  while  to  mention  here  the  fact  that  in 
these  early  days  nearly  all  the  preachers  travelled  and 
preached  at  their  own  expense,  very  seldom  receiving 
anything  by  way  of  compensation  for  their  services. 
Nearly  all  of  these  men  were  farmers,  or  were  in  some 
kind  of  business  by  which  they  could  support  their  families. 
For  many  years  the  church  in  Columbia  was  served  by 
preachers  who  received  no  stated  salary  whatever,  such 
men  as  Wills,  Thomas  M.  Allen,  and  others  doing  the 
preaching,  while  the  elders  attended  to  everything  else. 

Thomas  McBride  was  another  able  preacher,  who  came 
from  Madison  County,  Kentucky,  and  settled  also  in  Boone 
County,  Missouri,  in  1816.  He  was  perhaps  the  first  advo- 
cate of  primitive  Christianity  in  the  state  of  Missouri.  His 
labours  were  chiefly  confined  to  the  counties  of  Calloway, 
Howard,  Monroe,  Randolph,  Cooper,  Saline,  and  Lafay- 
ette. His  influence  was  very  great  among  the  churches, 
and  to  him  the  Disciples  of  Missouri  are  greatly  indebted 
for  his  early  advocacy  of  their  cause. 

Another  Kentucky  preacher,  Allen  Wright,  was  among 
the  pioneers  who  advocated  the  Disciple  movement  in 
Missouri,  and  he  did  a  splendid  work  at  Lexington,  George- 
town, and  in  other  parts  of  the  state. 

Winthrop  H.  Hopson  was  born  near  Jacksonville,  111., 


738    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

in  1823,  aud  came  under  the  training  of  Barton  W.  Stone 
while  he  was  located  in  that  city.  Hopson  was  one  of 
the  most  gifted  preachers  among  the  Disciples  of  his  day. 
He  preached  much  in  Missouri,  and  also  in  Kentucky,  and 
was  for  a  time  pastor  of  a  church  in  Richmond,  Va.  He 
held  a  great  meeting  in  the  Eighth  and  Walnut  Street 
Church,  Cincinnati,  during  which  time  he  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  whole  city  as  Avell  as  of  the  surrounding 
country.  He  was  also  an  associate  editor  of  the  Apostolic 
Times  when  that  paper  was  first  started.  He  deserves 
to  be  gratefully  remembered  by  his  brethren. 

A  number  of  Iowa  preachers  have  already  been  men- 
tioned in  other  parts  of  this  work.  But  one  or  two  de- 
serve mention  here.  George  Thomas  Carpenter  was  born 
March  4,  1834,  in  Nelson  County,  Kentucky.  He  was  for  a 
time  connected  with  Oskaloosa  College,  Iowa,  and  also 
with  the  Evangelist,  which  at  that  time  was  the  leading 
paper  of  the  Disciples  in  the  state  of  Iowa.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  personal  traits,  energetic,  and  of  fine  execu- 
tive ability.  The  cause  in  Iowa  is  much  indebted  to  his 
advocacy. 

N.  A.  McConnell  was  born  in  Columbia  County,  Ohio, 
January  23,  1824,  and  emigrated  to  Iowa  in  1849,  the 
same  year  that  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society 
was  organised.  He  at  once  threw  himself  heartily  into 
the  Disciple  movement,  which  was  at  that  time  making 
considerable  headway  in  his  adopted  state.  In  these  early 
days  it  was  the  habit  to  hold  debates  with  those  who 
opposed  the  Disciples,  and  McConnell  became  quite  famous 
for  his  debates,  though  in  many  respects  he  was  a  man 
of  exceedingly  amiable  disposition.  He  was  closely  asso- 
ciated with  such  men  as  Aaron  Chatterton,  Arthur  Miller, 
Jonas  Hartzell,  and  Levi  Fleming,  all  of  whom  Avere  able 
advocates  of  the  Disciple  movement. 

Had  we  space,  it  would  be  a  delight  to  give  extended 
notices  of  such  men  as  Harrison  Jones  (one  of  the  most 
eloquent  preachers  of  his  time),  B.  A.  Hinsdale  (who 
was  both  an  able  preacher  and  educator),  William  Baxter 
(the  biographer  of  Walter  Scott),  and  many  other  dis- 
tinguished advocates  of  the  Disciple  cause  in  Ohio,  who 
have  gone  to  their  reward.  But  it  is  impossible  to  do 
more  than  simply  mention  the  names  of  many  of  the 
preachers  that  have  gone  before,  as  well  as  those  who 


MEN  INSTKUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  739 


remain.  However,  there  are  two  or  three  of  the  middle 
period  pioneers  who  deserve  a  very  prominent  place  in  the 
history  of  the  Disciple  movement. 

Alexander  Proctor  was  the  first  college  graduate  who 
advocated  the  Disciple  movement  in  Missouri.  He  was 
a  great  preacher,  and  even  a  greater  thinker.  He  did 
much  to  liberalise  the  thought  of  the  preachers  of  his 
state.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Bethany  College,  and  for 
some  time  the  pastor  of  the  Olive  Street  Christian  Church, 
St.  Louis,  Mo.  But  his  most  prominent  ministry  was  in 
connection  with  the  Christian  Church  in  Independence, 
Mo.,  where  his  pastorate  continued  for  many  years.  Per- 
haps no  man  exerted  a  wider  influence  in  Missouri  than 
did  this  great  preacher.  He  was  regarded  by  a  few  as 
somewhat  eccentric,  and  his  thinking  was  not  always  en- 
tirely accurate,  but  such  a  mind  as  his  does  not  work 
by  the  ordinary  rules,  and  hence  he  cannot  be  judged  by 
the  limitations  of  the  usual  standards.  He  lived  much 
outside  of  the  sphere  occupied  by  smaller  minds,  and  it 
is  highly  probable  that  many  of  these  smaller  minds  did 
not  understand  him,  and  consequently  misjudged  him. 
However,  no  one  ever  even  suspected  him  of  being  untrue 
to  his  convictions  or  untrue  to  the  great  cause  which  he 
advocated,  though  they  may  have  differed  from  him  as 
regards  some  particular  views  that  he  w^as  known  to  hold. 
These  views  never  interfered  with  his  fellowship,  and  he 
himself  did  much  to  accentuate  that  peculiar  feature  of 
the  Disciple  movement  which  allows  the  largest  liberty 
of  opinion,  provided  men  are  true  to  the  centre,  which  is 
the  personal  Christ. 

Another  splendid  preacher  was  J.  S.  Lamar  of  Georgia. 
He  was  the  biographer  of  Isaac  Errett.  He  was  a  graceful 
writer,  an  eloquent  preacher,  and  one  of  the  most  lovable 
of  men.  His  writings  were  characterised  by  a  subtle 
humour  which  made  everything  he  wrote  enjoyable  read- 
ing. He  was  located  for  many  years  at  Augusta,  Ga., 
but  his  work  extended  to  every  part  of  the  state.  No  man 
among  the  Disciples  of  his  day  was  more  respected. 

One  of  the  ablest,  most  trusted,  and  most  useful  men 
of  the  period  under  consideration  was  B.  W.  Johnson, 
first  editor  of  the  Evangelist  in  Iowa,  and  afterward 
associated  with  J.  H.  Garrison  in  the  editorship  of  the 
Christian  Evangelist  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.    Johnson  was  a 


740    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

graduate  of  Bethany  College,  taking  the  honours  of  his 
class,  and  was  regarded  by  his  contemporaries  as  one  of 
the  most  scholarly  men  of  his  day  among  the  Disciples. 
He  was  a  very  hard  student,  and  probably  to  this  cause 
may  be  attributed  his  ill  health,  during  his  later  years, 
and  finally  his  untimely  death.  He  had  just  reached  his 
most  mature  manhood  when  he  fell,  but  he  fell  at  his 
post.  In  addition  to  his  preaching  and  editing  the  jour- 
nals mentioned,  he  wrote  a  number  of  books,  and  these 
have  become  standards  in  the  literature  of  the  Disciples. 

H.  W.  Everest  was  another  able  preacher  and  educator. 
He  laboured  chiefly  in  Illinois,  and  was  connected  for  a 
time  with  Eureka  College.  His  book  on  "  Christian  Evi- 
dences "  is  a  text-book  in  a  number  of  colleges,  and  from 
several  points  of  view  it  is  a  very  useful  work.  Its  classi- 
fication is  especially  good  for  the  convenience  of  both 
teacher  and  pupil.  However,  it  cannot  be  regarded  as 
entirely  up-to-date  on  the  questions  involved  in  modern 
skepticism. 

Robert  Graham  was  born  in  Liverpool,  England,  but 
came  to  this  country  early  in  life,  and  was  a  preacher 
of  great  power  and  infiuence.  He  was  also  an  educator, 
being  for  some  time  president  of  the  College  of  the  Bible 
at  Lexington,  Ky.,  as  well  as  connected  with  other  institu- 
tions of  learning.  He  was  for  a  few  years  pastor  of  what 
is  now  the  Central  Christian  Church,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
He  was  much  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him. 

O.  A.  Burgess  was  another  distinguished  preacher  of 
the  class  now  under  consideration.  Most  of  his  work  was 
done  in  Indiana,  and  it  was  always  done  well.  He  served 
as  a  pastor  of  the  Central  Church  in  Indianapolis  for 
many  years,  and  the  cause  in  Indianapolis  owes  much 
to  him  for  its  present  position.  He  was  a  man  of  infiexible 
integrity,  strong  characteristics,  and  a  forcible  speaker. 

The  plan  of  this  work  does  not  allow  any  extended 
sketch  of  men  who  are  now  living,  consequently  only  com- 
paratively few  of  the  living  men  will  be  sketched  at  all. 
Among  those  who  are  entitled  to  the  exception  is  Pro- 
fessor Charles  Louis  Loos.  He  has  been  identified  with 
the  movement  perhaps  longer  than  any  living  preacher, 
and  has  been  an  active  participant  in  nearly  every  depart- 
ment of  its  work. 

He  was  born  at  Woerth,  in  the  department  of  the  lower 


LIVING  MEN  WHO  HAVE  LONG  BEEN  PROMINENT 

1,  W.  C.  Eogers.  2,  Frank  M.  Green.  3,  Charles  Louis  Loos.  4.  A.  B 
Jones.  5,  J.  W.  Monser.  6,  L.  L.  Carpenter.  7,  J.  B.  Briney.  8,  J.  W 
McGarvev.  9.  Jabez  Hall.  10,  Lathrop  Cooley.  11,  B.  B.  Tyler.  12,  D 
R.  Dungan.    13,  T.  P.  Haley.    14,  A.  R.  Benton. 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  741 


Rhine,  France,  December  22,  1823,  but  did  not  come  to 
America  until  1834.  He  is  of  both  German  and  French 
origin — French  on  his  father's  side  and  German  on  his 
mother's  side.  In  1830,  after  the  Revolution  in  Paris, 
the  National  Guard  was  organised,  when  Professor  Loos' 
father  became  an  officer  in  the  guard,  and  the  younger 
Loos  became  a  member  of  the  Junior  National  Guard,  and 
figured  prominently  under  his  father's  training,  learning 
the  lessons  of  republicanism  and  strong  patriotism,  by 
which  the  professor  has  always  been  characterised. 

His  French  republicanism  and  that  of  his  father  brought 
them  to  the  United  States  in  1832,  the  same  year  that 
the  Reformers  and  Christians  united  in  Kentucky.  The 
young  Alsatian  had  become  an  ardent  lover  of  America 
before  he  reached  this  country,  and  he  soon  became  identi- 
fied with  the  most  fervent  adherents  of  republicanism  in 
his  adopted  land.  He  began  the  study  of  English  imme- 
diately after  reaching  Ohio,  and  the  language  was  soon 
mastered,  he  having  already  a  superior  education  which 
he  had  obtained  in  the  schools  of  his  native  country.  His 
people  were  Lutherans,  but  having  heard  some  of  the  Dis- 
ciple preachers,  the  plea  which  they  make  attracted  his 
free  spirit,  and  consequently  he  united  with  the  Christian 
Church  in  1838,  and  has  been  closely  connected  with  their 
work  ever  since.  He  entered  Bethany  College,  West  Vir- 
ginia, in  1842,  and  graduated  in  1846.  He  was  immedi- 
ately appointed  professor  in  the  Primary  Department, 
which  position  he  held  for  three  years.  His  career  cannot 
be  followed  any  further  than  to  state  that  in  1880  he  was 
elected  president  of  Kentucky  University,  now  Transyl- 
vania, and  also  professor  of  Greek.  He  served  in  this 
position  seventeen  years,  and  then  resigned  his  presidency, 
retaining  the  chair  of  Greek  until  the  present  year,  1909. 
Professor  Loos  has  been  constantly  engaged  in  teaching  for 
over  fifty  years,  and  before  his  graduation  he  taught  also 
for  several  years,  making  about  sixty  years  in  all  that  he 
has  devoted  himself  to  teaching.  On  this  account  he  has 
been  allowed  the  benefit  of  the  Carnegie  Fund  upon  his 
recent  resignation  from  Transylvania  University, 

Another  exception  to  the  rule  adopted  may  be  made 
in  the  case  of  J.  H.  Garrison,  the  distinguished  editor  of 
the  Christian  Evangelist  of  St.  Louis.  Dr.  Garrison  is 
not  only  an  able  preacher,  but  has  proved  to  be  one  of 


742    HISTORY  OB'  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


the  best  editors  ever  connected  with  the  Disciple  movement. 
He  was,  in  his  early  life,  a  Baptist,  but  while  at  college 
he  became  acquainted  with  some  of  the  Disciple  leaders, 
and  was  led  to  investigate  their  religious  position.  The 
result  was  that  he  united  with  one  of  their  churches  and 
soon  became  a  warm  advocate  of  their  cause. 

During  the  war,  he  went  into  the  army  and  became 
distinguished  for  his  courage  and  commanding  ability. 
He  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge. 
After  the  war  he  soon  became  identified  with  Disciple 
journalism.  He  was  editor  of  the  Gospel  Echo,  which 
later  became  the  Christian,  and  this  was  finally  united 
with  the  Evangelist ,  and  the  combined  paper  was  called  the 
Christian  Evangelist,  with  B.  W.  Johnson  and  J.  H.  Garri- 
son as  editors.  When  Johnson  died.  Garrison  became  its 
editor-in-chief,  and  has  recently  celebrated  his  fortieth 
year  as  editor  of  that  paper.  During  this  whole  time  he 
has  held  the  esteem  of  the  entire  brotherhood.  He  has 
never  occupied  an  extreme  position  with  respect  to  the 
questions  which  have  come  up  for  discussion  during  the 
time  he  has  been  a  leader  in  the  movement.  He  has  usually 
occupied  a  middle-of-the-road  position.  While  advocating 
every  important  forward  movement  he  has,  at  the  same 
time,  held  firmly  to  that  which  had  already  been  gained. 
In  other  words,  his  idea  of  progress  is  that  we  must  not 
destroy  the  platform  on  which  the  steps  of  progress  are 
made.  He  therefore  unites  in  his  advocacy  both  stability 
and  movement,  and  this  makes  him  the  safe  leader  that 
he  is.  As  a  writer  he  is  always  gentle  in  spirit,  judicial 
in  the  statement  of  his  arguments,  and  forcible  in  the 
presentation  of  his  cause.  He  has  written  several  books, 
the  most  widely  circulated  of  which  are  those  inculcating 
the  spiritual  life.  One  of  his  books,  entitled  ^'  Alone  with 
God,"  has  already  reached  a  circulation  of  over  50,000 
copies.  He  is  now  in  the  prime  of  his  most  mature  man- 
hood, and  his  influence  upon  the  brotherhood  with  which 
he  is  associated  was  never  greater. 

John  W.  McGarvey  is  another  preacher  and  educator 
who  must  be  made  an  exception  to  the  rule  with  respect 
to  the  sketches  of  living  men.  President  McGarvey's  long 
and  faithful  service  entitles  him  to  a  much  more  extended 
notice  than  can  here  be  given.  He  was  born  in  Hopkins- 
ville,  Ky.,  March  1,  1829.    His  father  removed  to  the  state 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  743 


of  Illiuois  when  the  son  was  only  ten  years  old.  From 
there  he  went  to  Bethany  College  to  complete  his  education. 
He  graduated  in  1850,  the  family  having  meantime  re- 
moved to  Fayette,  Mo.,  where  he  also  went  and  taught  a 
private  school  for  two  years.  He  finally  decided  to  enter 
the  ministry,  and  accordingly  was  ordained  in  1853.  He 
was  pastor  of  a  church  at  Dover,  Mo.,  for  nine  years,  and 
then  went  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  to  succeed  Dr.  W.  H.  Hopson 
in  what  was  at  that  time  the  Main  Street  Church;  and 
after  five  years'  service  in  this  pastorate  he  was  elected 
to  the  professorship  of  Sacred  History  in  the  College  of 
the  Bible.  He  afterwards  served  the  Broadway  Church  in 
Lexington  for  several  years.  In  1863  he  published  his 
"  Commentary  on  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,'"  which  at  once 
received  favourable  recognition  among  Biblical  scholars. 
In  1879  he  made  a  tour  of  Egypt  and  Palestine,  and  after- 
ward published  Lands  of  the  Bible,"  of  which  over  15,000 
copies  were  sold  almost  immediately.  Some  time  after 
this  he  published  The  Text  and  Canon  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment," and  also  "  A  Commentary  on  Matthew  and  Mark," 
"  A  Volume  of  Sermons,"  etc.,  and  finally  a  book  entitled. 

The  Authorship  of  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy."  On  the 
resignation  of  President  Graham  of  the  College  of  the 
Bible  in  1897,  he  was  elected  president  of  that  college, 
having  been  a  professor  in  it  from  its  origin,  in  18G5. 

He  has  been  a  prolific  contributor  to  the  periodical 
literature  of  the  Disciples;  for  a  time  one  of  the  editors 
of  the  Apostolic  Times,  and  has  for  a  number  of  years 
conducted  a  department  in  the  Christian  Standard,  en- 
titled Biblical  Criticism."  As  a  writer  he  is  distin- 
guished for  clearness,  incisiveness,  and  historical  accu- 
racy. He  has  always  been  a  close  student  of  the  Bible, 
and  there  are  few  men  more  familiar  with  its  facts.  Some 
have  thought  that  in  his  criticisms  he  has  not  always  been 
as  charitable  as  he  might  have  been  in  his  treatment  of 
those  from  whose  opinions  he  differs.  It  has  been  said 
of  him  that  there  are  really  two  McGarveys.  He  is  one 
of  the  most  lovable  men  in  the  whole  brotherhood  of  the 
Disciples  in  his  social  life,  and  is  also  one  of  the  most 
hospitable  in  his  home  life.  As  a  preacher  his  spirit  is 
as  gentle  as  that  of  a  little  child,  but  in  the  use  of 
his  pen  he  sometimes  dips  it  in  gall  rather  than  in  ink. 
However,  he  is  now  one  of  the  grand  old  men  of  the 


744    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Restoration  movement,  and  is  still,  both  by  tongue  and 
pen,  wielding  a  powerful  influence  for  good.  March  the 
third,  of  this  Centennial  year,  was  his  fifty-sixth  anni- 
versary in  the  ministry.  On  the  eightieth  anniversary  of 
his  birth  he  resigned  the  presidency  of  the  College  of  the 
Bible,  but  the  trustees  refused  to  accept  it. 

In  addition  to  the  names  already  mentioned,  many  more 
deserve  a  place  in  this  history  as  men  who  have  con- 
tributed much  to  the  Disciple  movement.  Of  those  who 
have  crossed  the  river,  the  following  names  are  recalled: 
M.  E.  Lard,  died  June  17,  1880 ;  F.  G.  Allen,  died  January 
6,  1887 ;  J.  K.  Rogers,  August  24,  1882 ;  Tolbert  Fanning, 
May  3, 1874 ;  Samuel  Rogers,  January  4, 1867 ;  D.  R.  Lucas, 
A.  I.  Hobbs,  John  S.  Sweeney,  George  Darsie,  Sr.;  H.  T. 
Anderson  (the  translator  of  the  New  Testament),  R.  C. 
Ricketts,  Harrison  Jones,  W.  A.  Belding,  Joseph  King,  A. 
S.  Hayden,  R.  L.  Coleman,  L.  A.  Cutler,  James  W.  Goss, 
Thomas  M.  Henley,  John  G.  Parrish,  Silas  Shelburne,  W. 
J.  Pettigrew,  A.  B.  Walthall,  George  W.  Abell,  A.  B. 
Green,  Peter  Ainslie,  R.  Y.  Henley,  Chester  Bullard,  B.  F. 
Hall,  Harrison  W.  Osborne,  James  E.  Mathes,  J.  J.  Wyatt, 
Duke  Young,  Samuel  S.  Church,  John  W.  Mount  joy,  Abso- 
lora  Rice,  Allen  Wright,  D.  T,  Wright,  John  A.  Brooks 
(who  at  one  time  ran  on  the  Temperance  ticket  for  Vice- 
President),  Enos  Campbell,  John  I.  Rogers,  Jonas  Hart- 
zell,  Allen  Hickey,  Pardee  Butler,  Daniel  Bates,  J.  B. 
Vawter,  Aaron  Chatterton,  J.  K.  Cornell,  M.  E.  Harlan, 
John  O'Kane,  John  P.  Thompson,  Samuel  K.  Hoshour, 
D.  R.  VanBuskirk,  Henry  R.  Pritchard,  A.  N.  Gilbert, 
S.  B.  Teagarden,  George  E.  Flower,  J.  A.  Meng,  George 
Plattenburg,  T.  N.  Gains,  John  T,  Walsh,  Joseph  Latham, 
Thomas  N.  Arnold,  T.  W.  Brents,  etc.,  etc. 

The  following  pastors  and  educators  are  still  living 
and  have  become  distinguished  in  their  fields  of  labour: 
T.  P.  Haley  (the  acknowledged  dean  of  his  brother  min- 
isters, and  to  whom  his  brethren  in  Missouri  are  more 
indebted  than  perhaps  to  any  other  man),  B.  B.  Tyler 
(who  has  held  several  important  pastorates  and  is  still 
active  in  the  ministry  in  Denver,  Col. ) ,  W.  F.  Richardson, 
George  H.  Combs,  Burris  A.  Jenkins,  Herbert  L.  Willett, 
C.  C.  Morrison,  I.  J.  Spencer,  J.  J.  Haley,  F.  D.  Power 
(who  has  held  one  pastorate  in  Washington  City  for 
thirty-five  years,  and  who  is  well  and  favourably  known 


LIVING  PREACHERS  WHO  HAVE  HELD  LONG  PASTORATES 

1,  George  H.  Combs,  Kansas  City,  ilo.  2,  B.  A.  Abbott,  Baltimore,  Md. 
3,  Peter  Ainslie,  Baltimore,  JNId.  4,  A.  C.  Smither.  Los  Angeles,  Cal.  5, 
W.  F.  Richardson.  Kansas  Citv.  Mo.  C.  A.  B.  Pliilputt.  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
7.  T.  .J.  Clark.  Albion.  111.  8.'  G.  P.  Rutledge.  Philadelphia,  Pa.  0.  S.  T. 
Willis.  New  York.  10.  F.  D.  Power.  Washington,  D.C.  11,  E.  L.  Powell. 
Louisville.  Ky.  12.  E.  J.  Teagarden,  Danbury,  Conn.  13,  I.  J.  Spencer, 
Lexington.  Kv.  14.  W.  H.  Sheffer.  Memphis'.  Tenn.  15,  Bayard  Craig, 
Denver,  Colo.'  16,  8.  S.  Jones,  Danville,  111.  17,  Levi  Marshall.  Hannil)al, 
Mo.  18,  Mark  CoUis.  Lexington.  Kv.  19,  C.  H.  Winders.  Indianapolis, 
Ind.    20,  E.  B.  Bagby,  Ft.  Smith,  Ark. 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  745 


all  over  the  United  States),  F.  N.  Calvin,  Mark  CoUis,  W. 
J.  Lhamon,  M.  A.  Hart,  Chalmers  McPherson,  T.  E.  Cramb- 
lett  (the  present  president  of  Bethany  College,  West  Vir- 
ginia), W.  S.  Priest,  J.  J.  Morgan,  J.  B.  Cleaver,  E.  L. 
Powell  (for  many  years  perhaps  the  most  influential 
preacher  in  Louisville,  Ky.),  A.  W.  Kokendoffer,  Levi 
Marshall,  Claude  E.  Hill,  L.  J.  Marshall,  A.  B.  Jones, 
Graham  Frank,  Minor  L.  Bates  (president  of  Hiram  Col- 
lege, Ohio),  E.  T.  Edmunds,  J.  H.  Gilliland,  Frank  M. 
Dowling,  C.  H.  Winders,  F.  W.  Allen,  E.  W.  Bagby, 

A.  C.  Smithers,  Edgar  D.  Jones,  F.  W.  Burnham,  J.  M. 
Philputt,  John  L.  Brandt,  H.  O.  Breeden,  J.  B.  Briney, 
Crayton  S.  Brooks,  Charles  Reign  Scoville  (perhaps  the 
most  noted  evangelist  among  the  Disciples),  A.  B. Philputt, 
Z.  T.  Sweeney  (a  popular  lecturer,  as  well  as  preacher). 
Homer  T.  Wilson,  W.  H.  Book,  W.  F.  Turner,  W.  B. 
Crane,  George  Darsie,  Jr. ;  Charles  S.  Medbury  (Centennial 
president  of  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society), 
Finis  Idleman,  J.  M.  Kersey,  F.  E.  Mallory,  M.  M.  Davis, 
Harry  D.  Smith,  C.  L.  Thurgood,  Russell  F.  Thrapp,  J.  H. 
McNeil,  B.  A.  Abbott,  Wallace  Tharpe,  S.  T.  Willis,  James 
P.  Lichtenberger,  Howard  T.  Cree,  O.  A,  Bartholomew, 
John  S.  Shouse,  Walter  M.  White,  J.  B.  Jones,  Edward 
Scribner  Ames,  George  A.  Campbell,  Errett  Gates,  E.  B, 
Wakefield,  Carl  Johann  (president  of  Christian  Univer- 
sity), Ashley  S.  Johnson,  A.  McLean  (president  of  the 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society),  F.  M.  Rains  (cor- 
responding secretary  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society), 
Stephen  J.  Corey,  Benjamin  Lyon  Smith,  Frank  M.  Green, 
G.  W.  Muckley  (corresponding  secretary  of  the  Board  of 
Church  Extension),  George  L.  Sniveley,  J.  H.  Mohorter, 
L.  L.  Carpenter,  J.  A.  Lord  (one  of  the  editors  of  the 
Christian  Standard) ,  A.  R.  Moore,  J.  W.  Monser,  Francis 
M.  Kirkham,  John  T.  Boone,  Clark  Braden,  Charles  A. 
Lockhart,  Peter  Ainslie,  Jr. ;  H.  A.  Denton,  B.  S.  Denney, 

B.  C.  Deweese,  S.  M.  Jefferson,  Frank  Dowling,  H.  L. 
Calhoun,  John  L.  Hill,  J.  C.  Mason,  W.  C.  Rogers,  James 
Egbert,  James  Small  (distinguished  evangelist),  S.  M. 
Martin  (distinguished  evangelist),  C.  C.  Rowlison,  John 
A.  Stevens,  G.  D.  Edwards,  Charles  M.  Sharpe,  O.  H. 
Philips,  E.  V.  Zollars,  J.  M.  Vanhorn,  Clinton  Lockhart, 
G.  A.  Faris  (editor  of  the  Christian  (^oiirier),  O.  A. 
Carr,  J.  W.  Lowber,  A.  F.  Sanderson,  G.  A.  Miller,  Herbert 


746    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Yeuell  (distinguished  evangelist),  Sumner  T.  Martin,  I. 
N.  McCash,  E.  W.  Darst,  E.  C.  Browning,  R.  E.  Hier- 
onymus,  Silas  Jones,  W.  J.  Wright,  G.  B.  Ranshaw,  G.  B. 
Van  Arsdall,  Carey  E.  Morgan,  T.  C.  Howe  (president  of 
Butler  College),  A.  M.  Haggard,  Jabez  Hall,  G.  P.  Coler, 
F.  P.  Arthur,  C.  J.  Tannar,  C.  M.  Chilton,  L.  S.  Cupp, 
W.  A.  Fite,  Harold  E.  Monser,  W.  P.  Aylsworth,  W.  E. 
Garrison,  I.  J.  Cahill,  I.  B.  Grubbs,  A.  W.  Fortune,  L.  G. 
Batman,  George  P.  Rutledge,  W.  B.  Taylor,  and  a  host  of 
others,  many  of  whom  are  equally  worthy  with  those 
mentioned,  but  whose  names  cannot  be  given  for  want 
of  room. 

Now,  if  to  these  names  are  added  those  which  have  been 
prominently'  mentioned  in  other  parts  of  this  work,  the 
sum  total  will  give  a  very  impressive  illustration  of  the 
catholicity  of  the  Disciple  plea.  A  careful  examination 
of  the  men  selected  in  the  list  given,  as  well  as  those  referred 
to  in  other  parts  of  this  volume,  will  abundantly  prove 
that  the  Disciple  platform  is  broad  enough  for  all  to 
stand  upon  who  hold  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the 
foundation  of  the  Church  and  as  the  only  object  of  the 
Christian  faith.  Alexander  Campbell  and  Barton  W. 
Stone  differed  very  widely  with  respect  to  certain  doc- 
trinal and  philosophical  questions;  John  Smith  and  John 
Rogers  also  differed;  Walter  Scott  held  certain  views 
with  respect  to  the  millennium  and  other  speculative 
matters  which  were  not  even  generally  accepted  by  the 
Disciples  during  his  time;  Dr.  R.  Richardson  differed  from 
his  brethren  generally  with  respect  to  the  baptism  in 
Holy  Spirit;  while  such  men  as  Jacob  Creath,  Tolbert 
Fanning,  and  others  of  the  pioneers  differed  from  D.  S. 
Burnett,  James  Challen,  John  T.  Johnson,  and  others, 
with  respect  to  missionary  societies.  Benjamin  Franklin 
and  Isaac  Errett  also  differed  in  their  opinions  concerning 
some  important  matters;  while  the  controversies  with 
respect  to  the  communion  question,  instrumental  music 
in  the  churches,  and  many  other  things  that  might  be 
mentioned,  abundantly  prove  that  the  unity  of  the  Dis- 
ciples never  did  consist  in  a  unity  of  opinion.  Neverthe- 
less, in  all  these  primitive  days  the  Disciples  were  firmly 
united  together  by  the  common  tie  of  fellowship  in  Jesus 
the  Christ. 

The  same  is  true,  if  we  examine  the  men  who  are 


PASTORS  OF  SO.ME  OF  THE  STRONGEST  CHURCHES 

1,  Russell  F.  Thrapp,  Jac-ksonvillo.  HI.  2,  C.  G.  Kindred,  Chicago,  HI. 
3,  H.  D.  Smith,  Hopkiiisville,  Kv.  4.  A.  R.  Moore,  Birmingham,  Ala. 
5,  George  Darsie,  Akron,  O.  (i,  1^.  J.  ^larshall,  Independence,  Mo.  7,  C. 
S.  Medbury,  Des  Moines,  la.  8,  T.  W.  Grafton,  Anderson,  Ind.  9,  Carey 
E.  Morgan,  Paris,  Ky.  10,  .J.  E.  Lynn,  Warren,  O.  11,  J.  M.  Philputt, 
St.  Louis.  12,  W.  H.  Book,  Columbus,  Ind.  13,  Finis  Idleman,  Des  Moines, 
la.  14,  Wallace  Tharp,  Allegheny,  Pa.  1.5,  W.  S.  Priest.  Columbus,  O. 
1(5,  Vernon  Stauffer,  Angola,  Ind.'  17,  E.  W.  Allen,  Wichita,  Kan. 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  747 


in  the  movemeut  (luring  these  later  days.  Let  any  one 
glance  over  the  names  of  the  preachers  and  educators 
given  in  the  foregoing  list  and  he  will  see  very  readily 
that  there  are  men  in  this  list  who  differ  quite  as  widely 
as  the  pioneers  differed  among  themselves.  The  questions 
now  are  not  the  same  as  they  were  in  the  early  days  of 
the  movement.  Some  of  the  modern  questions  relate  to 
Biblical  criticism,  and  such  men  as  Willett  and  Sweeney 
find  themselves  far  apart  in  their  interpretation  of  the 
Scriptures  with  respect  to  miracles  and  other  important 
matters.  Even  men  like  Dr.  Garrison  and  J.  A.  Lord, 
B.  A.  Jenkins  and  J.  W.  McGarvey,  differ  widely  in  their 
opinions  concerning  many  things  both  of  doctrine  and 
policy;  and  yet,  notwithstanding  all  these  differences,  these 
men  heartily  co-operate  with  one  another,  and  all  agree 
with  respect  to  the  cardinal  facts  of  the  faith,  thereby 
illustrating  the  catholicity  of  the  Disciple  plea,  as  well 
as  the  sufficiency  of  the  platform  which  they  have  adopted. 

The  list  of  men  given  is  a  sufficient  proof  that  the  plea 
of  the  Disciples  is  eminently  catholic.  Of  course  there 
has  been  friction  at  nearly  all  the  points  of  difference, 
but  no  division  of  any  consequence  has  ever  followed, 
even  where  these  differences  have  come  prominently  into 
view.  Occasionally  an  ugly  spirit  has  been  manifested, 
and  sometimes  there  have  been  threatenings  of  coming 
divisions,  but  these  have  never  materialised  to  any  ex- 
tent. A  few  restless  spirits,  Avho  determined  at  any  cost 
to  make  their  opinions  absolutely  vital,  and  who,  at  the 
same  time,  sought  to  propagate  these  opinions  at  the 
expense  of  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace, 
made  slight  breaches  in  the  ranks  of  the  Disciples;  but 
all  these  divisive  movements  soon  came  to  naught.  The 
views  held  by  such  men  as  Jesse  B.  Ferguson,  W.  S.  Rus- 
sell, I.  N.  Carmen,  and  Dr.  Thomas  would  never  have  dis- 
turbed the  unity  of  the  Disciples,  had  these  men  enter- 
tained the  opinions  they  did  without  insisting  upon  them 
as  matters  of  faith.  Moses  E.  Lard  hold  to  some  views 
with  respect  to  the  meaning  of  future  punishment  which 
were  not  at  all  in  harmony  with  the  generally  accepted 
views  of  the  Disciples,  but  he  continued  in  the  fellowship 
of  the  Church  until  his  death,  and  he  is  now  remembered 
by  Disciples  everywhere  as  one  of  the  great  men  of  the 
Restoration  movement.    But  Lard  never  did  make  his 


748    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

opinions,  with  respect  to  anything,  fundamental  in  his 
religious  life.  He  loved  freedom  and  he  was  honest,  and 
when  he  was  persuaded  that  a  thing  was  true  he  had 
the  courage  of  his  convictions  to  say  so,  but  he  had  equal 
courage  to  allow  his  brethren  to  entertain  a  different  view, 
if  they  were  fully  persuaded  that  his  view  was  wrong. 

Most  of  the  living  men  whose  names  have  been  men- 
tioned differ  among  themselves  also  as  regards  practical 
matters.  Every  man  is  doing  his  work  in  his  own  way. 
There  is  no  iron-clad  system  among  the  Disciples  for 
determining  methods  of  working.  There  is  the  largest 
liberty  allowed  with  respect  to  all  these  matters.  At 
the  same  time  it  is  unmistakably  true  that  there  is  no 
great  difference  even  in  methods,  and  this  is  rather  re- 
markable, since  there  has  never  been  much  attempt  at 
uniformity,  even  where  uniformity  would  seem  to  be  almost 
necessary.  Take  the  matter  of  the  Communion  service 
for  example.  For  a  long  time  the  method  of  administer- 
ing the  Lord's  Supper  was  practically  the  same  in  nearly 
all  the  churches.  However,  the  older  members  of  the 
churches,  now  living,  can  remember  when  there  was  con- 
siderable controversy  among  the  Disciples  as  to  w^hether 
the  Supper  should  be  administered  in  the  morning,  after- 
noon, or  night.  Now,  such  a  matter  is  treated  with  in- 
difference. It  is  furthermore  the  privilege  of  any  church 
to  have  the  Communion  before  the  preaching  or  after 
the  preaching,  as  may  suit  the  convenience  and  taste  of 
the  congregation.  Many  of  the  churches  use  individual 
Communion  cups,  and  some  of  the  churches  return  thanks 
for  both  the  bread  and  the  wine  at  the  same  time. 

The  time  is  also  remembered  by  many  when  the  same 
hymnbook  was  used  in  all  the  churches,  and  when  it  was 
thought  advisable  to  publish  a  new  hymnbook  a  committee 
was  appointed  by  the  American  Christian  Missionary  So- 
ciety for  this  purpose,  and  mainly  for  the  reason  that  it 
was  thought  important  that  the  one-hymn-book  idea  should 
be  perpetuated.  However,  the  churches  have  come  to 
exercise  great  freedom,  even  with  respect  to  this  matter, 
which  for  a  long  time  was  regarded  as  very  important. 
The  hymnbook  has  been  practically  ruled  out  entirely, 
and  in  its  place  the  churches  are  now  using  hymnals,  and 
there  is  a  great  variety  of  these,  so  that  every  church  can 
please  itself  as  to  what  book  is  used. 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  749 


This  liberty  may  produce  some  confusion,  and  really 
does  at  times  almost  disturb  a  few  of  the  older  church 
members,  who  lived  under  a  former  dispensation.  But  in 
all  this  is  illustrated  the  power  of  unitj^  among  the  Dis- 
ciples, notwithstanding  the  great  respect  there  is  for  lib- 
erty in  all  that  they  say  and  do.  Is  not  this  the  only 
platform  that  can  insure  Christian  union?  Is  it  possible 
to  have  union  if  all  this  variety  has  to  be  reduced  to  a 
minimum?  Is  it  not  far  better  to  have  a  common  centre, 
and  then  allow  a  planetary  system  to  revolve  around 
this,  rather  than  to  make  a  sun  of  every  planet?  Differ- 
ence is  the  law  of  life,  and  difference,  when  it  is  in  the 
right  place,  is  the  only  way  in  which  to  have  harmony. 
The  Disciple  platform  proposes  one  central  personality — 
Jesus  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God — and  when 
the  things  which  He  has  commanded  are  accepted,  the 
largest  liberty  is  allowed  with  respect  to  all  matters  of 
opinion,  even  as  regards  Biblical  interpretation.  This 
differentiates  the  catholic  plea  of  the  Disciples  from  all 
the  denominations  that  have  fenced  in  their  churches  by 
human  creeds.  The  Disciples  ring  out  in  every  part  of 
the  Christian  world  this  glorious  motto :  The  right  to 
differ,  hut  no  right  to  divide." 

BUSINESS  MEN 

It  is  one  of  the  signs  of  the  times  that  the  Disciples 
are  taking  a  business  view  of  their  responsibilities.  The 
organisation  of  the  societies  to  which  attention  has  already 
been  called  led  up  to  a  very  decided  recognition  of  what 
is  understood  as  a  "  Lay  Element,"  or  the  business  men 
element,  in  its  relation  to  the  whole  movement.  This 
recognition  has  finally  led  to  the  organisation  of  the 
business  men  into  a  society  called  "  The  Brotherhood  of 
the  Disciples  of  Christ."  This  organisation  aims  to  bring 
the  business  men  into  a  closer  relation  with  everything 
that  is  done,  in  order  to  forward  the  great  enterprises  of 
the  churches.  Evidently  this  is  a  movement  in  the  right 
direction.  And  it  is  already  assuming  very  definite  and 
influential  proportions.  The  following  are  the  officers 
of  this  new  organisation : 

Officers :  R.  A.  Long,  President  and  Acting  Treasurer,  Long 
Bldg.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. ;  P.  C.  MacFarlane,  Secretary,  Kansas 
City,  Mo. ;  E.  E.  Eliott,  Assistant  Secretary. 


750    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

The  Committee:  C.  M.  Chilton,  Fletcher  Cowherd,  Thos. 
S.  Ridge,  Burris  A.  Jenkins,  R.  A.  Lor^G,  J.  H.  Allen,  W. 
Davies  Pittman. 

But  the  interest  of  our  business  men  is  not  confined 
to  this  organisation.  There  is  a  general  feeling  among 
the  brotherhood  of  the  Disciples  that  the  direction  of 
affairs  has  been  too  much  confined  to  the  preachers.  Per- 
haps this  was  unavoidable  in  the  days  of  the  past.  Any- 
way, the  preachers  are  not  responsible  for  this  state  of 
things.  They  have  always  been  more  than  anxious  to  have 
the  business  men  participate  in  their  councils,  but  for 
some  reason  these  men  have  not  become  very  active  in 
any  of  the  societies,  though  they  have  contributed  liber- 
ally of  their  means  to  their  support. 

It  is  now  felt  that  the  time  has  come  when  the  men 
who  control  the  sinews  of  war  must  be  brought  into  the 
councils  of  the  brotherhood,  and  the  society'  to  which 
reference  has  been  made  will  probably  do  much  to  stimu- 
late the  activities  of  the  business  men  in  this  respect. 
This  is  a  very  encouraging  outlook  to  the  preachers  them- 
selves, who  have  long  realised  the  need  of  the  business 
experience  which  these  business  men  will  bring  into  the 
affairs  of  the  Church. 

At  the  General  Convention  in  New  Orleans,  in  1908, 
steps  were  taken  to  organise  a  Ministerial  Association  for 
the  better  protection  of  the  ministers  themselves,  in  guard- 
ing against  imposition  from  those  who  are  not  worthy  to 
occupy  the  ministerial  position,  and  also  for  general  sym- 
pathy with  and  co-operation  in  all  the  work  committed 
to  their  hands.  While  this  organisation  of  the  ministers 
will  doubtless  bring  more  efficiency  to  their  own  work, 
they  have  nevertheless  been  deeply  impressed  with  the 
fact  that  there  is  a  considerable  amount  of  work  for 
which  they  are  not  specially  qualified,  as  their  training  has 
not  been  with  reference  to  it ;  and  this  is  precisely  the  work 
that  the  business  men  of  the  churches  can  and  ought  to 
do.  It  is  hoped,  therefore,  by  the  Disciples  that  the  new 
awakening,  with  respect  to  the  importance  of  their  busi- 
ness men,  will  do  much  in  the  future  to  forward  their 
religious  movement.  These  business  men  have  always  been 
a  sort  of  silent  force  in  the  Disciple  movement.  Without 
them  the  movement  would  doubtless  have  failed,  but  they 
have  received  very  slight  recognition  in  any  of  the  histories 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  751 


that  have  been  written  concerning  the  Disciples.  It  is 
believed,  therefore,  that  some  recognition  ought  to  be  made 
of  this  class  of  men  in  a  history  which  assumes  to  embrace 
in  its  scope  a  somewhat  comprehensive  view  of  all  the 
forces  that  have  been  engaged  in  the  movement;  and  it 
is  a  pleasure,  as  well  as  a  duty,  to  present  some  of  the 
names  of  the  business  men  who  deserve  to  be  mentioned 
for  their  active  support  of  the  Disciples  in  their  effort  to 
restore  New  Testament  Christianity,  in  its  faith,  doctrine, 
and  life. 

In  submitting  a  Tist  of  business  and  professional  men  it 
is  possible  to  do  little  more  than  mention  the  name  of 
each,  as,  to  do  justice  to  these  men,  a  volume  would  be 
required.  However,  in  a  few  instances,  some  facts  are 
stated  with  reference  to  the  life  and  character,  and  the 
reader  will  be  able  to  see  at  once  the  reason  for  this.  It 
is  not  even  always  possible  to  draw  the  line  between  the 
dead  and  the  living;  consequently,  the  name  only  can  be 
perpetuated  in  this  work. 

Though  one  of  the  middle-aged  men,  the  name  of  R.  A. 
Long  of  Kansas  City  is  placed  at  the  head  of  this  list. 
As  he  is  the  president  of  the  Brotherhood  Association,  he 
is  entitled  to  this  place,  though  for  other  reasons  he  is 
eminently  entitled  to  it.  The  Disciples  have  never  had 
a  man  in  their  fellowship  who  was  a  more  princely  giver 
than  R.  A.  Long.  It  Avould  seem  that  there  is  practically 
no  end  to  his  contributions  to  all  the  enterprises  of  the 
church.  Nor  does  he  confine  his  gifts  entirely  to  the 
Christian  Church.  He  gives  to  many  outside  enterprises, 
and  especially  to  those  of  a  religious  character. 

Mr.  Long  is  a  deeply  religious  man,  though  he  makes 
no  exhibition  of  this  in  public.  He  is,  of  all  men,  the 
least  obtrusive  upon  public  attention.  He  shrinks  from 
the  publication  of  his  benefactions.  He  was  president 
of  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society  for  1907-8. 
His  gifts  to  colleges  have  been  most  liberal.  Indeed,  it 
would  be  almost  impossible  to  mention  any  worthy 
enterprise  among  the  Disciples  to  which  he  is  not  a  liberal 
contributor.  As  he  is  still  comparatively  a  young  man, 
and  as  there  seems  to  be  no  limit  to  the  blessings  which 
God  is  showering  upon  him,  there  seems  also  to  be  no  end 
to  the  distributions  which  he  is  constantly  making  of  his 
already  ample  fortune. 


752    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

Timothy  Coop  of  England  is  another  name  that  deserves 
to  be  enshrined  in  history.  He  began  his  active  manhood- 
life  in  almost  extreme  poverty,  but  through  his  indomitable 
energy  and  wise  management  he  accumulated  an  ample 
fortune,  and  for  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years  of  his  life 
he  contributed  each  year  to  benevolent  enterprises  not  less 
than  $25,000.00.  He  was  devoted  to  American  institu- 
tions, and  died  while  on  a  visit  to  this  country,  and  was 
buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Cincinnati. 

T.  W.  Phillips  of  New  Castle,  Pa.,  has  been  a  generous 
giver  to  the  Disciples'  cause.  Mr.  Phillips  has  made  large 
gifts  to  Bethany  College,  and  has  always  been  a  liberal 
supporter  of  the  missionary  societies  connected  with  the 
Disciple  movement.  It  is  understood  that  he  is  the  author 
of  a  book  entitled,  "  The  Church  of  Christ,  by  a  Layman." 
This  book  has  had  a  wide  circulation,  and  is  a  plain, 
common-sense  presentation  of  New  Testament  teaching 
concerning  the  Gospel  and  the  Church. 

Joseph  I.  Irwin,  Columbus,  Ind.,  is  a  business  man 
who  has  accumulated  a  large  fortune  through  his  own 
industry.  Recently  he  made  a  gift  of  |100,OOO.bo  to  Butler 
College,  at  Indianapolis,  and  he  has  also  been  a  generous 
contributor  to  other  organisations  of  the  Disciples.  He 
has  now  arrived  at  extreme  old  age,  but  is  still  in  fairly 
good  health.  He  is  the  father-in-law  of  Z.  T.  Sweeney, 
a  distinguished  preacher  among  the  Disciples,  and  at  one 
time  consul-general  at  Constantinople. 

W.  S.  Dickinson  of  Cincinnati  has  been  associated 
with  the  Disciple  movement  from  his  early  youth,  and 
has  been  closely  identified  with  the  colleges,  missionary 
societies,  and  benevolent  organisations  of  the  movement, 
since  the  organisation  of  the  American  Christian  Mis- 
sionary Society  in  1849,  he  being  one  of  the  few  men,  now 
living,  who  were  present  on  that  occasion.  He  was  for 
many  years  treasurer  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society, 
and  at  the  present  time  holds  several  official  positions  in 
Church  organisations. 

A.  M.  Atkinson  of  Indiana  is  another  man  who  will 
be  held  in  memory  as  a  consecrated  business  man.  He 
was  the  real  founder  of  the  Board  of  Ministerial  Relief, 
and  fell  dead  at  Cincinnati  while  pleading  for  the  old 
heroes  who  needed  the  support  of  the  brethren. 

John  B.  Bowman  of  Kentucky  deserves  special  mention. 


PROMINENT  BUSINESS  MEN  NOW  DECEASED 


1,  Governor  F.  R.  Drake.  2,  Timothy  Coop.  3,  Governor  Richard  M. 
Bishop.  4.  Ovid  Bell.  5,  President  James  A.  Garfield.  6,  Judge  J.  S. 
Black.  7,  Jolm  B.  Bowman.  8,  D.  O.  Smart.  9,  A.  M.  Atkinson.  10,  R. 
R.  Sloan.    11,  Albert  Allen. 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  753 


He  was  profoundly  interested  in  education,  and  gave  his 
time,  talent,  and  means  to  the  building  up  of  Kentucky 
University,  at  Lexington.  He  purchased  the  Ashland 
estate,  owned  by  Henry  Clay,  and  co-ordinated  the  Agri- 
cultural College  with  the  university,  and  at  the  same  time 
perfected  plans  by  which,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  greatest 
universities  in  the  country  would  have  been  developed 
had  he  been  able  to  carry  out  these  plans.  But  for 
reasons,  which  need  not  here  be  mentioned,  he  was  hin- 
dered, and  finally  gave  up  the  task  some  time  before  his 
death.  But  what  he  accomplished  for  the  university  will 
remain  as  a  monument  to  his  memory.  He  was  one  of 
the  men  present,  in  1874,  when  the  Foreign  Christian 
Society  practically  had  its  birth. 

Ovid  Butler  of  Indiana  was  another  great  man  among 
the  men  who  have  passed  away.  He  was  the  founder 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Butler  College,  though  the  first 
name  was  Northwestern  Christian  University.  Mr.  Butler 
was  a  lawyer  by  profession  and  accumulated  a  considerable 
fortune,  of  which  he  contributed  liberally  to  the  building 
up  of  the  institution  which  now  bears  his  name.  He  was 
also  a  wise  man  in  council,  and  was  much  esteemed 
by  those  who  knew  him. 

Albert  Allen  was  a  Kentuckian  who  deserves  to  be 
gratefully  remembered  for  his  counsel  and  energetic  efforts 
in  the  management  of  the  business  enterprises  of  the 
Church.  He  was  state  secretary  under  Governor  Bishop 
of  Ohio,  and  for  a  while  lived  at  Bethany,  W.  Va.,  while 
he  was  financial  agent  for  Bethany  College.  But  most 
of  his  life  was  spent  in  his  native  state,  where  he  was 
highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  regarded 
as  a  wise  counsellor,  and  most  efficient  and  energetic 
helper  in  the  business  affairs  connected  with  the  Disciple 
movement. 

G.  W.  N.  Yost,  in  his  day,  was  a  very  generous  giver. 
He  was  an  inventor,  and  at  times  was  very  successful 
in  business,  though  he  was  not  careful  in  the  management 
of  his  affairs,  and  consequently  met  with  reverses  which 
limited  his  power  to  help.  However,  during  the  times 
when  he  was  successful  his  great  heart  prompted  him  to 
large  benevolences. 

C.  H.  Gould  of  Cincinnati  was  for  many  years  closely 
allied  with  the  central  position  of  the  Disciple  propaganda. 


754    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

He  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  and  both  in  counsel 
and  money  he  gave  freely  and  wisely  to  the  Disciple 
cause.  He  was  for  a  time  one  of  the  stockholders  of 
the  Standard  Publishing  Company,  and  was  for  many 
years  an  honoured  elder  of  the  Central  Christian  Church 
of  Cincinnati,  the  building  of  which  he  superintended 
during  its  erection. 

B.  F.  Coulter  of  California  deserves  very  special  men- 
tion in  connection  with  the  business  men  who  have  been 
distinguished  for  their  generous  gifts  to  the  Disciple  cause. 
Mr,  Coulter,  like  a  great  many  Disciples,  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  and  after  living  in  Tennessee  for  several  years, 
he  removed  to  California  in  1877.  During  nearly  the 
whole  of  his  Christian  life  he  has  united  business  with  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel.  In  California  he  has  held  his 
membership  in  the  Broadway  Church  of  Los  Angeles,  the 
house  for  this  congregation  being  built  by  Mr.  Coulter 
himself.  He  has  recently  made  over  to  this  church  prop- 
erty for  the  extension  of  its  work,  the  worth  of  which 
is  estimated  at  |150,000.00.  He  has  also  built  at  his  own 
cost  a  comfortable  building  for  a  Japanese  church-school, 
in  connection  with  the  Broadway  Church.  In  addition  to 
these  benefactions  he  has  contributed  largely  to  many  other 
enterprises  of  the  Disciples.  Recently  there  appeared  an 
editorial  in  one  of  the  Los  Angeles  papers,  representing 
him  as  a  "  true  successor  of  the  Apostles."  The  editorial 
mentioned  says  that  Mr.  Coulter  is  as  unaffected  as  a  little 
child,  notwithstanding  his  munificent  gifts  and  his  large 
business,  the  latter  of  which  enables  him  to  make  these 
gifts. 

Charles  C.  Chapman  was  born  in  Macomb,  111.,  in  1853. 
In  1894  he  removed  to  Southern  California,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  culture  of  citrus 
fruits,  and  a  recent  issue  of  the  National  Fruit  Trade 
Journal  called  him  the  "  Orange  King  of  the  World,"  and 
said  he  was  "  the  most  talked-of  and  successful  grower  of 
citrus  fruits  throughout  the  world."  He  is  not  a  rich 
man,  as  the  present  generation  counts  riches,  but  he  has 
always  been  a  generous  giver  according  to  his  means.  He 
is  a  trustee  of  Pomona  College,  and  also  of  the  Berkeley 
Bible  Seminar3\  In  counsel  he  is  wise;  in  business,  ener- 
getic; in  his  church  life,  faithful;  and  socially,  he  is  one 
of  the  most  agreeable  of  men. 


PROMlxNExNT  BUSINESS  MEN  LIVING 


1,  Hon.  Oliver  W.  Stewart.  2, 
Champ  Clark.  4,  Congressman  W. 
6.  R.  A.  Long.    7,  S.  G.  Boyd.  8, 


Senator  George  T.  Oliver.  3,  Hon. 
H.  Graham.  5,  Robert  H.  Stockton. 
B.  F.  Coulter.    9,  .J.  O.  Carson.  10, 


Abram  Teachout.  11,  W.  S.  Dickinson.  12,  F.  E.  Udell.  13,  Samuel  M. 
Hunt.    14,  T.  W.  Phillips.    15,  Eli  H.  Long,  M.D. 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  755 


J.  H.  Allen  is  a  well-known  cotton  merchant  of  St. 
Louis.  He  is  modest  and  somewhat  retiring,  but  is  force- 
ful and  energetic  in  business.  He  has  contributed  much 
to  the  Disciple  cause  in  St.  Louis,  and  has  helped  many 
struggling  churches  throughout  the  entire  South  and  South- 
west. He  has  also  given  to  the  Bible  College  at  Columbia 
and  other  colleges  of  his  Church.  He  is  active  in  the 
Christian  Brotherhood  organisation. 

R.  H.  Stockton  of  St.  Louis  has  already  been  mentioned, 
but  his  name  deserves  to  be  recorded  on  this  page.  His 
contributions  to  the  Orphans'  Home  of  St.  Louis,  to  several 
colleges,  and  for  the  erection  of  the  new  Hamilton  Avenue 
Christian  Church  in  St.  Louis,  place  him  among  the  most 
generous  givers  connected  with  the  Disciples  movement. 

Claud  L.  Garth  of  Georgetown,  Ky.,  gave  during  his 
lifetime  |90,000.00  to  the  Educational  Society  of  that  state. 
John  and  Benjamin  Thomas  of  Shelbyville,  Ky.,  have 
given  180,000.00  for  the  endowment  of  the  College  of  the 
Bible  at  Lexington,  Dr.  Gill  of  Danville,  Ky.,  gave  $15,- 
000.00  to  the  same  college. 

Only  the  names  of  the  following  can  be  given  :  Benjamin 
L.  Locke,  Joseph  Toole,  Joseph  Wyatt,  Thomas  Chris- 
topher, Alexander  Craig,  Tolbert  Fairleigh,  S.  C.  Wood- 
son, Ned  Campbell,  David  Call,  John  Baker,  W.  T.  Lenoir, 
Walter  Lenoir,  Austin  Bradford,  Thomas  D.  Grant,  Alex- 
ander Douglass,  William  Hitt,  David  Carter,  Jesse  Boul- 
ton,  John  Boulton,  William  Victor,  J.  B.  Victor,  Samuel 
B.  Moss,  John  P.  Hubbell,  John  Jameson,  Joseph  Bryant, 
T.  R.  H.  Smith,  George  Brawner,  Henry  Davis,  W.  H. 
Beddow,  William  Warden,  Congrave  Warden,  W.  H. 
Plunkett,  James  T.  Plunkett,  John  N.  Barr,  A.  Johnson, 
John  Allega,  Bruce  Dicken,  P.  B.  Darr,  Joseph  Rea,  Ed- 
mund Rea,  L.  Tull,  R.  G.  Martin,  Sr. ;  R.  G.  Martin,  Jr. ; 
John  L.  Cleinkscales,  James  R.  Pritchard,  William  Roy, 
Thomas  Sheppard,  William  Berry,  William  A.  Morton, 
Marson  Summers,  George  Smith,  Alfred  Riley,  George 
Hughes,  Dan  Hughes,  John  Keller,  Daniel  Bell,  William 
Field,  James  Paris,  Thomas  Gosney,  Joseph  Biggerstaff, 
Wilson  Biggerstaff,  Granville  Biggerstaff,  Perry  Riley, 
Robert  Scarce,  George  W.  Dawdson,  Alexander  Cook, 
J.  W.  Ellis,  John  Ballinger,  Joseph  McGee,  Samuel  Rich- 
ardson, William  Collier,  William  Collier,  Jr. ;  Joseph 
Collier,  Luther  Collier,  Thomas  Proctor,  Joseph  Thomas, 


756    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Adam  Murray,  William  Hubbell,  Mark  A.  Thaxton,  Barton 
England,  Joel  Prewett,  Robert  Prewett,  A.  J.  Herndon, 
William  Mallory,  W.  C.  Boone,  James  A.  Shirley,  Frank 
Williams,  Weston  Birch,  William  Roper,  Alfred  Roper, 
John  H.  Estill,  Robert  Estill,  James  Forbes,  Preston 
Holley,  Thomas  Smith,  Thomas  Radford,  John  Bryant, 
Sr.;  Merritt  Hughes,  L.  M.  Sea,  Lawrence  Moore,  A.  E. 
Higginson,  Stull  Hardies,  John  Bryant,  Jr.;  John  A. 
Sea,  William  Hickman,  Thomas  A.  Smart,  D.  O.  Smart, 

B.  A.  Atkins,  Andrew  T.  Jenkins,  James  Hurt,  Robert 

C.  White,  E.  C.  White,  Alexander  Matthews,  S.  S. 
Matthews,  L.  S.  Cady,  D.  T.  Alger,  W.  S.  Woods, 
J.  C.  Hill,  Fletcher  Cowherd,  R.  L.  Yeager,  L  M. 
Ridge,  Thomas  E.  Ridge,  W.  G.  Logan,  Seth  Mabry,  W.  L. 
Hedges,  R.  D.  Shannan,  James  Campbell,  Robert  Camp- 
bell, Frank  Campbell,  Thomas  Campbell,  Samuel  Meng, 
Thomas  White,  William  White,  Thomas  White,  Jr. ;  Edwin 
White,  Edwin  Carter,  Joseph  Carter,  Jesse  Carter,  Leo 
B.  W^arren,  Hiram  Bledsoe,  Levi  Vancamp,  James  S. 
Muse,  George  W.  Marquis,  John  E.  Bascora,  John  Run- 
yon,  Isaac  Chanslor,  Waller  Barnes,  P.  R.  Whittlesey, 
James  Tebbs,  William  Bell,  William  A.  Gordon,  Lynn  B. 
Gordon,  Thomas  Shelby,  John  B.  Bowman,  Lewis  Wern- 
wag,  Thomas  Wernwag,  F.  Coolej^,  Henry  Fisher,  Gran- 
ville Clayton,  Willis  Dusall,  Peter  Temple,  John  Warren, 
Anderson  Warren,  William  Ridge,  Thomas  Proctor,  James 
Small,  Benjamin  Emison,  James  Emison,  J.  A.  McHatton, 
Martin  Slaughter,  William  Chanslor,  Henderson  Davis, 
R.  A.  Grant,  George  Brawnez,  David  F.  Morton,  A. 
S.  Robards,  Thomas  Hixon,  Abner  Gore,  Joshua  Gore, 

D.  M.  Dulaney,  William  H.  Dulaney,  Humphrey  McVeigh, 
Lewis  Bryan,  Thomas  Bryan,  Josephus  Fox,  Thomas 
N.  Crutcher,  David  H.  Moss,  A.  Alexander,  Braxton 
Giddings,  William  Howell,  I^slie  Fox,  Samuel  Bassett, 
James  Davis,  Jefiferson  Bridgeford,  John  Conyers,  Gran- 
ville Snell,  Thornton  Smith,  William  Henley,  John  Hop- 
kins, Daniel  Eubanks,  John  Foreman,  William  Foreman, 
Daniel  Cutright,  Thomas  Barker,  William  Reid,  John  Reid, 
B.  Featherston,  E.  O.  Waller,  Edmund  Cockerill,  Grandy 
Cockerill,  William  C.  Wells,  James  Adkins,  John  Collins, 
Richard  Waller,  John  M.  Railey,  Bert  Railey,  James  Steel, 
John  Harris,  William  Chestnut,  Marion  Collins,  Jesse 
Collins,  B.  J.  Woodson,  Stephen  C.  Woodson,  A.  Perrin, 


MEN  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  THE  MOVEMENT  757 


William  Perrin,  Archie  Leavel,  Christopher  Leavel,  Alex- 
ander Breckenridge,  A.  B.  Masterson,  Roland  T.  Proctor, 
B.  J.  Haley,  T.  P.  Haley,  H.  H.  Haley,  Bloomfield 
Hutsell,  John  W.  Hutsell,  Asa  C.  Proctor,  Thomas  P. 
Coates,  Thomas  P.  White,  William  T.  Rutherford,  Thomas 
B.  Reed,  Henry  Austin,  W.  W.  Mosby,  Joseph  Hughes, 
William  Martin,  William  P.  Hubbell,  Clayton  Jacob, 
Charles  J.  Hughes,  Joseph  Chew,  Ben  Brown,  William 
Riffe,  Willis  Warriner,  Waller  Bullock,  George  Fletcher, 
Will  Fletcher,  James  Gordon,  Peter  Rea,  R.  Holloway, 
David  T.  Gore,  Richard  Robertson,  John  Robertson, 
George  R.  Smith,  Thomas  Fletcher,  W.  Herrold,  Mentor 
Thompson,  Robert  B.  Fife,  W.  G.  Fife,  Charles  Stewart, 
R.  D.  Patterson,  James  O.  Carson,  Williamson  Pittman, 
Edward  Pittman,  George  Pittman,  George  Kerr,  Thomas 
A.  Russell,  Hiram  Christopher,  A.  W.  Doniphan,  William 
Field,  John  Wells,  Thomas  Wells,  Richard  Wyrick,  Joseph 
Harrison,  W.  D.  Henry,  Robert  McGowan,  Irving  Mc- 
Gowan,  John  Stone,  J.  W.  Ellis,  Edward  Wilkinson,  Henry 
Rhiuehart,  George  Rohrer,  J.  H.  Garrison,  J.  H.  Smart, 
Abram  Nave,  Constant  Lake,  Albert  Hinsdal,  F.  E.  Udell, 
J.  W.  Perry,  J.  O.  Williamson,  F,  W.  Myers,  W.  E.  Slay- 
bank,  William  Spanton,  J.  S.  Shupe,  J.  S.  Archer,  Levi 
Allen,  W.  M.  Hillings,  B.  W.  Storen,  Dr.  J.  F.  Davis, 
George  Pow,  Aaron  Davis,  I.  J.  Palmer,  J.  M.  Vandevoort, 
Mathew  Fife,  Abram  Teachout,  Asa  Shulen,  S.  M.  Cook, 
Miner  J.  Allen,  James  Egbert,  A.  A.  Jamson,  Zet  Rudolph, 
Edwin  Whitmore,  W.  T.  Bishop,  M.  H.  Dalton,  B.  T. 
Disney,  I.  M.  Tilford,  Marshall  Reeves,  Judge  I.  Smith, 
W.  W.  Thrasher,  Howard  Cale,  C.  H.  Whitset,  John  Dorsh, 
E.  M.  Bowman,  L.  H.  Coleman,  Russell  Errett,  J.  F. 
Wright,  Archibald  Trowbridge,  G.  W.  Trowbridge,  Henry 
Pearce,  S.  S.  Clark,  B.  W.  Wasson,  W.  C.  Irwin,  Thurston 
Crane,  Owen  Owens,  D.  W.  Chase,  John  McCannon,  A.  D. 
Fillmore,  A.  B.  Fenton,  Isaac  Strickle,  Abraham  Strickle, 
James  Leslie,  R.  R.  Sloan,  Dr.  J.  P.  Robison,C.  D.  Hurlbut, 
Harmon  Austin,  John  G.  Allen,  Dr.  J.  G.  Chinn,  Judge 
Jerry  Morton,  Landon  A.  Thomas,  Lewis  Crutcher,  J.  L. 
Moore,  Thomas  S.  Bronston,  James  M.  Graves,  I.  P.  Fos- 
bitt,  James  Trabue,  W.  J.  Thomas,  B.  B.  Groomes,  E.  S. 
Jewett,  Sr.;  ex-Governor  J.  W.  Fisk,  W.  B.  Mooklar,  Dr. 
A.  H.  Wall,  Samuel  Hesdley,  Andrew  Parish,  W.  F.  Patter- 
son, Alexander  Dunlap,  Clark  Arnett,  John  Wasson,  Sam- 


758    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


uel  Nuckels,  Henry  Bohon,  Ben  C.  Allen,  D.  M.  Bowman, 
Temple  Bergin,  W.  P.  Bergin,  Augustus  Beasley,  D.  H.  C. 
Burroughs,  John  Aresal,  Sr. ;  Marshall  Headley,  David 
Heal,  Ephraim  Young,  Oliver  Farra,  Charles  Farra,  John 
Marrs,  J.  G.  Kinnard,  Samuel  Coleman,  T.  S.  Hayes,  Dr.  J. 
S.  Lane,  R.  M.  Wells,  R.  W.  Hocker,  Peter  Carter,  Edward 
Carter,  S.  Dudderar,  W.  B.  Emmal,  William  Vanpelt, 
Judge  R.  Reid,  J.  T.  Hinton,  W.  S.  Fant,  Z.  F.  Smith, 
Thomas  Lillard,  W.  S.  Shanks,  Clarence  Tait,  B.  F.  Hud- 
son, Jake  Robinson,  W.  L.  Crutcher,  Jesse  Hocker,  S.  M. 
Cooper,  Joseph  Wasson,  J.  P.  Torbett,  W.  W.  Dowling,  T. 
Burnell,  B.  F.  Lowry,  I.  B.  Bowman,  R.  S.  Harvey,  J.  N. 
Dalby,  Geo.  B.  Farrington,  E.  P.  Graves,  S.  M.  Cooper, 
James  A.  Fillmore,  Dr.  H.  Gerould,  Lathrop  Cooley,  W. 
K.  Homan,  Frank  Coop,  Joe  Coop. 


MISCELLANEOUS  GROUP  OF  LIVING  MEN 


I,  P.  H.  Welshimer.  2,  J.  B.  Lehman.  3,  Z.  T.  Sweeney.  4,  J.  J. 
Haley.  5,  J.  H.  Gilliland.  0,  M.  M.  Davis.  7,  J.  Z.  Tyler.'  8,  Leonard 
a.  Thompson.  9.  Benjamin  L.  Smith.  10,  Prof.  Charles  T.  Paul.  II, 
Frederick  W.  Burnham.    12,  Charles  C.  Chapman. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK 

FOR  several  years  the  Disciples  have  had  their  faces 
turned  toward  Pittsburg,  where  their  great  Cen- 
tennial celebration  is  to  take  place  in  October  of 
the  present  year.  As  already  stated  in  another  chapter, 
this  will  probably  be  one  of  the  greatest  religious  con- 
ventions ever  held  in  the  history  of  Christianity,  at  least 
so  far  as  the  number  in  attendance  is  concerned.  Unless 
all  signs  fail,  it  is  certain  that  there  will  be  present  during 
this  convention  not  less  than  50,000  Disciples,  and  prob- 
ably many  more.  An  extensive  programme  has  been  pre- 
pared, the  object  of  which  is  to  set  forth  in  a  popular  way 
something  of  the  history,  principles,  plans,  and  aims  of 
the  Disciple  movement,  and  this  volume  would  not  be 
complete  without  giving  some  consideration  to  the  Cen- 
tennial year  of  the  Disciple  movement. 

The  place  selected  is  believed  to  be  appropriate.  The 
movement,  from  the  Campbellian  side,  began  in  Western 
Pennsylvania.  The  "  Declaration  and  Address "  was 
written  in  a  house  still  standing,  an  illustration  of  which 
will  be  found  in  this  volume.  Thomas  Campbell  first 
settled  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  and  Alexander,  his  son, 
lived  there  also  until  he  married  and  moved  to  Beth- 
any, W.  Va. 

But  even  Bethany  is  not  far  from  Pittsburg  and  will 
doubtless  be  visited  by  many  of  the  delegates  who  will 
attend  the  Centennial  celebration.  Walter  Scott  began 
his  public  ministry  in  Pittsburg,  and  other  distinguished 
men,  connected  with  the  early  days  of  the  movement, 
lived  there.  Dr.  Richardson  was  practising  medicine  in 
that  city  when  he  became  acquainted  with  Walter  Scott. 
It  has  been  the  home  of  some  of  the  great  preachers  con- 
nected with  the  movement,  as  well  as  business  men  who 
have  contributed  of  their  means  to  the  support  of  the 
cause.    There  are  many  associations  connected  with  Pitts- 

759 


760    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

burg  that  make  it  a  suitable  place  for  holding  this  great 
convention  of  the  Disciples. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  anticipate  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
delegates  who  will  be  present  on  this  interesting  occasion. 
The  Centennial  celebration  Avill  form  a  sort  of  promontory 
from  which  Disciples  may  contemplate  the  history  of  the 
past,  the  present  outlook,  and  the  future  prospects  of  the 
great  movement  which  has  gained  such  widespread  in- 
fluence in  the  hundred  years  since  it  started. 

In  the  preceding  pages  of  this  volume  the  movement 
has  been  considered  in  its  past  history.  That  history  is 
undoubtedly  a  remarkable  one.  It  cannot  be  accounted 
for  on  any  other  hypothesis  than  that  it  has  been  fostered 
by  a  kind  Providence,  which  has  watched  over  every  step 
of  its  progress.  However,  this  Providence  has  not  always 
entirely  shielded  the  movement  from  evil  influences.  There 
have  been  dark  days  as  well  as  bright  days;  there  have 
been  drawbacks  as  well  as  incentives  to  go  forward.  But 
all  this  is  in  harmony  with  the  general  course  of  things. 
The  method  of  the  Divine  government  does  not  insure 
immunity  from  influences  of  evil,  but  it  gives  grace  to 
resist  these  influences,  which  is  far  better  than  to  suppress 
the  influences  themselves.  Conflict  is  the  law  of  progress. 
We  are  living  in  a  world  of  lights  and  shadows,  of  sun- 
shine and  darkness,  of  joy  and  sorrow,  of  triumphs  and 
trials,  and  no  one  ought  to  expect  the  most  favoured 
religious  movement  to  be  entirely  free  from  apparently 
unfriendly  influences.  But,  after  all,  the  very  opposition 
which  the  Disciples  have  had  to  meet  has  been  one  of 
the  best  things  that  could  have  happened.  This  has  made 
them  vigilant,  stimulated  their  activities,  sharpened  their 
intellectual  perceptions,  welded  them  together  in  the  bond 
of  a  common  faith,  hope,  and  love,  and  has  helped  to  make 
them  a  compact  brotherhood,  notwithstanding  they  have 
no  human  creed  by  which  they  are  held  together. 

All  is  not  entirely  bright  with  them  in  this  Centennial 
year.  There  are,  here  and  there,  indications  of  unrest, 
and  in  some  places  there  are  severe  rumblings  of  a  coming 
storm.  They  have  fought  through  many  hardly-contested 
battles,  and  have  gained  some  conspicuous  victories.  But 
the  final  triumph  of  their  principles  has  not  yet  been 
fully  realised.  Nor  is  the  opposition  confined  to  those 
who  are  outside  the  Disciple  churches.    Some  of  it  is  in 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK 


761 


their  own  churches.  There  are  always  restless  spirits 
who  are  seeking  for  new  fields  of  enterprise.  If  these 
men  are  wisely  guided,  they  are  always  important  factors 
in  any  great  movement.  To  stand  still  is  death;  to  go 
forward  is  danger ;  but  it  is  better  to  brave  the  danger  of 
going  forward  than  to  stand  still  and  die. 

In  this  fact  is  much  of  the  glory  of  the  Disciples.  In 
rejecting  human  creeds  they  utterly  refused  to  tie  them- 
selves to  the  "  dead  hand."  These  creeds  are  essentially 
unprogressive.  They  cannot  move  beyond  the  day  they 
were  adopted.  They  crystallised  truth  as  men  saw  it 
when  the  creeds  were  made.  Since  that  time  they  have 
not  moved  an  inch,  nor  can  they  move,  as  they  are  prac- 
tically the  coffins  in  which  the  dead  past  is  buried.  Men 
who  stand  by  these  creeds  must  themselves  become  reli- 
giously unprogressive.  They  can  go  no  farther  than  their 
creeds  go,  unless  they  break  with  them  entirely,  and  this 
is  equivalent  to  surrendering  them,  which  is  the  very 
thing  they  ought  to  do  in  order  that  true  religious  progress 
may  be  made.  But  the  Disciples  have  not  only  rejected 
these  dead  hands  and  religious  sepulchres,  but  they  have 
accepted  a,  Leader  who  "  was  dead  but  is  alive  for  ever- 
more." In  accepting  Jesus  the  Christ  as  their  Great 
Leader,  the  Disciples  practically  pledge  themselves  to 
every  forward  movement  which  He  commands.  They  fol- 
low Him,  the  living,  personal  representative  of  the  religion 
which  He  came  to  this  earth  to  establish ;  and,  in  following 
Him,  they  must  necessarily  always  and  everywhere  be  in 
the  front  of  the  battle  where  the  contest  against  all  evil 
influences  is  waged. 

But  this  very  fact  of  taking  Jesus  the  Christ  as  their 
leader,  and  following  Him  wheresoever  He  goes,  necessarily 
brings  the  Disciples  into  many  antagonisms  which  might 
be  avoided  if  they  were  satisfied  to  settle  down  with  the 
achievements  of  the  dead  past  and  refuse  to  go  forward 
as  Jesus,  their  leader,  goes  to  the  conquest  of  the  nations. 

It  may  be  that  this  progressive  attitude  of  the  Disciples 
will  occasionally  show  itself  in  illegitimate  tendencies, 
or  in  dangerous  experiments.  But  even  where  this  is  the 
case,  the  situation  is  infinitely  better  than  that  extreme 
timidity  which  refuses  to  do  anything,  lest  something 
should  be  done  that  is  wrong.  The  first  thing  that  the 
Apostle  enjoins  to  be  added  to  faith  is  courage,  and  that 


762    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

courage  should  be  carefully  distinguished  from  rashness. 
At  the  same  time,  no  progress  can  be  made  in  this  world 
without  a  good  degree  of  willingness  to  take  some  risks, 
even  in  the  most  sacred  religious  things.  Biblical  crit- 
icism is  not  a  thing  to  be  despised.  Alexander  Campbell 
was  the  champion  of  a  Bible,  free  from  human  glosses, 
and  of  a  system  of  Hermeneutics  that  appeals  to  the 
educated  reason;  and  he  would  be  the  last  man  in  the 
ranks  of  the  Disciples,  if  he  were  living  to-day,  to  be 
unwilling  to  hear  any  one  who  has  anything  to  say  worth 
while  concerning  either  the  Bible  or  the  rules  by  which 
it  should  be  interpreted. 

Freedom  is  always  a  precious  boon  to  those  who  have 
felt  its  inspiring  influence.  But  freedom  has  its  dangers. 
Despotism  is  a  mean  thing,  and  is  usually  devoid  of 
inspiration.  But,  after  all,  it  has  some  good  in  it.  It  is 
good  for  order  and  for  holding  together.  Where  it  reigns 
supreme  there  is  not  much  danger  of  division.  But  Dis- 
ciples, at  least,  have  always  preferred,  and  probably  will 
always  prefer,  liberty  with  its  evil  to  despotism  with  its 
good. 

Recently  there  has  been  some  discussion  with  regard  to 
higher  criticism  tendencies  among  the  Disciples.  A  few 
men  have  felt  it  to  be  their  duty  to  urge  upon  the  Dis- 
ciples to  bring  up  their  movement  so  as  to  parallel  it 
with  the  scholarship  of  the  age.  Of  course  these  phrases 
are  susceptible  of  different  interpretations.  The  phrase, 
"  scholarship  of  the  age,"  is  itself  open  to  serious  criticism 
from  the  Disciples'  point  of  view.  It  has  been  the  glory 
of  the  Disciples  that  they  have  always  preached  a  Gospel 
which  is  simple  and  adapted  to  every  creature.  While 
they  have  advocated  education,  even  to  the  highest  that 
can  be  given  in  their  colleges  and  universities,  they  have 
constantly  urged  that  "  the  world  by  wisdom  never  knew 
God,"  and  cannot  know  Him  in  any  such  way.  This  view 
of  the  matter  has  made  the  Disciples  careful,  and  even 
somewhat  suspicious,  with  regard  to  mere  intellectual 
attainments,  where  these  come  in  conflict  with  the  suprem- 
acy of  the  heart  life.  Unsanctifled  reason  has  often  been 
found  in  conflict  with  the  religion  of  the  heart.  Whoever 
is  well  acquainted  with  ecclesiastical  history  needs  not  be 
told  that  nearly  all  of  the  divisions  that  have  come  about 
in  the  history  of  Christianity  have  been  produced  by 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK  763 


this  conflict  between  the  head  and  the  heart.  At  the  same 
time  it  is  unworthy  of  a  plea  which  makes  its  appeal 
to  the  intelligence  of  men  to  ask  them  to  surrender  their 
reason  simply  because  that  reason  may  find  itself  in 
conflict  with  the  '*  traditions  of  the  fathers." 

The  one  thing  which  Disciples  need  to  consider,  during 
this  Centennial  year,  is  that  this  year  is  one  hundred 
years  later  in  the  history  of  the  world  than  when  their 
movement  had  its  beginning.  One  hundred  years  in  these 
days  make  a  very  wide  diiference  in  the  position  which 
things  occupy  with  respect  to  one  another.  The  world 
has  made  immense  progress  since  1809.  Christianity  has 
itself  made  progress.  There  are  means  ready  at  hand, 
by  which  the  Bible  can  be  understood,  which  were  not 
available  when  Mr.  Campbell  began  his  advocacy  through 
the  Christian  Baptist.  No  one  would  think  of  reproducing 
many  things  that  he  said  at  that  time,  and  hope  to  make 
them  practical  in  the  present  day.  He  had  his  problems 
then  and  laboured  earnestly  and  faithfully  to  solve  them. 
Nor  did  he  ever  seem  to  have  the  fear  of  men  before  his 
eyes.  While  celebrating  the  inauguration  of  the  great 
movement,  which  he  did  so  much  to  make  successful,  will 
Disciples  now  tremble  at  the  courage  which  he  displayed? 
Surely  they  cannot  honour  His  name  if  they  refuse  to 
follow  wherever  their  Great  Leader  inspires  them  to  go. 
Of  course,  they  must  be  careful.  Prudence  is  always 
closely  allied  with  true  courage.  While  the  Disciples 
must  still  speak  where  the  Bible  speaks  and  be  silent 
where  it  is  silent,  they  need  not  always  speak  the  whole 
truth  as  they  see  it,  for  the  reason  that  there  are  many 
Disciples  who  cannot  bear  to  hear  the  whole  truth  any 
more  than  the  disciples  of  Jesus  could  bear  it  all  when 
He  told  them  He  had  many  things  to  tell  them,  but  they 
could  not  bear  to  hear  them  then.  While  the  truth  is 
progressive,  and  while  we  must  be  progressive  with  it,  it 
is,  after  all,  a  very  important  thing  to  follow  Longfellow's 
advice,  to  "  Learn  to  labour  and  to  wait,"  for  inconsiderate 
haste  in  even  saj/ing  things  may  sometimes  lead  to  long 
delays  when  "hope  deferred"  must  reign  rather  than 
"  faith  realised." 

In  summing  up  the  results  of  the  century  of  the  move- 
ment under  consideration.  Disciples  may  congratulate 
themselves  upon  the  very  great  progress  they  have  made 


764    HISTOKY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


in  nearly  every  department  of  their  work.  In  educational 
matters  they  are  coming  to  the  front.  They  have  been 
rather  slow  in  this  respect,  for  the  reason  that  they  have 
been  unable  to  endow  colleges;  but  some  of  these  colleges 
are  already  taking  high  rank,  and  are  receiving  substantial 
gifts  to  their  endowment  funds.  The  day  is  auspicious 
for  bright  things,  and  it  is  believed  that  from  this  very 
year  a  new  era  will  break  forth  with  respect  to  the  higher 
education. 

The  churches  are  still  carrying  on  vigorous  evangelistic 
work.  The  gains  in  numbers  have  been  very  decided 
within  the  past  few  decades.  The  most  reliable  statistics 
which  can  be  obtained  place  the  churches  in  round  numbers 
at  about  11,000,  and  the  number  of  Disciples  at  about  a 
million  and  a  half.  Of  course  it  is  not  claimed  that  these 
figures  are  absolutely  correct.  The  Disciples  have  never 
had  any  trustworthy  system  for  numbering  Israel.  In- 
deed, they  have  been  a  little  doubtful  as  to  the  propriety 
of  this,  in  view  of  its  prohibition  under  the  Jewish  system. 
Recently  some  earnest  efforts  have  been  made  to  secure 
trustworthy  information  with  regard  to  the  number  of 
churches,  preachers,  and  members,  but  this  information 
is  not  yet  equal  to  the  giving  of  definite  figures.  How- 
ever, it  is  believed  that  the  estimates  already  mentioned 
are  not  far  from  the  truth  of  the  matter. 

But,  after  all,  numbers  are  not  the  things  that  count 
most.  The  progress  which  the  Disciples  have  made  in 
church-building,  missionary  operations,  in  contributions 
to  the  support  of  the  work,  and  in  spiritual  growth,  both 
at  home  and  abroad,  is  certainly  very  encouraging  in  this 
Centennial  year. 

One  thing  that  is  often  not  counted  in  estimating  prog- 
ress may  be  regarded  as  almost  the  chief  thing  for  which 
the  Disciples  should  be  thankful,  namely,  progress  in  the 
spiritual  life.  In  enumerating  the  Centennial  aims  the 
first  on  the  programme  is  prayer.  Surely  this  speaks  well 
for  a  religious  people  who  are  aiming  to  reproduce  New 
Testament  Christianity.  Everything  else  would  be  a  fail- 
ure if  the  Disciples  did  not  lean  upon  the  Divine  arm 
for  strength.  Indeed,  it  is  one  of  the  most  hopeful  things 
in  this  Centennial  year  that  prayer  should  be  the  first 
consideration  in  the  programme  which  has  been  published, 
indicating  something  of  what  is  to  be  done  at  the  Cen- 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK 


765 


tennial  celebration,  as  well  as  the  kind  of  progress  to  be 
aimed  at  in  the  churches. 

Undoubtedly  the  Disciples  have  great  reason  to  rejoice 
in  the  present  condition  of  their  churches;  especially  is 
this  true  of  their  city  churches,  where  for  several  years 
they  have  been  making  considerable  progress.  It  has  al- 
ready been  shown  that  in  the  early  years  of  the  movement 
very  little  attempt  was  made  to  evangelise  the  cities,  and 
this  for  the  reason  that  the  time  was  not  ripe  for  such 
an  effort,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  they  had  very  few 
ministers  properly  equipped  for  this  special  work.  How- 
ever, for  several  years  they  have  been  making  decided 
progress  in  the  cities,  and  now,  in  this  Centennial  year, 
thej'  can  look  with  unaffected  pride  at  what  has  been 
accomplished.  It  is  only  necessary  to  mention  a  few  of 
the  leading  cities  to  illustrate  the  progress  that  has  been 
made.  The  following  are  among  the  most  striking  ex- 
amples :  Kansas  City,  Mo. ;  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  St.  Joe,  Mo. ; 
Anderson,  Ind. ;  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  Crawfordsville,  Ind. ; 
Cincinnati,  Ohio ;  Cleveland,  Ohio ;  Dallas,  Tex. ;  Memphis, 
Tenn. ;  Birmingham,  Ala. ;  Augusta,  Ga. ;  Nashville,  Tenn. ; 
Lexington,  Ky. ;  Frankfort,  Ky. ;  Winchester,  Ky. ;  Pitts- 
burg, Pa. ;  Des  Moines,  la. ;  Los  Angeles,  Cal. ;  Denver, 
Col. ;  Richmond,  Va. ;  Topeka,  Kan. ;  Springfield,  Mo. ; 
Joplin,  Mo.;  Louisville,  Ky. ;  Detroit,  Mich.;  Chicago,  111.; 
Baltimore,  Md. ;  Columbus,  Ohio ;  Greenville,  Tex. ;  Youngs- 
town,  Ohio;  Warren,  Ohio;  Akron,  Ohio;  Bloomington, 
111.;  Springfield,  111.;  Jacksonville,  111.  All  these  places 
are  especially  noticeable  for  good  churches  and  good 
church  buildings.  Many  other  cities  might  be  mentioned 
where  the  Disciples  have  gained  a  strong  foothold,  but 
those  named  are  sufficient  to  illustrate  the  progress  that 
has  been  made  during  the  last  few  decades. 

The  American  Christian  Missionary  Society  has  also 
been  making  very  decided  progress.  Since  this  society 
was  founded,  in  1849,  the  Disciple  movement  has  been 
very  closely  identified  with  it.  In  tracing  the  history 
of  the  Disciples  this  society  has  constantly  been  in  evi- 
dence. It  has  been  largely  the  central,  directing  force, 
so  far  as  organisation  is  concerned.  Nearly  all  other 
societies  connected  with  the  Disciples  have  sprung  from 
this  mother  society;  and  as  the  Disciples  have  never  had 
any  central,  authoritative  superin tendency,  such  as  is 


766    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


common  with  Episcopalians,  Methodists,  Presbyterians, 
and  others,  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society, 
by  general  consent,  has  occupied  an  influential  position 
in  initiating  and  giving  direction  to  very  many  important 
matters  connected  with  the  Disciple  movement.  At  first 
the  aim  was  to  limit  this  society  to  simply  missionary 
work.  There  were  many  misgivings  when  there  was  the 
slightest  departure  from  this  original  comprehension  of 
the  society's  sphere  of  action.  For  some  time  after  the 
society's  organisation  there  was  a  growing  sensitiveness 
with  respect  to  any  initiative  which  it  undertook  which 
had  the  slightest  suspicion  of  departure  from  purely  mis- 
sionary work.  It  is  evident,  from  the  minutes  of  the  first 
meeting,  that  this  sensitiveness  was  not  present  at  the 
time  the  society  was  organised,  but  it  began  to  show  itself 
very  soon  after  the  society  was  fairly  launched. 

However,  in  later  years  there  has  been  a  growing  feeling 
that  this  society  should  be  recognised  as  a  sort  of  central 
organisation  which  shall  have  a  general  superintendency 
with  respect  to  many  things  which  require  such  direction. 
So  far,  nothing  of  evil  has  come  out  of  this  centralising 
of  authority;  nor  is  it  probable  any  evil  will  come  out 
of  it,  if  proper  limitations  are  guarded  in  the  management 
of  affairs.  Nevertheless,  it  is  worth  while  for  Disciples 
to  remember  some  of  the  sweeping  and  incisive  criticisms 
which  Mr.  Campbell  made  in  the  Christian  Baptist  on  the 
abuse  of  societies,  such  as  practically  destroy  the  liberty 
of  individual  Christians  and  individual  churches.  Of 
course,  in  this  matter,  a  very  old  question  is  involved. 
From  another  point  of  view  this  same  question  has  entered 
into  our  national  development.  State  rights  and  indi- 
vidual rights  have  been  more  or  less  at  war  with  federal 
rights  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  American  Union. 
Hamiltonian  federalism  and  Jeffersonian  state  rights  have 
divided  the  American  people,  from  the  beginning,  in  poli- 
tics. The  Civil  War  grew  out  of  this  conflict  more  than 
out  of  anything  else;  but  since  the  war  there  has  been 
an  unmistakable  tendency  toward  centralising  authority 
in  the  general  government. 

This  tendency  shows  itself  in  nearly  every  department 
of  American  life.  This  life,  as  a  whole,  is  characterised 
by  bigness.  No  other  word  expresses  so  well  just  what 
American  life  is.    Perhaps  it  is  bigness  plus  exaggeration. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK  767 


No  doubt  the  bigness  is  exaggerated,  and  yet  this  strong 
persuasion,  which  seems  to  be  an  inheritance  of  every 
American  citizen,  has  much  to  do  with  the  greatness  of 
the  country.  Dean  Stanley  was  right  when  he  said  he 
did  not  find  a  single  person  in  America  who  did  not  be- 
lieve in  the  infinite  possibilities  of  the  American  people. 

The  same  tendency  to  bigness  shows  itself  in  commercial 
life.  The  little  local  shops  and  stores  that  once  min- 
istered to  the  needs  of  every  neighbourhood  are  no  longer 
in  existence.  They  have  been  supplanted  by  the  great 
department  stores,  where  everything  is  supplied  under 
practically  the  same  cover.  Corporations  and  trusts  have 
their  origin  in  the  same  tendency.  We  may  protest 
against  these,  and  certainly  many  of  them  need  even 
more  than  protest,  but  they  are  supported,  even  against 
protest,  by  a  tendency  which  is  more  powerful  than  any 
other  dominating  force.  Whether  we  like  these  things 
or  not,  it  is  probable  we  shall  have  to  put  up  with  them 
until  there  is  a  decided  reaction  from  the  prevailing  trend 
of  our  civilisation. 

In  view  of  these  indications  everywhere,  it  is  probably 
certain  that  the  Disciples  will  have,  at  least,  to  make  the 
experiment  of  centralising  their  forces  much  more  than 
has  been  the  case  during  their  past  history.  Indeed,  it 
may  be  a  reasonable  conjecture  that  they  have  reached 
an  era  where  such  centralisation  is  absolutely  necessary 
in  order  that  they  may  achieve  the  triumphs  that  are 
awaiting  them  in  the  near  future.  But  there  is  danger 
in  breaking  away  from  the  traditions  of  the  past,  and 
especially  with  respect  to  this  matter  of  centralising  power. 
Undoubtedly  there  is  great  danger  in  this  very  thing, 
but  there  is  always  danger  where  life  is  at  its  best.  As 
the  Disciples  have  reached  a  stage  of  their  progress  where 
they  are  less  belligerent  than  they  were  years  ago,  and 
where  their  own  movement  has  become  somewhat  co- 
ordinated with  the  religious  denominations  around  them, 
it  is  perhaps  impossible  to  avoid  entirely  the  somewhat 
doubtful  expedient  of  centralising  power  in  order  to  meet 
the  exigencies  of  the  times  in  which  they  now  live.  How- 
ever, with  prayerfulness  and  carefulness,  and  especially 
with  personal  unselfishness,  there  need  be  no  extremes  in 
the  case,  and  consequently  the  American  Christian  Mis- 
sionary Society  may  properly  enough  become  a  sort  of 


768    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

directing  force  for  all  the  great  agencies  connected  with 
the  Disciple  movement.  From  the  Centennial  outlook 
this  seems  to  be  a  reasonable  conclusion. 

For  the  past  two  or  three  decades  this  Society  has  been 
making  very  commendable  progress.  It  has  constantly 
gained  in  both  contributions  and  work  accomplished. 
Since  its  organisation  it  has  received  and  disbursed  |1,780,- 
099.00.  Its  missionaries  have  baptised  over  150,000  per- 
sons, organised  about  3,500  churches,  and  gathered  thou- 
sands of  scattered  Disciples  together  into  working  organi- 
sations. Every  year  has  shown  a  gain  in  all  of  its  de- 
partments of  work,  and  the  receipts  for  home  missions 
have  more  than  quadrupled  in  the  past  ten  years. 

But  this  is  not  all.  Its  missionaries  have  done  much 
to  build  up  the  churches  where  they  are  weak,  to  develop 
spiritual  life,  and  to  increase  general  activity  in  religious 
work.  Besides  all  this,  considerable  headway  has  been 
made  in  reference  to  Christian  union.  Recently  several 
churches  of  the  Baptists  and  Disciples  have  united  in 
different  parts  of  the  country.  This  has  been  a  marked 
feature  of  fraternal  intercourse  in  Canada.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  the  Baptist  churches  and  the  Disciples  in  that 
country  are  practically  one,  and  the  spirit  that  has  been 
manifested  shows  conclusively  that  the  time  is  nearly  ripe 
for  a  union  between  the  two  bodies.  However,  the  course 
pursued  is  perhaps  the  best  that  can  be  devised.  Indi- 
vidual churches  have  come  together,  and  in  a  few  places 
a  larger  comprehension  has  come  into  the  union.  Doubt- 
less, this  is  the  only  way  that  union  can  be  effected.  Con- 
ventional union  is  likely  to  be  conventional,  and  there- 
fore not  very  real.  The  work  must  be  accomplished,  if 
accomplished  at  all,  by  beginning  with  the  local  churches 
and  moving  toward  the  larger  comprehension.  The  Amer- 
ican Christian  Missionary  Society  has  fostered  this  course 
in  the  union  movement  inaugurated  in  Canada.  So  far 
it  has  worked  well. 

The  committees  which  have  been  appointed  by  this 
society,  for  the  purpose  of  conferring  with  other  religious 
bodies,  have  done  something  to  cultivate  the  union  senti- 
ment, but  to  make  union  practical  the  work  must  begin 
with  the  local  churches,  as,  after  all,  they  must  be  con- 
sulted before  any  union  can  be  made  permanent. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  department  of  the  work  of  the  Dis- 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK  769 


ciples  more  hopeful  than  their  Sunday  School  work.  This 
has  become  almost  an  enthusiasm.  Not  only  have  the 
Sunday  Schools  been  largely  increased  in  their  attendance, 
but  a  much  more  efficient  organisation  has  been  perfected 
throughout  the  whole  country,  and  the  teachers'  training 
classes  have  become  great  features  in  this  Sunday  School 
revival.  This  is  as  it  should  be.  The  weakness  of  Sunday 
School  work  has  long  been  felt  to  be  chiefly  with  respect 
to  the  character  of  teachers  employed.  Most  of  these 
needed  training  for  service  and  were  wholly  unfit  to  train 
others.  To  some  extent  this  evil  has  been  corrected  by 
the  organisation  of  teacher  training  classes,  and  where 
these  have  been  under  the  direction  of  intelligent  Bible 
students,  many  teachers  have  been  equipped  for  their 
work  who  otherwise  would  have  been  wholly  unfit  for  it. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  Disciples  have  also  taken 
a  very  leading  part  in  developing  and  disseminating  Sun- 
day School  literature.  Indeed  they  have  among  their  num- 
ber some  veterans  in  this  important  field  of  labour.  The 
one  man  who  stands  out  more  prominently  than  any  other 
in  this  respect  is  W.  W.  Dowling  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  It 
it  impossible  to  measure  the  influence  of  his  work  on  the 
Disciple  movement.  To  educate  the  children  properly  in 
Bible  knowledge  is  to  gain  them  in  great  numbers  for 
Christ.  Mr.  Dowling  has  been  associated  with  the  Chris- 
tian Publishing  Company  of  St.  Louis  for  one-third  of 
a  century,  and  previous  to  his  removal  to  St.  Louis  he 
was  a  pioneer  in  Sunday  School  literature  and  Sunday 
School  work  at  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  so  that  for  about  half 
of  the  century  embraced  in  the  Disciple  movement  he  has 
led  the  Sunday  School  forces,  especially  in  the  literature 
department.  His  expositions  of  the  Sunday  School  lessons 
have  become  almost  a  necessity  in  all  the  Sunday  Schools 
of  the  Disciple  churches. 

The  Standard  Publishing  Company  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
also  issues  a  good  class  of  Sunday  School  literature,  much 
of  which  is  under  the  editorship  of  Herbert  Moninger. 

The  Sunday  School  revival  is  almost  a  phenomenon. 
And  while  in  many  respects  the  Disciples  are  leading  in  it, 
they  are  also  leading  in  the  Christian  Endeavour  work. 
Undoubtedly  they  are  beginning  to  understand,  more  than 
ever  before,  that  the  young  people  must  be  instructed  in  the 
Word  of  God  if  that  Word  is  to  be  made  effective  as  a 


770    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

guide  in  all  religious  matters.  The  Disciples  honour  their 
own  plea  when  they  seek  to  make  the  Bible  an  effective 
instrument  in  guiding  the  3'ouug  in  their  religious  life. 
A  people  who  make  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone," 
their  rule  of  faith  and  practice  can  scarcely  afford  to  miss 
any  opportunity  where  the  Bible  can  be  properly  used 
in  bringing  the  young  people  of  this  age  to  a  just  appre- 
hension of  the  meaning  of  the  Christian  religion.  The 
Disciples  have,  therefore,  done  well  in  making  the  Sunday* 
School  work  and  the  Christian  Endeavour  work  very  dis- 
tinct features  in  their  religious  movement. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  active  participa- 
tion of  the  Disciples  in  Endeavour  work.  It  is  certainly 
somewhat  remarkable  that  they  should  lead  even  the  large 
denominations  in  organising  and  developing  the  young 
people  of  the  churches.  But  a  moment's  reflection  will 
suggest  the  reason  for  this.  The  Disciples  know  that  the 
success  of  their  movement  depeuds  upon  an  intelligent 
understanding  of  the  Scriptures  by  the  rising  generation. 
The  Christian  Endeavour  movement  offers  an  opportunity 
for  educating  the  young,  not  only  in  the  study  of  the  Bible, 
but  also  in  Christian  service. 

There  are  other  points  of  view  from  which  the  Disciples 
may  contemplate  the  work  of  the  century  and  And  much 
to  encourage  and  stimulate  their  activities  in  the  coming 
years,  but  enough  has  been  said  to  indicate  something  of 
the  progress  that  has  been  made  and  the  advanced  posi- 
tion which  the  Disciples  at  present  occupy. 

It  only  remains  to  give  the  following  features  of  the 
Centennial  programme.  There  may  be  some  changes,  but 
it  is  probable  that  none  of  these  will  be  important.  It 
will  be  seen  that  provision  has  been  made  for  a  great 
occasion,  and  no  one  doubts  that  much  of  what  is  antici- 
pated will  be  practically  realised. 

It  is  believed  that  the  importance  of  the  occasion  justifies 
the  publishing  of  the  entire  programme  in  this  volume, 
so  that  it  may  be  permanently  preserved  for  the  benefit 
of  future  generations. 

CENTENNIAL  PROGRAMME 
Monday  Evening,  October  11th.    Two  Parallel  Sessions. 
Addresses  of  Welcome,  Responses,  etc. 
Keynote  Sermons:  George  H.  Combs,  Kansas  City,  Mc; 
and  i.  J.  Spencer,  Lexington,  Ky. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK 


771 


Tuesday,  October  12th.    Morning,  Afternoon,  and  Evening. 

Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  in  Three  Parallel 
Sessions.  Mrs.  Atkinson,  Mrs.  Harrison,  Mrs.  Atwater,  will 
be  the  presiding  officers. 

Reports  will  be  presented  by  Mrs.  M.  E.  Harlan,  Mrs. 
Ida  W.  Harrison,  Miss  Mary  J.  Judson,  Miss  Mattie  Pounds, 
and  the  President's  address  by  Mrs.  Atwater.  These  reports 
will  be  repeated  in  all  three  meetings. 

Addresses  will  be  delivered  by  the  following:  Mrs.  Alice 
Wickizer,  Tulsa,  Okla. ;  Mrs.  Ella  Humbert,  Eugene,  Ore.; 
Mrs.  Reba  Smith,  Whittier,  Cal.;  Mrs.  J.  J.  Zigler,  New 
Orleans,  La.;  C.  C.  Smith,  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  E.  C.  Davis, 
Maudha,  India ;  Mrs.  Bessie  Farrar  Madsen,  Pendra  Road, 
India;  Miss  Adelaide  Gail  Frost,  Mahoba,  India;  Hugh  Mc- 
Lellan,  Richmond,  Ky. 

Afternoon  and  Evening. 

One  Auditorium  Meeting,  for  men  only,  parallel  with  C. 
W.  B.  M.  Sessions. 

Brotherhood  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  Addresses  by: 
Hon.  John  Allen,  Tupelo,  Miss.;  Hon.  Lafe  Pence,  Port- 
land, Ore.;  Secy.  P.  C.  Macfarlane,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Evening. 
Half  an  Hour  in  Each  Hall. 
Addresses  on  the  Christian  College :  President  T.  C.  Howe, 
Butler  College;  Professor  F.  O.  Norton,  Drake  University; 
President  E.  V.  Zollars,  Oklahoma  Christian  University; 
President  W.  H.  P.  Faunce,  Brown  University. 

Wednesday,  October  ISth.    Morning,  Afternoon,  and  Evening. 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society  in  Three  Parallel 

Sessions. 

Reports.  Presentation  of  Missionaries.  Addresses  by: 
W.  H.  Book,  Columbus,  Ind. ;  G.  L.  Bush,  Gainesville,  Tex.; 
J.  E.  Davis,  Beatrice,  Neb.;  J.  L.  Hill,  Cincinnati,  Ohio; 
C.  R.  Hudson,  Frankfort,  Ky. ;  O.  W.  Lawrence,  Decatur, 
111.;  W.  T.  Moore,  Indianapolis,  Ind.;  W.  C.  Moore,  Lexing- 
ton, Ky. ;  C.  T.  Paul,  Hiram,  Ohio  ;  E.  J.  Sias, Frankfort,  Ind. ; 
A.  W.  Taylor,  Chicago,  111.;  P.  H.  Welshimer,  Canton,  Ohio. 

Evening. 
Half  an  Hour  in  Each  Hall. 
National  Benevolent  Association.    Addresses  by:  Peter 
Ainslie,  Baltimore,  Md. ;  Edgar  D.  Jones,  Bloomington,  111. ; 
Russell  F.  Thrapp,  Jacksonville,  111. 

Thursday,  October  14th.    Morning,  Afternoon,  and  Evening. 
American  Christian  Missionary  Society  in  Three  Parallel 

Sessions. 

Reports.    Messages  from  Home  Missionaries. 
Addresses :  "  The  Contribution  of  the  American  Christian 
Missionary  Society  to  the  Century  " — W.  J.  Wright,  Cin- 


772    niSTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


cinnati,  Ohio;  "Our  Neglected  Fields" — W.  L.  Fisher,  New 
York  City,  H.  F.  Lutz,  Harrisburg,  Pa ;  "  Our  Two-fold  Mis- 
sion "—L.  O.  Bricker,  Maryville,  Mo.,  W.  R.  Ellis,  Cynthi- 
ana,  Ky.,  H.  E.  Van  Horn,  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  "Obedience 
to  Missionary  Vision "  R.  W.  Abberley,  Rushville,  Ind., 
Austin  Hunter,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  C.  M.  Sharpe,  Columbia, 
Mo. ;  "  The  Relation  of  Christianity  to  the  Development  of 
America  " — A.  W.  Fortune,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  N.  K.  Griggs, 
Lincoln,  Neb. ;  "  The  State  Society  in  Our  Missionary  His- 
tory " — Geo.  E.  Lyon,  Kansas,  A.  I.  Myhr,  Tennessee,  J. 
W.  Yoho,  West  Virginia. 

Evening. 
Half  an  Hour  in  Each  Hall. 
Board  of  Church  Extension.    Charles  A.  Finch,  Topeka, 
Kansas :  "  Songs  of  the  Temple  " ; — R.  H.  Miller,  Bufifalo, 
N.  Y. :  "  The  Glory  of  the  Latter  House  " ;— H.  K.  Pendleton, 
Atlanta,  Ga. :  "  The  Great  Profit  of  Church  Extension." 

Fridory,  October  15th.    Three  Parallel  Sessions. 

Morning. 

9:30.  National  Temperance  Board  of  the  Church  of 
Christ.  Prayer  and  Praise.  Reports.  Addresses  by: 
Judge  Samuel  R.  Artman,  Indianapolis;  A.  L.  Crim,  Seattle; 
James  A.  Tate,  Nashville. 

10:30.  Board  of  Ministerial  Relief.  Reports.  Addresses 
by:  Mark  Collis,  Lexington,  Ky. ;  Howard  T.  Cree,  Augusta, 
Ga. ;  G.  B.  Van  Arsdall,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  Board  of 
Church  Extension. 

First  Hall.    Fletcher  Cowherd,  Presiding. 
11 :30.    Singing  and  Prayer. 
11 :35.    Report  of  Board. 

11 :50.  Address  by  George  Darsie.  Subject,  "  The  Magic 
of  the  Church  Extension  Idea." 

Second  Hall.    W.  F.  Richardson,  Presiding. 
11 :30.    Singing  and  Prayer. 
11 :35.    Address  by  W.  F.  Richardson. 
11 :45.    Report  of  Board. 

12 :00.  Address  by  Finis  Idleman.  Subject,  "  Faith's  Tent 
Dwellers." 

Third  Hall.    J.  C.  Hill,  Presiding. 
11 :30.    Singing  and  Prayer. 
11 :35.    Address  by  J.  C.  Hill. 

11:45.    Address  by  Randolph  Cook.    Subject,  "Our  Obli- 
gation to  Church  Extension  in  the  Coming  Century." 
12 :15.    Report  of  Board. 

Afternoon. 

2:30.  The  Ministerial  Association  of  the  Churches  of 
Christ.  Reports.  Addresses  by  C.  H.  Winders  and  L.  C. 
Howe. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK  773 


3:30.  The  National  Benevolent  Association  of  the 
Churches  of  Christ. 

J.  W.  Perry,  presiding.  R.  A.  Long,  presiding. 

President's  Address.  Chairman's  Address. 

Secretary's  Report.  Secretary's  Report. 

Treasurer's  Report.  Treasurer's  Report. 

Election. 

Address,  Geo.  L.  Snively.        Address,  J.  H.  O.  Smith. 
C.  C.  Chapman,  presiding. 
Chairman's  Address. 
Secretary's  Report. 
Treasurer's  Report. 
Address,  Mrs.  T.  R.  Ayars. 

Evctiing. 
Christian  Endeavour  Night. 
Chairman:  A.  W.  Kokendoffer,  W.  F.  Turner,  and  T.  W. 
Pinkerton.    Reports.    Addresses  by:  W.  A.  Moore,  Tacoma, 
Wash. ;  R.  P.  Anderson,  Associate  Editor,  The  Christian  En- 
deavour World;  and  Claude  E.  Hill,  Mobile,  Ala. 

Saturday,  October  IQth. 

SPECIAL  CENTENNIAL  DAY. 

Morning,  Afternoon,  and  Evening. 
Five  Parallel  Sessions. 
Chairmen:  Dr.  E.  E.  Montgomery,  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  Presi- 
dent H.  B.  Brown,  Valparaiso,  Ind. ;  President  Hill  M.  Bell,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa;  T.  W.  Phillips,  New  Castle,  Pa.;  R.  Lin  Cave, 
Nashville,  Tenn.;  C.  C.  Chapman,  Fullerton,  Cal.;  W.  F.  Cow- 
den,  Tacoma,  Wash.;  President  T.  E.  Cramblet,  Bethany,  W. 
Va. ;  H.  W.  Elliott,  Sulphur,  Ky. ;  J.  H.  Garrison,  St.  Louis,  Mo. ; 
Prof.  Jabez  Hall,  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  W.  L.  Hayden,  Indianap- 
olis, Ind.  Fraternal  Addresses  by  representatives  from  Eng- 
land, Australia,  Japan,  and  from  other  religious  bodies  of  this 
continent.  Hon.  Geo.  T.  Oliver,  Pittsburg,  Pa.;  President  W. 
P.  Aylesworth,  Bethany,  Neb. 

Addresses. 

1.  Origin  of  the  Restoration  Movement:  F.  W.  Burnham, 
Springfield,  111.;  J.  J.  Haley,  Eustis,  Fla.;  T.  P.  Haley, 
Kansas  City,  Mo.;  J.  H.  MacNeil,  Winchester,  Ky. ;  F.  D. 
Power,  Washington,  D.  C. 

2.  Thomas  Campbell  and  the  Principles  He  Promulgated: 
Mrs.  Effie  Cunningham,  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  C.  M.  Chilton, 
St.  Joseph,  Mo.;  W.  J.  Loos,  Owenton,  Ky. ;  Pres.  Clinton 
Lockhart,  Waco,  Tex. ;  Prof.  Herbert  L.  Wil'lett,  Chicago,  111. 

3.  Alexander  Campbell,  Barton  W.  Stone,  and  Walter 
Scott — Advocates  of  Liberty  and  Union  in  the  Truth:  Hon. 
Champ  Clark,  Bowling  Green,  Mo. ;  Pres.  J.  W.  McGarvey. 
Lexington,  Ky. ;  A.  B.  Philputt,  Indianapolis,  Ind.;  W.  H. 
Pinkerton,  Ghent,  Ky. ;  A.  C.  Smither,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 


774    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


4.  Isaac  Erretfs  Contribution  to  tlw  Movement:  Mrs. 
Jessie  Brown  Potmds,  Hiram,  Ohio ;  J.  B.  Briney,  Louisville, 
Ky.;  Hon.  Frederick  A.  Henry,  Cleveland,  O.;  Prof.  S.  M. 
Jeflferson,  Lexington,  Ky. ;  J.  M.  Van  Horn,  Toronto,  Canada. 

5.  Progress  and  Achievements  of  a  Hundred  Years:  Mrs. 
A.  H.  Haggard,  Des  Moines,  Iowa ;  Col.  Samuel  Harden 
Church,  Pittsburg,  Pa.;  H.  L.  Herod,  Indianapolis,  Ind. ; 
P.  J.  Rice,  Minneapolis,  Minn. ;  C.  J.  Tannar,  Detroit,  Mich. 

6.  Outlook  and  Appeal:  Mrs.  Louisa  Kelly,  Emporia, 
Kans. ;  B.  A.  Abbott,  Baltimore,  Md.;  Pres.  Miner  Lee 
Bates,  Hiram,  Ohio ;  A.  D.  Harmon,  St.  Paul,  Minn. ;  Harry 
D.  Smith,  Hopkinsville,  Ky. 

7.  The  Place  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  Movement:  Prof. 

D.  R.  Dungan,  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  F.  L.  Moffett,  Springfield, 
Mo. ;  Carey  E.  Morgan,  Paris,  Ky. ;  W.  H.  Sheffer,  Memphis, 
Tenn. ;  L.  G.  Batman,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

8.  The  Lordship  of  Christ:  O.  P.  Gifford,  Boston,  Mass.; 

E.  L.  Powell,  Louisville,  Ky. ;  Prof.  B.  J.  Radford,  Eureka, 
111.;  Charles  Reign  Scoville,  Chicago,  111.;  Hon.  Oliver  W. 
Stewart,  Chicago,  111. 

Lord's  Day,  October  17th. 

Morning. 

Preaching  in  five  hundred  pulpits  in  Pittsburg  District. 

Afternoon. 
Centennial  Communion. 
Evening. 

Preaching  everywhere  in  Greater  Pittsburg. 

The  preaching  of  this  day  will  be  altogether  different  from 
the  ordinary  courtesy  of  "  occupying  all  offered  pulpits." 
The  men  for  this  work  are  being  chosen  now  and  are  co- 
ordinate with  the  other  Centennial  speakers.  Each  sermon 
will  be  the  preacher's  life  message  of  Christ. 

For  the  Convention  Hall  sermons  we  are  permitted  to 
announce  H.  O.  Breeden,  San  Francisco,  Cal.;  W.  E.  Crab- 
tree,  San  Diego,  Cal.;  M.  M.  Davis,  Dallas,  Tex.;  B.  A. 
Jenkins,  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  J.  M.  Philputt,  St.  Louis,  Mo.; 
Z.  T.  Sweeney,  Columbus,  Ind. ;  I.  N.  McCash,  Berkeley,  Cal. ; 
and  S.  M.  Martin,  Seattle,  Wash. 

Monday,  October  ISth. 

Bible  School  Day.    Three  Parallel  Sessions. 
Morning. 

Primary,  Junior,  and  Intermediate  Sections. 
Afternoon. 
Teacher-Training  Sections. 
Section  One. 
2:00.    Service  of  Song. 

2:20.  "The  Training-class  Work  a  Preparatory  Force 
and  Conserving  Force  in  Evangelism  " — Stephen  E.  Fisher, 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK 


775 


2:40.  Four  ten-minute  messages  from  those  who  have 
done  things. 

1.  "  Methods   of    Working   up   a  Teacher-training 

Class  " — Clifford  S.  Weaver. 

2.  "  The  Crowning  Glory  of  a  Glorious  Century  " — 

Chas.  C.  Wilson. 

3.  "Training-class  Work,  a  Revival  of  the  Century- 

old  Call,  •  To  the  Law  and  to  the  Testimony  '  " — 
B.  S.  Ferrall. 

4.  "  Make  it  Unanimous  " — Clifford  A.  Cole. 
3 :20.  Song. 

3 :25.  "  Bible-trained  Men  in  Places  of  Power  " — Walter 
Scott  Priest. 

3:45.    Class  Contest:  Youngstown,  O.,  vs.  Big  Run,  Pa. 
4:15.  "What  of  the  Future  of  the  Training  Work?"— 
W.  W.  Burks. 
4 :35.  Adjournment. 

Section  Two. 

2:00.    Service  of  Song. 
2 :20.  Introductory. 

2:25.    Two  ten-minute  telling  messages  on  methods: 

1.  "  Methods  of  Working  up   a  Training-class " — 

Adam  K.  Adcock. 

2.  "  Methods  of  Teaching  a  Training-class  " — Walter 

Mansell. 

2:45.  Four  telling  messages  on  what  the  Training-class 
work  means: 

1.  "  Where  the  Training-class  has  Helped ;  or,  Teacher- 

training  the  Panacea  for  the  Church  Ills  " — H. 
A.  Pearce. 

2.  "  Training-class  Work,  a  Revival  of  the  Century- 

old  Call, '  To  the  Law  and  to  the  Testimony  '  " — 
Grant  W.  Spear. 

3.  "  The  Bible :  What  it  is  and  for  What  it  is  "— W. 

H.  Book. 

4.  "  The  Witchery  of  Teacher-training " — Edgar  D. 

Jones. 
3 :25.  Song. 

3 :30.  "  Bible-trained  Men  in  Places  of  Power  " — David 
H.  Shields. 

3:50.    Class  Contest  :iCanton,  Ohio,  vs.  Portsmouth,  Ohio. 
4 :15.    "  What  of  the  Future  of  the  Training-class  Work?  " 
— E.  J.  Meacham. 
4 :35.  Adjournment. 

Section  Three. 

2:00.    Service  of  Song. 
2:30.    Introductory  Word. 

2:35.  Ten-minute  telling  messages  from  those  who  have 
done  things: 


776    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


1.  "  Methods  of  Working  up  a  Training-class " — 

G.  O.  Foster. 

2.  "Methods  of  Teaching  a  Training-class" — F.  M. 

Rogers. 

3.  "  Where  the  Training-classes  help ;  or,  Teacher- 

training  the  Panacea  for  Church  Ills  " — Homer 
W.  Carpenter. 

4.  "  Training-class  Work,  a  Revival  of  the  Century- 

old  Call, '  To  the  Law  and  to  the  Testimony  ' 
Geo.  A.  Miller. 

5.  "Why  make  it  Unanimous?" — Wm.  Grant  Smith. 
3 :25.  Song. 

3:30.    "Bible-trained  Men  in  Places  of  Power"— S.  M. 
Perkins. 

3:45.   Class  Contest:  Columbus,  Ohio,  vs.  Wheeling,  W. 
Va. 

4 :15.    "  What  of  the  Future  of  the  Training-class  Work?  " 

— J.  M.  Kersey. 
4 :35.  Adjournment. 

Music — Prof.  E.  O.  Excell  and  Chas.  H.  Gabriel,  together 
with  our  own  singing  evangelists,  will  lead  the  music  of  this 
day. 

Evening. 

Parade  of  Men  Reviewed  by  Women — E.  A.  Hibler,  Chief 
Marshal. 

Men's  Section. 

Song  Service.  Class  Demonstration.  Bellayben  Bible 
Class,  Pittsburg,  under  the  leadership  of  Geo.  W.  Gerwig, 
teacher. 

Address:  President  R.  H.  Crossfield,  D.D.,  Lexington,  Ky. 
Address :  "  The  Men  of  America  for  the  Man  of  Galilee  " — 
W.  C.  Pearce,  Chicago,  111. 

Women's  Section. 

Song  Service.  Class  Demonstration.  Women's  Bible 
Class  of  Charleroi,  Pa.,  under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  H.  C. 
Boblitt,  teacher. 

Address :  "  The  Woman's  Bible  Class  and  the  Home  " — 
Mrs.  T.  W.  Grafton,  Anderson,  Ind. 

Address :  "  The  Woman's  Bible  Class  and  Evangelisation  " 
— E.  W.  Thornton,  Long  Beach,  Cal. 

For  Representatives  of  Mixed  Classes. 

Song  Service.  Class  Demonstration.  Bethany  Bible 
Class,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  under  the  direction  of  Fred  M.  Gordon, 
teacher. 

Address :  "  The  Social  Life  of  the  Adult  Bible  Class  "— 
Marion  Stevenson,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Address :  "  Methods  of  Building  up  an  Adult  Bible  Class  " 
— Herbert  H.  Moninger,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  OUTLOOK  777 


Tuesday,  October  IQth.    Evangelistic  Day. 

Morning,  Afternoon,  and  Evening. 
Three  Parallel  Sessions. 

Morning  Session. 

Music  by  Leroy  St.  John.  Devotional  Reading,  Thomas 
Penn  Ullom.  Prayer,  R.  H.  Fife.  (1)  Address:  "The 
Pioneer  Evangelists  of  the  Reformation ;  Their  Problems  and 
Their  Message  to  the  Church  of  To-day  — L.  L.  Carpenter. 
Solo:  Singing  Evangelist,  C.  H.  Hoggatt.  (2)  Address, 
James  Small.  Solo:  J.  E.  Sturgis.  (3)  Address:  Herbert 
Yeuell.  Music  by  Arthur  K.  Brooks.  Benediction,  R.  R. 
Hamlin. 

Afternoon  Session. 

Music  by  Jesse  Van  Camp.  Devotional  Reading,  H.  E. 
Wilhite.  Prayer.  (1)  Address:  Allen  Wilson.  Solo  by 
Frank  C.  Huston.  (2)  Address :  John  L.  Brandt.  (3)  Ad- 
dress: William  J.  Lockhart.  Introduction  of  Evangelists  by 
J.  V.  Coombs.  Music  by  W.  E.  M.  Hackleman.  Benediction, 
W.  E.  Harlow. 

Evening  Session. 

6:30  P.M.  Street  meetings  by  volunteer  evangelists  in  dif- 
ferent sections  of  down  town  districts.  Music  at  each  place 
by  volunteer  singing  evangelists. 

7 :30  P.M.  Music,  Percy  M.  Kendall.  Invocation,  E.  E. 
Violett.  Devotional  by  W.  J.  Wright.  (1)  Address:  W.  T. 
Brooks.    Solo  by  DeLoss  Smith. 

Music  by  chorus  of  singing  evangelists.  Benediction,  O.  P. 
Spiegel. 

Early  morning  conference  on  evangelistic  problems  for 
pastors  and  evangelists. 

The  Climax  of  a  Century  of  Evangelism,  and  the  Inaugu- 
ration of  a  truly  Pentecostal  Era  of  Soul-Saving,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Permanent  Committee  on  Evangelism, 
Charles  Reign  Scoville,  Chairman. 


CHAPTER  XXX 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY 

IN  closing  this  volume,  it  is  wortli  while  to  take  a  glance 
backward  over  the  century  of  progress  which  the  Dis- 
ciple movement  has  made.  It  will  also  be  interesting 
to  notice,  with  some  degree  of  precision,  just  what  the 
movement  has  contributed  to  religion  during  the  century 
that  has  passed.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Disciples  upon  the  religious  progress  of 
the  one  hundred  years  embraced  in  their  history.  In  sum- 
ming up  a  few  of  the  facts  of  that  history,  and  the  relation 
of  these  facts  to  religious  progress,  we  are  confirmed  in 
the  belief  that  the  whole  movement  was  providential,  and 
this  of  itself  makes  the  study  of  these  facts  all  the  more 
important.  Hence,  the  first  thing  to  be  considered,  in 
a  review  of  the  history  of  the  Disciples,  is  the  point  of 
view  from  which  the  movement  must  be  regarded.  It 
has  already  been  stated  with  considerable  emphasis  that 
it  is  impossible  to  account  for  many  things  in  the  move- 
ment, w'ithout  ascribing  them  to  a  providential  oversight. 
The  following  may  be  regarded  as  some  of  the  things  that 
will  at  once  arrest  our  attention : 

(1.)  As  regards  the  time  the  movement  hegan.  It 
started  at  both  the  chronological  and  psychological  mo- 
ment. The  preceding  ages  had  been  a  preparation  for  it ; 
though  by  this  concession  it  must  not  be  concluded  that 
on  this  account  the  movement  would  necessarily  succeed. 
Some  of  its  forerunners  had  their  day,  and  passed  away. 
Their  principles  were  crystallised  in  human  creeds,  and 
consequently  it  became  impossible  to  co-ordinate  these 
with  the  living  things  that  made  the  progress  of  the  ages. 
Indeed,  the  objection  to  human  creeds  was  perhaps  greater 
at  this  point  than  at  any  other.  They  necessarily  limit 
progress.  They  make  it  impossible  to  even  think  beyond 
the  expression  of  these  creeds,  without  stepping  over  the 
boundary  which  they  prescribe.  Of  course,  there  are  men 
who  will  not  be  bound  by  them,  and  who  make  progress 

778 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY  779 


in  spite  of  them,  but  they  undoubtedly  make  the  timid 
hesitate  and  the  weak  ones  remain  stationary.  The  move- 
ment of  the  Disciples  came  just  when  it  was  possible  to 
break  the  influence  of  these  creeds  and  turn  the  minds 
of  the  people  to  that  Divine  comprehension  which,  as 
regards  faith,  makes  human  definition  unnecessary,  and 
at  the  same  time  furnishes  a  platform  broad  enough,  deep 
enough,  and  high  enough  for  every  human  soul. 

(2.)  As  to  the  place  where  the  movement  teas  started. 
This  was  exactly  right  also.  If  the  movement,  from  its 
practical  side,  had  started  in  Europe,  it  would,  no  doubt, 
have  failed.  Many  of  its  principles  may  be  traced  back 
to  European  origin,  and  even  some  of  its  methods  had 
exemplification  in  European  countries  before  they  were 
tried  in  America.  But  America  was  to  be  the  real  home 
of  this  great  movement.  It  is  geographically  right  on  the 
line  of  progress  in  the  conversion  of  the  world.  Chris- 
tianity, having  started  in  the  East,  has  been  travelling 
Westward  ever  since  the  beginning  at  Jerusalem.  In  the 
reconstruction  of  Protestantism,  which  had  only  been 
partially  developed  toward  primitive  Christianity  in  prior 
reformations,  the  United  States  at  once  presented  con- 
genial soil  for  the  growth  of  the  new  movement  which  had 
for  its  object  the  complete  restoration  of  New  Testament 
Christianity,  in  its  faith,  doctrine,  and  life.  It  was  in 
this  new  home  that  this  new  movement  began  the  work 
of  making  ready  for  a  great  forward  movement  of  all 
kindred  religious  people,  in  order  to  take  the  nations 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  for  the  one  Lord, 
one  faith,  and  one  baptism. 

(3.)  As  to  the  persons  tvho  inaugurated  the  movement. 
This  may  be  regarded  also  as  providential.  Thomas 
Campbell's  very  education  and  environment,  before  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  specially  fitted  him  to  write  the 
Declaration  and  Address,"  the  immortal  document  which 
gave  the  first  great  impulse  which  the  movement  received. 
The  religious  environment  of  B.  W.  Stone  was  equally 
conducive  to  the  development  of  the  special  contribution 
which  he  made  to  the  movement.  The  very  fact  that  he 
began  practically  six  years  before  the  issuance  of  the 
Declaration  and  Address  may  also  be  regarded  as  Provi- 
dential. His  was  the  voice  crying  in  the  wilderness; 
but  it  was  preparing  the  way,  and  making  it  straight  for 


780    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

the  incoming  of  the  great  light  which  the  "  Declaration 
and  Address  "  furnished,  in  the  year  1809. 

Alexander  Campbell  was  also  a  man  of  Providence. 
There  was  work  to  be  done  which  he  alone  seemed  quali- 
fied to  do.  Walter  Scott  was  an  essential  personality, 
in  order  to  make  the  movement  a  success.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  Dr.  R.  Richardson,  John  Smith,  and  John  T. 
Johnson.  Thomas  Campbell  gave  heart  to  the  movement; 
Alexander  Campbell  gave  strength  to  it;  B.  W.  Stone  gave 
toleration  to  it;  Walter  Scott  gave  to  it  evangelistic  fer- 
vour; Dr.  Richardson  gave  to  it  a  certain  literary  flavor, 
and  exegetical  correctness;  John  Smith  was  the  embodi- 
ment of  common  sense  and  practical  wisdom;  John  T. 
Johnson  gave  to  it  energy  and  hopefulness;  and  John 
Rogers  personified  the  sentiment  of  Christian  Union,  which 
everywhere,  at  the  beginning,  was  predominant. 

These  eight  men  constituted  the  double  quadrilateral 
personalities  which  carried  on  the  movement  for  several 
years  after  it  started,  though  it  was  not  long  until  these 
men  were  multiplied  by  numerous  additions,  and  conse- 
quently, when  the  movement  reached  its  jubilee  period, 
a  great  host  of  men  and  women  had  been  gathered  to  it, 
distingiushed  alike  for  ability  and  faithfulness,  so  that  the 
personality  of  the  movement  seems  to  have  been  under 
the  direction  of  Providence,  as  well  as  the  time  and  place 
selected  for  its  inauguration. 

It  will  now  be  instructive  to  ascertain  what  particular 
good  the  Disciples  have  contributed  to  religion,  during 
the  one  hundred  years  of  their  history.  Of  course,  it 
will  be  difficult  to  dilferentiate  this  good,  so  as  to  disso- 
ciate it  entirely  from  the  good  other  religious  people  have 
done  during  the  same  period;  nor  is  this  necessary.  It 
is  possible  to  clearly  see  some  things  which  the  Disciples 
have  contributed  to  religious  development,  that  may  be 
regarded  as  their  special  contribution,  though  not  entirely 
theirs,  but  sufficiently  theirs  to  make  it  certain  that 
they,  more  than  other  religious  people,  are  responsible 
for  the  contribution.  A  few  of  these  particular  things 
have  been  already  noticed  in  preceding  chapters,  and  need 
not  have  any  special  mention  now ;  nevertheless,  even  some 
of  the  greater  things  need  particular  emphasis  in  this 
recapitulatory  survey. 

(1.)  First  of  all,  it  must  be  apparent  to  even  the  casual 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY 


781 


reader  of  the  history  of  the  Disciples,  that  they  have  made 
a  real  contrihution  to  religious  development,  in  the  em- 
phasis they  have  placed  upon  what  has  been  called  dis- 
pensational  truth.  Mr.  Campbell's  starlight  age,  moon- 
light age,  and  sunlight  age  have  influenced  all  the  Dis- 
ciple leaders  in  their  study  of  the  Scriptures,  and  their 
practical  application  of  these  Scriptures  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Christian  life.  The  difference  between  the 
Law  and  the  Gospel  was  an  early  feature  in  the  Disciple 
movement.  It  was  for  the  emphasis  of  a  proper  distinction 
between  these  that  Alexander  Campbell  was  first  sus- 
pected of  heresy  by  the  Red  Stone  Baptist  Association. 
His  celebrated  sermon  on  the  Law,  delivered  before  that 
association,  in  1816,  was  the  beginning  of  his  troubles  with 
the  Baptist  denomination.  This  sermon  set  forth,  in 
strong  terms,  a  fact  which  is  now  conceded  by  all  intelli- 
gent religious  thinkers,  viz.,  that  we  are  not  under  Moses, 
but  under  Christ ;  not  under  the  Law,  but  under  the  Gos- 
pel; not  under  the  Jewish  dispensation,  but  under  the 
Christian  dispensation. 

It  is  not  meant  by  the  foregoing  statements  that  the 
Disciples  were  the  only  religious  people  who  called  atten- 
tion to  the  distinction  just  referred  to.  But  it  is  affirmed 
that  they  emphasised  this  distinction  much  more  vigor- 
ously, and  showed  its  bearing  upon  a  proper  understand- 
ing of  the  Christian  religion  with  more  clearness  than 
any  other  religious  people  did,  before  or  during  the  one 
hundred  years  of  history  under  consideration.  Some  time 
after  their  movement  was  started,  the  Plymouth  Brethren, 
in  England,  made  considerable  use  of  the  distinction  be- 
tween the  dispensations,  but  in  some  respects  these  people 
made  more  of  the  distinction  than  is  justified  by  the  facts, 
and  often  interpreted  the  Scriptures  by  a  sort  of  mechan- 
ical exactness  which  was  never  justified  by  the  rules  of 
legitimate  criticism. 

It  is  also  true  that  some  distinguished  writers  of  the 
nineteenth  century  took  precisely  the  same  view  of  this 
dispensational  truth  as  that  taken  by  Mr.  Campbell  and 
those  associated  with  him.  Nevertheless,  the  Disciples 
made  this  matter  of  more  consequence  than  any  one  else, 
and  their  use  of  it  gave  practically  a  new  meaning  to 
many  passages  of  Scripture,  while  at  the  same  time  it 
gave  to  the  Christian  religion  a  comprehensive  and  spirit- 


782    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ual  significance  which  nothing  else  could  supply.  Conse- 
quently, while  not  claiming  for  the  Disciples  everything 
as  regards  this  matter,  it  will  scarcely  be  doubted,  by 
any  one  who  is  capable  of  judging,  that  the  Disciples  have 
done  much  for  the  religion  of  the  past  one  hundred  years, 
by  emphasising  the  difference  between  the  dispensations. 

(2.)  Another  contribution  almost  equally  important 
with  the  one  already  mentioned  is  the  distinction  which 
the  Disciples  made,  and  still  make,  between  faith  and 
opinion.  This  has  not  been  altogether  an  easy  task  to 
make  apparent  to  many  people,  and  even  where  the  dis- 
tinction is  clearly  seen,  it  has  been  a  still  more  difficult 
task  to  make  the  Disciple  contention  in  this  matter  a 
practical  force  in  the  affairs  of  the  religious  life.  Never- 
theless, a  review  of  the  history  of  the  Disciples  must 
convince  the  intelligent  reader  that  this  difference  between 
faith  and  opinion  has  been  perhaps  one  of  the  most  funda- 
mental principles  by  which  the  Disciples  have  been  guided. 
From  the  very  beginning  they  have  held  that,  for  the  most 
part,  human  creeds  are  made  up  of  opinions,  rather  than 
Scriptural  matters  of  faith.  In  other  words,  that  these 
creeds  are  largely  composed  of  philosophical  speculations 
about  facts,  rather  fhan  the  facts  themselves.  The  Dis- 
ciples have  held  that  faith  has  to  do  with  facts,  and 
opinions  have  to  do  with  the  explanation  of  these  facts; 
one  rests  on  testimony,  the  other  on  philosophy. 

The  Disciples  have  always  contended  that  philosophy 
is  not  necessarily  opposed  to  true  religion,  nor  have  they 
hesitated  to  offer  explanations  of  the  facts  of  religion, 
even  when  these  facts  have  been  far  removed  from  the 
sphere  of  conclusive  investigation.  Indeed,  they  have  en- 
couraged the  most  profound  thinking,  where  men  are 
capable  of  such  thinking;  but  they  have  persistently  and 
constantly  urged  that  philosophy  must  not  be  made  a 
test  of  fellowship,  and  that  even  doctrines,  as  they  are 
commonly  understood,  should  be  rigidly  eliminated  from 
matters  of  faith. 

In  taking  this  position,  they  have  felt  justified  by  all 
Scripture  teaching.  It  was  at  this  very  point  where  the 
dictum  of  Thomas  Campbell  became  eminently  serviceable, 
viz.,  "Where  the  Scriptures  speak,  we  speak;  where  they 
are  silent,  we  are  silent."  It  was  contended  by  the  Dis- 
ciples that  whatever  is  necessary  to  salvation  is  clearly 


RECAPITULATOKY  SURVEY 


783 


revealed,  and  consequently  there  need  bo  no  difiSculty  what- 
ever in  dealing  with  essential  matters.  They,  furthermore, 
contended  that  if  anything  more  were  necessary,  this  would 
have  been  also  revealed ;  consequently,  any  addition  to  the 
Word  of  God  would  not  only  be  non-essential  but  might 
be  regarded  as  impertinent,  since  it  must  be  conceded  by 
all  that  God  would  know  just  what  revelation  to  make, 
as  well  as  just  how  to  make  it. 

It  was,  furthermore,  contended  that  many  things  in 
nature  fulfilled  their  appointed  mission,  though  the  philos- 
ophy of  them  is  not  understood  by  perhaps  one  person 
in  a  thousand.  It  is  perhaps  impossible  for  any  one  to 
know  why  the  earth  turns  from  West  to  East,  or  how 
it  is  that  iron  is  attracted  to  the  magnet.  Indeed,  what 
we  call  gravitation  is  in  many  respects  as  little  understood 
to-day  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton ;  but  no 
one  hesitates  to  accept  these  things  as  facts,  notwithstand- 
ing they  cannot  be  explained  satisfactorily  to  the  human 
understanding.  There  are  other  things  that  can  be  ex- 
plained to  some  people,  but  cannot  be  explained  to  all. 
In  some  cases,  it  is  evidently  unnecessary  to  explain  to 
any,  though  a  correct  explanation  may  be  valuable  to 
him  who  can  comprehend  it. 

Just  so  as  regards  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  Its 
facts  may  be  established  on  satisfactory  evidence;  but 
the  explanation  of  these  facts  may  not  always  be  con- 
clusive to  even  the  best  informed  people.  Disciples  held, 
and  still  hold,  to  the  notion  that,  this  being  true,  all 
philosophical  speculations  should  be  entirely  ruled  out 
as  tests  of  fellowship,  and  only  such  matters  as  may  be 
established  upon  credible  testimony  should  be  regarded  as 
belonging  to  the  sphere  of  faith.  Opinions  may  be  held, 
ad  lihitum,  but  these  must  be  treated  with  indifference, 
with  respect  to  Christian  union,  and  as  only  admissible 
when  we  are  exercising  religious  liberty. 

A  striking  illustration  of  the  particular  point  under 
consideration  is  furnished  in  the  use  of  electricity  as  a 
motor.  Perhaps  there  is  not  one  person  in  a  thousand 
who  could  explain  how  the  electricity  is  applied  in  driving 
the  car;  and  yet,  millions  of  people  ride  on  these  elec- 
trical cars  every  day,  without  even  seeking  to  understand 
the  philosophy  of  their  movement.  Indeed,  the  very  food 
which  is  taken  into  the  system  of  multitudes  of  people 


784    HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


is  eaten  without  question,  while  very  few  have  any  correct 
understanding  of  how  this  food  is  assimilated  and  made 
to  contribute  to  the  health  and  strength  of  the  body.  The 
same  is  true  of  nearly  all  the  most  familiar  things  that 
enter  into  the  affairs  of  every-day  life.  No  one  thinks 
of  trying  to  understand  the  philosophy  of  thousands  of 
things  upon  which  depends  the  very  life  we  live.  It  is 
doubtless  true  that  even  in  these  material  matters  "  we 
walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight." 

Surely  all  of  this  ought  to  teach  us  the  absurdity 
of  seeking  a  philosophical  explanation  of  the  facts  of  re- 
ligion before  we  can  believe  these  facts  and  appropriate 
them  as  veritable  realities.  Perhaps  there  is  nothing  in 
w^hich  men  show  greater  folly  than  in  seeking  to  analyse 
the  ways  of  God  and  to  construct  philosophical  systems 
of  religion  through  the  knowledge  which  they  are  supposed 
to  have  acquired,  forgetting  the  statement  of  the  Apostle 
that  "  the  world  by  wisdom  never  knew  God."  We  can- 
not understand  how  it  is  that  our  own  bodies,  souls,  and 
spirits  are  related  to  each  other,  and  yet  we  do  not  hesitate 
to  tell  all  about  the  relation  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Spirit,  in  what  is  called  the  Trinity,  or  Godhead. 

In  view  of  these  indisputable  facts,  the  Disciples  have 
always  held  that  it  is  essentially  wrong  to  make  the  expla- 
nation of  the  facts  of  religion  a  test  of  Christian  fellowship. 
With  them  it  is  not  because  the  Trinitarian  theology  is 
better  than  the  Unitarian;  or  the  Augustinian  anthro- 
pology better  than  the  Arminian ;  or  again,  the  Calvinian 
soteriology  better  than  the  Wesleyan ;  but  they  reject  all  of 
these,  whether  true  or  false,  simply  because  they  are  theo- 
ries, about  which  men  may  have  their  opinions,  ad  lihitum; 
but  these  opinions  should  not  be  made  into  iron  bedsteads 
by  which  the  faith  of  men  must  be  measured.  Except  we 
become  as  little  children,  we  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  With  the  Disciples  the  child-like  spirit  and  the 
unquestioned  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  count  for 
much  more  than  theories  concerning  the  Divine  govern- 
ment. 

It  must  not  be  understood  by  these  statements  of  the 
position  of  the  Disciples,  that  they  are  indifferent  to  the 
investigation  of  the  deepest  problems  in  the  universe. 
They  have  always  emphasised  the  importance  of  the  high- 
est possible  education  and  the  most  perfect  ^jeedpm  iji 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY 


785 


thinking,  and  even  in  the  expression  of  thought,  when  this 
is  without  divisive  intention.  It  is  not  education,  think- 
ing, speaking,  or  writing,  with  respect  to  any  legitimate 
things  that  the  Disciples  regard  as  contraband,  but  rather 
the  use  of  any  of  these  to  mystify  the  faith  or  to  debar 
Christian  fellowship  where  the  word  of  God  has  not  de- 
barred it;  and  in  this  respect  they  certainly  emphasise 
a  most  important  matter  with  respect  to  the  Christian 
religion.  Christianity  can  never  be  made  a  religion  for 
the  whole  world  if  it  must  first  be  loaded  down  with 
philosophical  speculations  or  recondite  statements  of  truth, 
however  valuable  these  may  be  to  men  who  are  capable 
of  comprehending  them.  The  great  mass  of  mankind  can- 
not and  ought  not  to  be  expected  to  become  philosophers 
before  they  become  Christians.  It  is  still  true,  as  it  was 
in  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  that  not  many  wise,  not  many 
noble  are  called. 

When  discussing  this  difference  between  faith  and 
opinion.  Disciple  writers  and  preachers  were  wont  to 
refer  to  the  history  of  religious  dogmas  as  proof  of  their 
divisive  tendency.  This  history  shows  that  the  bitterest 
controversies  which  have  been  waged  by  theologians  have 
been  concerning  matters  of  opinion  rather  than  matters  of 
faith.  These  controversies  have  been  around  philosophical 
speculations,  rather  than  the  assured  facts  of  religion ; 
consequently,  if  these  speculations  are  to  be  considered 
at  all,  then  it  is  necessary  to  have  at  least  two  religions, 
viz.,  one  for  the  intellectual  class  and  the  other  for  the 
common  people,  the  latter  being  the  very  class  that  heard 
the  Son  of  God  gladly.  That  they  did  hear  Him  gladly 
is  proof  that  He  spoke  to  their  comprehension,  and  this 
of  itself  is  sufficient  to  convince  reasonable  people  that 
only  the  things  that  He  spoke  are  essential  to  the  sal- 
vation of  the  soul. 

As  already  intimated,  there  are  many  questions  arising 
from  the  study  of  the  Christian  religion  that  are  intensely 
interesting,  and  some  of  them  highly  instructive.  The 
everlasting  WHY  will  force  itself  into  the  whole  region 
of  facts.  Philosophy  is  essentially  obtrusive.  It  has  not 
even  the  merit  of  courtesy.  It  wants  to  know.  But  this 
inquiring  spirit  must  be  carefully  guarded.  It  was  this 
that  led  to  the  disaster  in  Eden.  God  had  said,  and  what 
He  said  ought  to  have  been  sufficient,  but  Satan  sought 


786    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


out  an  explanation,  and  our  first  parents  became  fascinated 
with  this,  rather  than  reverence  for  the  Word  of  God. 
It  is  interesting  to  discuss  many  questions  concerning  the 
Incarnation,  or  to  put  it  in  modern  style,  the  Virgin 
Birth  of  Jesus ;  but  it  is  far  better  for  nineteen-twentieths 
of  the  Christian  world  to  accept  simply  the  Scriptural 
statements  concerning  this  matter,  without  going  into 
any  philosophical  speculations  concerning  it. 

Another  reason  why  Disciples  have  earnestly  contended 
for  the  difference  between  faith  and  opinion  suggests  the 
impossibility  of  securing  Christian  union  on  any  ground 
other  than  the  simple  facts  of  the  Christian  religion. 
"  No  other  foundation  can  any  man  lay  than  that  which 
is  laid,"  viz.,  Jesus,  the  Christ.  But  it  is  an  undeniable 
fact  that  nearly  all  the  creeds  are  more  or  less  burdened 
with  explanations  of  these  facts,  rather  than  the  facts 
themselves.  Division  has  been  the  result.  From  the  ad- 
journment of  the  Niciean  Council  down  to  the  Vatican 
Council,  the  Christian  world  has  been  confusion  worse 
confounded,  rather  than  a  representation  of  keeping  the 
unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace.''  Disciples  have 
always  contended  that  the  reason  for  this  is  not  far  to 
seek.  A  union  that  is  founded  upon  certain  doctrinal 
statements  cannot  possibly  hold  where  counter-doctrinal 
statements  are  with  equal  earnestness  aflflrmed.  Arch- 
bishop Whately  illustrates  this  whole  matter  in  the  fol- 
lowing lucid  paragraph: 

Different  theories,  we  know,  have  prevailed  at  different 
times,  to  account  for  the  motions  of  the  planets,  and  of  the 
moon,  and  other  heavenly  bodies; — the  tides,  and  various 
other  subjects  pertaining  to  natural  philosophy.  Several  of 
these  theories  which  supplanted  one  another  have  now  become 
obsolete;  and  modern  discoveries  have  established,  on  good 
grounds,  explanations  of  most  of  these  points.  But  the  great 
mass  of  mankind  cannot  be  expected  to  understand  these 
explanations.  There  are,  however,  many  points  of  daily  prac- 
tical use,  which  they  can  understand,  and  which  it  is  needful 
for  them  to  be  informed  upon.  Accordingly  there  are  printed 
Tables,  showing  the  times  of  the  sun's  rising  and  setting,  at 
each  period  of  the  year; — the  variations  of  the  tides  in  dif- 
ferent places,  and  the  like.  And  all  these  are  sufficiently  in- 
telligible, without  any  study  of  Astronomy,  even  to  plain,  un- 
learned men.  The  practical  knowledge  thus  conveyed  involves 
no  astronomical  theory,  but  may  be  equally  reconciled  with 
the  Ptolemaic  or  the  Copernican  systems  of  the  universe.  It 


RECAPITULATOKY  SURVEY  787 


is  not  the  less  possible,  nor  the  less  useful,  for  any  one  to  know 
the  times  when  the  sun  gives  light  to  this  earth,  even  though 
he  should  not  know  whether  it  is  the  sun  that  moves,  or  the 
earth. 

Another  very  distinguished  writer  of  the  nineteenth 
century  is  equally  strong  in  supporting  the  Disciples' 
position  on  the  subject  under  consideration.  In  his 
Bampton  lectures  on  "  The  Limits  of  Religious  Thought," 
Dr.  Mansell  deposes  as  follows: 

The  testimony  of  Scripture,  like  that  of  our  natural  fac- 
ulties, is  plain  and  intelligible,  when  we  are  content  to  accept 
it  as  a  fact  intended  for  our  practical  guidance:  it  becomes 
incomprehensible,  only  when  we  attempt  to  explain  it  as  a 
theory  capable  of  speculative  analysis.  We  are  distinctly  told 
that  there  is  a  mutual  relation  between  God  and  man,  as 
distinct  agents; — that  God  influences  man  by  His  grace,  visits 
him  with  rewards  or  punishments,  regards  him  with  love  or 
anger; — that  man,  within  his  own  limited  sphere,  is  likewise 
capable  of  ''prevailing  with  God";  that  his  prayers  may  ob- 
tain an  answer,  his  conduct  call  down  God's  favour  or  con- 
demnation. There  is  nothing  self-contradictory  or  even  un- 
intelligible in  this,  if  we  are  content  to  believe  that  it  is  so, 
without  striving  to  understand  hoio  it  is  so.  But  the  instant 
we  attempt  to  analyse  the  ideas  of  God  as  infinite  and  man  as 
finite; — to  resolve  the  scriptural  statements  into  the  higher 
principles  on  which  their  possibility  apparently  depends; — 
we  are  surrounded  on  every  side  by  contradictions  of  our  own 
raising;  and,  unable  to  comprehend  how  the  Infinite  and  the 
Finite  can  exist  in  mutual  relation,  we  are  tempted  to  deny 
the  fact  of  that  relation  altogether,  and  to  seek  a  refuge, 
though  it  be  but  insecure  and  momentary,  in  Pantheism,  which 
denies  the  existence  of  the  Finite,  or  in  Atheism,  which  re- 
jects the  Infinite.  And  here,  again,  the  parallel  between  Re- 
ligion and  Philosophy  holds:  the  same  limits  of  thought  are 
discernible  in  relation  to  both.  The  mutual  intercourse  of 
mind  and  matter  has  been  explained  away  by  rival  theories  of 
Idealism  on  the  one  side  and  Materialism  on  the  other.  The 
unity  and  plurality,  which  are  combined  in  every  object  of 
thought,  have  been  assailed,  on  this  side  by  the  Eleatic,  who 
maintains  that  all  things  are  one,  and  variety  a  delusion;  on 
that  side  by  the  Sceptic,  who  tells  us  that  there  is  no  unity, 
but  merely  a  mixture  of  differences;  that  nothing  is,  but  all 
things  are  ever  becoming;  that  mind  and  body,  as  substances, 
are  mere  philosophical  fictions,  invented  for  the  support  of 
isolated  impressions  and  ideas.  The  mystery  of  Necessity  and 
Liberty  has  its  philosophical  as  well  as  its  theological  aspect : 
and  a  parallel  may  be  found  to  both,  in  the  counter-labyrinth 
of  Continuity  in  Space,  whose  mazes  are  sufficiently  bewilder- 
ing to  show  that  the  perception  of  our  bodily  senses,  however 


788    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


certain  as  a  fact,  reposes,  in  its  ultimate  analysis,  upon  a 
mystery  no  less  insoluble  than  that  which  envelops  the  free 
agency  of  man  in  its  relation  to  the  Divine  Omniscience. 

Action,  and  not  knowledge,  is  man's  destiny  and  duty  in 
this  life;  and  his  highest  principles,  both  in  philosophy  and 
in  religion,  have  reference  to  this  end.  But  it  does  not  fol- 
low, on  that  account,  that  our  representations  are  untrue, 
because  they  are  imperfect.  To  assert  that  a  representation 
is  untrue,  because  it  is  relative  to  the  mind  of  the  receiver,  is 
to  overlook  the  fact  that  truth  itself  is  nothing  more  than  a 
relation.  Truth  and  falsehood  are  not  properties  of  things 
in  themselves,  but  of  our  conceptions,  and  are  tested,  not  by 
the  comparison  of  conceptions  with  things  in  themselves,  but 
with  things  as  they  are  given  in  some  other  relation.  My 
conception  of  an  object  of  sense  is  true,  when  it  corresponds 
to  the  characteristics  of  the  object  as  I  perceive  it;  but  the 
perception  itself  is  equally  a  relation,  and  equally  implies  the 
co-operation  of  human  faculties.  Truth  in  relation  to  no 
intelligence  is  a  contradiction  in  terms :  our  highest  conception 
of  absolute  truth  is  that  of  truth  in  relation  to  all  intelligences. 
But  of  the  consciousness  of  intelligences  different  from  our 
own  we  have  no  knowledge,  and  can  make  no  application. 
Truth,  therefore,  in  relation  to  man,  admits  of  no  other  test 
than  the  harmonious  consent  of  all  human  faculties;  and,  as 
no  such  faculty  can  take  cognizance  of  the  Absolute,  it  follows 
that  correspondence  with  the  Absolute  can  never  be  required 
as  a  test  of  truth.  The  utmost  deficiency  that  can  be  charged 
against  human  faculties  amounts  only  to  this : — that  we  can- 
not say  that  we  know  God  as  God  knows  himself; — that  the 
truth  of  which  our  finite  minds  are  susceptible  may,  for  aught 
we  know,  be  but  the  passing  shadow  of  some  higher  reality, 
which  exists  only  in  the  Infinite  Intelligence. 

(3.)  The  Disciples  have  made  an  important  religious 
contribution  in  their  reasonable  solution  of  the  question 
of  the  Godhead,  especially  as  it  relates  to  Christ.  The 
Disciples  have  never  been  troubled  much  about  the  Trinity, 
for  they  are  neither  practically  Trinitarians  nor  Arians, 
in  any  divisive  sense.  Indeed,  the  term  "  Trinity  "  was 
classed  by  Alexander  Campbell  among  his  contraband 
phraseology,  which  he  characterised  as  belonging  to  the 
language  of  Ashdod.  He  was  himself  a  Trinitarian,  as 
that  term  is  understood  in  popular  theology;  but  he  did 
not  hesitate  to  put  the  word  in  his  catalogue  of  rejected 
terminology,  simply  on  the  ground  that  it  has  no  place 
in  the  Scriptures. 

Barton  W.  Stone  was  not  an  Arian;  but  he  held  to 
a  somewhat  modified  view  of  the  deity  of  Christ.  He 
and  Mr.  Campbell  differed  in  their  definitions  concerning 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY 


789 


the  Godhead;  but  they  substantially  agreed  as  to  the 
essential  facts.  Mr.  Campbell  regarded  Christ  mainly 
from  the  point  of  view  of  His  Godhood.  Mr.  Stone,  while 
not  denying  His  Godhood,  laid  special  emphasis  upon 
His  manhood,  giving  particular  attention  to  the  Sonship 
of  Christ.  Mr.  Campbell  contemplated  Him  from  the 
point  of  view  of  what  He  was  and  is;  Mr.  Stone  from 
the  point  of  view  of  what  He  did  and  does. 

These  two  views  have  entered  more  or  less  into  all 
the  controversies  concerning  the  character  of  Christ.  Even 
to-day  there  are  those  who  are  advocating  either  one  or 
the  other  of  these  conceptions. 

Some  are  grounding  their  faith  on  the  Christ,  mainly, 
if  not  entirely,  because  of  His  relation  to  the  Father, 
as  divine  as  the  Father,  and  equal  with  the  Father,  while 
others  ground  their  faith  upon  Him  as  the  Son  of  God, 
from  which  point  of  view  they  emphasise  His  obedience 
to  the  Father,  seeking  only  to  do  the  Father's  will,  and 
thus  setting  an  example  to  all  of  His  followers. 

Now,  it  can  scarcely  be  regarded  as  an  accident  that 
both  of  these  views  came  into  the  Disciple  movement 
through  the  union  which  took  place  between  the  "  Re- 
formers "  and  Christians,"  in  1832.  The  "  Reformers  " 
mainly  held  to  the  former  view,  while  the  "  Christians  " 
held  to  the  latter. 

When  the  two  bodies  coalesced,  or  became  united,  the 
resultant  was  a  somewhat  modified  view,  which  eliminated 
the  extreme  of  each  of  the  views  mentioned.  As  two 
antagonistic  substances,  when  united,  will  often  result 
in  a  new  substance,  containing  some  of  the  elements  of 
both  of  the  old,  so  in  this  case.  Without  legislation,  with- 
out even  much  discussion,  the  two  bodies  came  together, 
and  when  they  were  fused  by  the  principle  of  love,  the 
resultant  was  a  modified  view  of  all  extremes,  and  es- 
pecially with  respect  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  in  the  states  where  the  "  Re- 
formers "  and  "  Christians "  were  most  numerous,  the 
general  tendency  of  thought  was  at  first  along  the  lines 
of  the  body  which  was  most  influential.  This  was  es- 
pecially true  in  Kentucky  and  Missouri,  where  the  influ- 
ence of  the  "  Christians  "  was  most  pronounced.  In  these 
states  the  tendency,  for  a  long  time,  was  to  reproduce, 
largely  at  least,  the  views  of  B.  W.  Stone,  with  respect  to 


790   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

the  Godhead,  though  never  making  these  views  a  test  of 
fellowship.  It  must  be  remembered  that  in  both  Kentucky 
and  Missouri  the  "  Christians had  possession,  and  were 
strongly  in  evidence  before  the  influence  of  Mr,  Campbell 
was  felt.  However,  when  the  graduates  of  Bethany  Col- 
lege began  to  occupy  the  pulpits  of  these  states,  and  to 
influence  the  literature  of  the  Disciples,  there  was  a  per- 
ceptible and  steady  reaction  from  the  views  of  B.  W. 
Stone,  concerning  the  Trinity,  to  those  of  Alexander  Camp- 
bell ;  and  while  this  reaction  never  did  reach  any  extreme 
view  of  the  Trinity,  it  certainly  did  settle  down  to  a 
more  satisfactory  conclusion  than  that  which  was  reached 
by  the  "  Christians  "  at  the  time  when  the  union  between 
them  and  the  "  Reformers  "  took  place.  In  short,  it  was 
this  union  of  the  two  bodies  which  brought  about  a  sort 
of  consensus  of  opinion  with  respect  to  the  Trinity,  which 
is  entirely  acceptable  to  all  concerned. 

In  this  fact  the  Disciples  are  supported  by  some  of 
the  best  thinkers  of  the  present  day.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned  Dr.  James  Denney,  whose  recent  work  on 
"  Jesus  and  the  Gospel  "  is  one  of  the  ablest  of  its  kind 
that  have  appeared  in  the  new  century.  Speaking  con- 
cerning both  these  views  of  Christ  and  philosophical  specu- 
lations in  general,  he  uses  the  following  very  strong  lan- 
guage, which  is  entirely  in  harmony  with  the  teaching 
of  the  Disciples,  from  the  beginning  of  their  religious 
movement  to  the  present  time.    Dr.  Denney  says : 

It  is  faith  which  makes  a  Christian;  and  when  the  Chris- 
tian attitude  of  the  soul  to  Christ  is  found,  it  must  be  free 
to  raise  its  own  problems  and  to  work  out  its  own  solutions. 
This  is  the  point  at  which  broad  "  churchism  is  in  the  right 
against  an  evangelical  Christianity  which  has  not  learned  to 
distinguish  between  its  faith,  in  which  it  is  unassailable — and 
inherited  forms  of  doctrine  which  have  been  unreflectingly 
identified  ^\ith  it.  Natural  as  such  identification  may  be,  and 
painful  as  it  may  be  to  separate  in  thought  things  which  have 
coalesced  in  strong  and  sacred  feelings,  there  is  nothing  more 
certain  than  that  the  distinction  must  be  recognised  if  evan- 
gelical Christians  are  to  maintain  their  intellectual  integrity, 
and  preach  the  gospel  in  a  world  which  is  intellectually  free. 
We  are  bound  to  Christ,  and  would  see  all  men  so  bound ;  but 
we  must  leave  it  to  Christ  to  establish  His  ascendency  over 
men  in  His  own  way — by  the  power  of  what  He  is  and  of 
what  He  has  done — and  not  seek  to  secure  it  beforehand  by 
the  imposition  of  chains  of  our  forging. 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY  791 


It  is  one  of  the  most  urgent  needs  of  the  Church  at  the 
present  moment  to  have  both  these  truths  recognised  in  their 
full  extent.  There  can  be  no  Christianity  to  maintain  if  the 
evangelical  truth  is  not  asserted  that  Christ  must  have  in  the 
faith  of  men  no  less  or  lower  place  than  He  has  had  from  the 
beginning,  or  than  He  Himself,  as  we  have  seen,  deliberately 
assumed ;  but  there  can  be  no  hope  of  appealing  to  the  world 
in  which  we  live  to  give  Christ  such  a  place  in  its  faith  if  we 
identify  doing  so  with  the  acceptance  beforehand  of  the  in- 
herited theology  or  Christology  of  the  Church.  .  .  . 

The  problem  is  to  find  a  way  of  securing  the  two  things: 
unreserved  recognition  of  the  place  which  Christ  has  always 
held  in  evangelical  faith,  and  entire  intellectual  freedom  in 
thinking  out  what  this  implies. 

It  is  this  distinction  between  soundness  in  faith — a 
genuinely  Christian  attitude  of  the  soul  to  Christ,  in  virtue  of 
what  Christ  determines  the  spiritual  life  throughout — and 
soundness  in  doctrine — the  acceptance  of  some  established 
intellectual  construction  of  faith,  on  which  emphasis  needs 
to  be  laid.  Soundness  in  faith  is  that  on  which  Christianity 
and  the  Church  depend  for  their  very  being;  but  the  con- 
struction of  Christian  doctrine  is  one  of  the  tasks  at  which 
Christian  intelligence  must  freely  labour,  respecting,  no  doubt, 
but  never  bound  by,  the  efforts  or  attainments  of  the  past.  .  .  . 

But  though  individual  Christians,  and  not  only  those  who 
listen  to  the  Gosi)el,  but  those  who  preach  it,  are  consci(ms  of 
this  distinction  and  accept  its  consequences,  the  Churches  can 
hardly  be  said  to  have  done  so.  They  are  Christian  organisa- 
tions, yet  they  seem  to  be  based  on  doctrinal  statements  which 
most  of  their  members  have  realised  are  not  the  actual  or  the 
proper  basis  of  Christian  life;  and  they  not  only  find  it  dif- 
ficult to  conceive  any  other  basis,  but  seem  to  susi)ect  those 
who  speak  of  another  of  striking  at  the  very  heai't  of  the 
faith.  This  want  of  accord  between  the  intellectual  attitude  of 
the  Churches  acting  collectively,  and  that  of  their  individual 
members  is  the  cause  not  only  of  much  discomfort  and  mis- 
understanding within,  but  of  much  scandal  and  reproach  with- 
out. It  seriously  discredits  the  Church  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world  to  which  it  wishes  to  appeal,  and  it  is  urgent  to  ask 
whether  there  is  any  remedy  for  it. 

Nothing  could  be  more  suggestive  than  these  luminous 
paragraphs.  Neither  Thomas  Campbell,  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, nor  B.  W.  St(me  ever  wrote  anything  more  strongly 
condemnatory  of  philosophical  speculation  concerning  the 
Godhead,  or,  indeed,  any  religious  matters,  than  is  con- 
tained in  these  statements  of  Dr.  Denney.  Indeed,  it  is 
impossible  to  treat  the  religious  movement  of  the  Disciples 
with  complete  fairness  without  conceding  that  the  Dis- 


792    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


ciples  have  made  this  splendid  contribution  to  religion 
during  the  century  embraced  in  their  history.  In  claiming 
this,  it  is  not  affirmed  that  no  one  else  has  contended 
for  something  like  the  same  thing  that  has  marked  the 
pleading  of  the  Disciples.  Undoubtedly,  many  individuals 
have  spoken  out  as  strongly  as  need  be,  concerning  the 
very  matters  to  which  the  Disciples  have  called  attention. 
But,  as  remarked  by  Dr.  Denney,  these  individuals  have 
simply  represented  themselves.  No  particular  Church  has 
led  the  way  in  treating  philosophical  speculations  as  have 
the  Disciples.  It  is  true  the  Methodists  have  always  al- 
lowed considerable  liberty  with  respect  to  such  things, 
but  they  have  never  made  their  practice  in  this  respect 
so  fundamental  as  the  Disciples  have  done.  Nevertheless, 
it  is  only  fair  to  this  great  religious  body  to  accord  to 
them  a  high  place  in  the  catalogue  of  those  who  reject 
philosophical  speculations  as  a  test  of  fellowship;  and 
it  is  perhaps  owing  to  this  very  fact  that  their  progress 
has  been  so  marked  in  the  United  States. 

(4. )  The  Disciples  have  made  an  important  contribution 
to  theology  in  respect  to  the  Atonement.  It  is  generally 
acknowledged  that  this  subject,  in  its  finality,  lies  outside 
of  the  realm  of  human  reason.  Of  course  there  have  been 
efforts  to  explain  it,  but  for  the  most  part  the  explanations 
have  failed  to  explain.  Notwithstanding  this  fact,  these 
explanations  have  been  made  tests  of  fellowship  among 
Christians,  and  have  almost  universally  produced  discord 
instead  of  harmony.  Indeed,  this  has  been  the  result 
of  all  philosophising  as  regards  the  Christian  religion. 
This  ought  to  have  been  expected  from  a  priori  considera- 
tions. The  human  cannot  comprehend  the  Divine  without 
a  revelation.  Consequently  no  one  ought  to  make  specu- 
lations concerning  things,  not  clearly  revealed  in  the 
Scriptures,  a  test  of  Christian  fellowship.  The  whole 
doctrine  of  the  Atonement  is  extremely  interesting,  and 
it  is  a  subject  that  has  engaged  the  thoughtful  attention 
and  most  profound  meditation  of  some  of  the  ablest  men 
connected  with  the  Christian  Church  during  its  entire  his- 
tory. Nor  have  the  Disciples  ever  objected  to  any  reverent 
consideration  of  the  subject  from  such  point  of  view  as 
might  be  agreeable  to  those  who  are  considering  it.  But 
they  have  always  felt  that  it  was  not  a  subject  which 
should  be  used,  from  its  philosophical  side,  to  divide 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY  793 


the  people  of  God.  They  have,  therefore,  allowed  the 
largest  liberty  in  determining  the  rationale  of  the  Atone- 
ment, so  long  as  Christians  are  willing  to  accept  the  Scrip- 
tural statements  concerning  it.  In  this,  as  in  other  things, 
they  have  applied  the  Campbellian  dictum,  "  Where  the 
Bible  speaks,  we  speak ;  where  the  Bible  is  silent,  we  are 
silent." 

In  reference  to  this  matter,  as  well  as  the  Trinity  (to 
which  attention  has  already  been  called),  the  evolution 
of  Disciple  practice  proceeded  from  the  union  that  took 
place  between  the  "  Reformers "  and  the  "  Christians." 
The  "  Reformers  "  very  generally  held  to  what  is  under- 
stood as  the  orthodox  view  of  the  Atonement,  while  the 
"  Christians,"  though  not  Unitarians  in  the  modern  sense, 
held  strongly  to  a  modified  view  of  the  Atonement,  as  they 
did  also  to  a  modified  view  of  the  Trinity.  Both  bodies 
received  with  unquestioning  faith  the  statements  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  this  was  believed  to  meet  all  the  condi- 
tions of  Christian  union. 

Just  here  the  rule  which  seems  to  have  prevailed  from 
the  very  beginning,  namely,  to  eliminate  everything  but 
the  essential  facts  of  religion,  was  applied,  and  it  worked 
admirably  with  respect  to  the  union  of  the  two  bodies  in 
1832. 

(5.)  The  Disciples  made  a  splendid  contribution  to  the 
religion  of  the  nineteenth  century  by  their  insistence  that 
the  faith  of  the  Gospel  is  not  doctrinal  but  personal. 
It  has  already  been  seen  that  they  eliminated  all  doc- 
trinal matters  that  are  purely  philosophical  from  their 
basis  of  fellowship.  This  at  once  compelled  them  to  find 
a  basis  that  would  be  sufficient  without  the  divisive 
elements  which  had  so  long  dominated  the  Christian  world. 
They  found  this  basis  in  the  personal  Christ.  They  con- 
stantly insisted  that  He  alone  was  the  foundation  of  the 
Church,  and  that  no  other  foundation  could  be  laid ;  and, 
furthermore,  that  His  great  personality  was  all-sufficient 
to  meet  the  conditions  of  every  case.  Of  course,  faith 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  necessarily  implied  all  that 
belongs  to  His  personality,  and  consequently  the  great 
proposition  which  Disciples  required  every  one  to  accept 
who  sought  admission  into  their  churches  was  the  con- 
fession which  Peter  made  when  he  declared  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.    This  propo- 


794    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


sition  has  always  been  regarded  by  the  Disciples  as  suf- 
ficiently comprehensive ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  sufficiently 
simple  for  the  union  of  Christians,  and  consequently  they 
have  persistently  contended  that  nothing  else  should  be 
presented,  so  far  as  faith  goes,  for  admission  into  the 
Church,  and  that  all  who  are  admitted  into  the  Church 
should  be  regarded  as  Christians,  and  all  Christians  should 
be  regarded  as  one  in  Christ  Jesus,  as  He  and  the  Father 
are  one.  They  have  also  contended  that  this  personal 
faith  is  the  only  kind  that  admits  of  legitimate  progress. 
Dead  creeds  do  not  move,  but  a  living  leader  goes  forward, 
and  those  he  leads  can  follow. 

In  this  contention  the  Disciples,  as  a  religious  body, 
stood  practically  alone  during  the  nineteenth  century. 
There  were  individual  Christians  who  saw  the  folly  of 
philosophical  statements,  or  even  doctrinal  statements, 
as  bonds  of  union  and  communion,  but  the  Disciples  were 
the  only  religious  body  which,  as  a  whole,  made  this 
contention  for  faith  in  the  personal  Christ  as  fundamental, 
both  as  regards  the  Christian  life  and  Christian  union. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  quote  from  some  eminent 
theologians  of  the  nineteenth  century,  giving  their  indi- 
vidual views  concerning  this  matter,  but  space  forbids  us 
to  do  more  than  make  one  quotation  from  one  of  the  cele- 
brated German  preachers.  Dr.  R.  Rothe,  who,  after  telling 
what  belief  in  Jesus  is,  goes  to  the  root  of  the  matter 
in  the  following  lucid  paragraphs,  which  are  translated 
from  one  of  his  sermons: 

But  if  this  is  the  character  of  belief  in  Jesus,  how  easy  it  is, 
my  brethren,  for  this,  which  Jesus  calls  belief  in  him,  to  be 
wanting  in  one  who  has  the  most  orthodox  representation  of 
him  in  his  mind!  And  again:  how  easy  for  it  to  be  present 
where  there  is  no  such  representation  at  all !  You  can  easily 
picture  this  to  yourselves.  Imagine  for  a  moment  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  were  to  appear  again  to  us  now,  in  the  midst  of 
Christendom,  but  just  in  the  same  manner  as  he  did  of  old, 
in  the  form  of  a  servant,  in  complete  incognito,  without  titles 
and  honours,  without  official  dress,  and  without  the  decora- 
tions of  his  Father  in  Heaven,  so  that  we  could  see  nothing  of 
him,  in  word  or  deed,  but  his  holy  heart,  completely  filled  with 
his  Heavenly  Father,  full  of  pitying  love  and  resplendent 
truth.  What  do  you  think?  Who  among  the  Christians  of 
the  present  day  would  recognise  him,  and  cling  to  him,  and 
who  not?  I  do  not  wish  to  anticipate  any  one's  judgment, 
but,  for  my  own  part,  I  am  thoroughly  of  the  opinion  that 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY  795 


very  many  of  those  who  make  orthodox  confession  of  Christ 
with  the  greatest  volubility  would  pass  by  without  recognising 
him,  and  without  feeling  his  Divine  power  of  attraction,  and 
this  partly  for  the  very  reason  that  they  would  not  discover 
in  him  those  (for  them)  conclusive  marks,  which  are  given  in 
their  dogmatic  treatises — as  he  would  certainly  seem  to  them 
far  too  worldly.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  how  many  of  those 
who  are  unable  to  adopt  the  ecclesiastical  confession  of  Christ 
as  their  own,  would  feel  themselves  drawn  to  him  out  of  the 
deepest  depths  of  their  heart,  would  follow  his  every  foot- 
step, would  fall  in  homage  at  his  feet,  and  would  not  let  him 
go,  and  would  also  inspire  in  him  a  corresponding  attraction 
to  them  I  O  yes,  how  completely  different  would  be  then  the 
grouping  of  human  hearts,  in  their  relation  to  Jesus,  from 
what  we  should  expect  from  the  way  in  which  they  call  them- 
selves and  others  "  believers  "  and  "  unbelievers."  And  yet 
this  would  pi'obably  be  the  most  certain  test  of  belief  in  Jesus. 
For  whoever  is  drawn  to  the  real  Jesus,  not  to  the  painted  one 
of  theological  science,  he  is  a  believer  in  Jesus,  and  only  he. 
He,  the  Lord  Jesus  himself,  would  certainly  call  these  alone 
believers,  for  they  alone  really  believe  in  him,  himself;  the 
rest  merely  believe  in  his  titles  and  honours,  in  his  high  guard- 
ianship in  heaven,  and  in  the  beautiful  presents  which  he 
brings  with  him. 

If,  therefore,  we  only  keep  clearly  in  view  the  true  nature 
of  belief  in  Christ — and  this  is,  moreover,  indispensable  to 
every  one  who  wishes  to  guard  against  delusions  as  to  his  own 
belief — we  shall  easily  find  our  position  as  to  the  inward  con- 
flict of  which  we  speak.  We  shall  say  to  our  surprise  that  be- 
lief in  Jesus  is  a  much  more  simple  matter  than  we  have 
imagined.  We  have  always  thought,  who  knows  how  many 
intellectual  operations,  and  hundreds  of  investigations  of  a 
scientific  character,  were  indispensable  to  it?  Now  we  see 
that  the  essence  of  the  matter  consists  of  nothing  of  the 
sort.  To  have  confidence,  but  perfect  confidence  in  the  holy 
— in  the  literal  sense  of  the  word — Divine  character,  full  of 
grace  and  truth,  which  beams  on  us  so  kindly  serious  from  the 
Jesus  of  the  Gospels,  and  which  shines  with  ever-increasing 
clearness  out  of  his  whole  historic  work  during  these  eighteen 
centuries — to  have  faith  in  this  character,  to  resign  one's  self 
to  him  in  faithful  obedience — that  is  it.  And  this  is  not  a 
complicated  task,  for  upright  and  simple  souls  not  a  dilHcult 
one.  If  you,  my  brethren,  in  whom  belief  in  Jesus  is  strug- 
gling with  unbelief,  once  perceive  this  clearly,  you  will  soon 
take  courage;  for  you  will  see  that  what  you  called  your  un- 
belief in  Jesus  is,  for  the  most  part,  not  that  at  all — that  real 
unbelief  in  Jesus,  with  you,  has  its  seat  in  far  other  places 
than  where  you  have  sought  it.  You  will  become  conscious 
then  of  the  real  belief  in  Jesus,  already  present  in  you,  which 
you  have  hitherto  not  recognised  as  such,  because  a  false 
representation  of  him  dazzled  your  vision — your  hitherto  un- 


796    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


conscious  Christianity  will  become  conscious — you  will  now 
call  by  its  right  name  whatever  of  true  piety  there  is  in  you, 
namely,  belief  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  not  as  you  have  done,  your 
own  virtue  and  such  like — for  everything  good  and  noble  in 
you,  you  will  give  Jesus  the  glory,  to  whom  alone  it  belongs. 
You  will  then  no  longer  run  the  risk  of  denying  what  is  to  you 
in  very  deed  the  holiest  and  highest  for  the  reason  that  you 
do  not  know  its  true  name.  You  will  then  joyfully  confess 
Jesus  before  all  the  world,  because  you  can  do  it  with  com- 
plete inward  truth,  and  extend  the  fraternal  hand  without 
reserve  to  those  who  have  long  openly  confessed  him.  But 
especially  will  you,  when  you  know  what  you  possess  in  Jesus, 
and  that  what  is  truly  good,  whatever  name  it  bear,  can 
flourish  within  you  only  through  the  closest  personal  adhesion 
to  him,  cleave  fast  to  him  in  confiding  love  and  obedience, 
and,  moreover,  to  the  living,  real  Jesus  and  not  to  the  mere 
profile  of  a  scientific  doctrine  concerning  him.  Thus  you  will 
bring  his  holy  image,  in  its  very  lineament,  into  ever  more 
distinct  relief  until  he  stands  in  bodily  form  before  your  in- 
ward vision,  and,  eye  and  heart  fixed  continually  upon  it,  you 
resign  yourself  like  a  child  to  all  those  influences  which  it  will 
exercise  upon  you;  you  will  comply  with  every  demand  which 
it  excites  in  your  conscience,  and  thus  give  proof  to  your- 
selves and  the  world  that  you  really  believe  in  Jesus,  notwith- 
standing our  language  concerning  him  differs  from  what  our 
forefathers  transmitted  to  us.  Thus  your  belief,  your  Chris- 
tianity, will  become  integral,  whole. 

Yes,  dear  friends,  this  is  what  our  time  has  need  of.  If  this 
could  only  take  place  in  a  large  number,  if  all  the  souls,  of 
whom  we  have  spoken,  were  to  become  conscious  of  their  un- 
conscious Christianity,  then  modern  Christendom  would  be 
healed.  This  is  its  fundamental  disease — that  they  have  lost 
the  consciousness  of  their  actual  Christianity.  We  have  no 
idea  that  all  our  spiritual  blessings,  both  those  of  the  indi- 
vidual, and  those  common  to  all,  are  derived  from  Christ  and 
from  him  alone;  in  purblind  delusion  we  complacently  regard 
that  as  the  work  of  mankind  which  we  possess  only  in  virtue 
of  the  effects  of  that  holy  vivifying  sun  which  rose  upon  us  in 
Christ.  Oh,  if  this  almost  universal  delusion  were  dissipated, 
if  our  contemporaries  could  only  become  conscious  of  what 
they  have  of  Christ,  and  how  he  is  so  very  close  to  them  in 
what  they  think  their  own  most  peculiar  possession,  how  dif- 
ferent, wholly  different,  and  how  much  more  beautiful  it  would 
be  among  us !  This  is  the  only  way  in  which  it  can  be  brought 
about,  and  it  will  be  brought  about  in  this  way,  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  shall  be  again  acknowledged  and  adored,  and  at 
large,  too,  in  his  Christendom.  In  this  way  let  us  joyfully 
hope  that  a  common,  many-voiced,  joyful,  and  cheerful  con- 
fession of  Christ  will  again  be  heard  among  us,  be  it  when  it 
may;  and  then  again  will  all  flock  to  our  houses  of  worship, 
and,  bowing  the  knee  in  grateful  homage  before  him,  give,  as 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY  797 


out  of  one  mouth,  so  also  from  a  single  heart,  praise  and 
thanks,  and  glory  to  him  whose  name  they  bear. 

Many  other  extracts  from  distinguished  writers  of 
the  nineteenth  century  could  be  given,  strongly  sustaining 
the  Disciple  view  that  a  personal  trust  in  Jesus  Christ 
is  all  that  ought  to  be  required,  so  far  as  faith  goes,  in 
order  to  Christian  fellowship.  Of  course  this  contention 
entirely  eliminates  human  creeds  as  bonds  of  union  and 
communion. 

(6.)  One  of  the  most  important  contributions  which  the 
Disciples  have  made  is  a  common  ground  for  Christian 
union.  From  the  very  beginning  Christian  union  has 
been  a  cardinal  contention  with  the  Disciples.  No  other 
subject  was  more  prominently  characteristic  of  the  move- 
ment in  its  earlier  days.  Nor  has  their  contention  for 
this  decreased  in  any  respect  whatever.  Perhaps  it  is 
not  so  much  the  one  thing  for  which  they  now  contend 
as  was  formerly  the  case,  as  new  conditions  have  arisen 
in  religious  society,  and  new  questions  have  come  to  the 
front  which  have  engaged  their  attention.  Nevertheless, 
the  movement  to-day  is  a  union  movement,  though  from 
some  points  of  view  Disciples  have  been  compelled  to 
change  their  attitude  towards  the  religious  denominations. 
It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  about  the  year  1830  they  were 
practically  driven  into  a  separate  religious  organisation, 
and  occupying  that  position,  they  had  to  fight  in  order 
to  maintain  their  right  to  exist.  From  that  time  until 
the  close  of  the  Civil  War  their  relation  to  other  religious 
bodies  was  more  or  less  antagonistic,  and  when  they  were 
pressed,  as  they  frequently  were,  it  is  probable  that  the 
spirit  manifested  was  not  always  the  spirit  of  the  unity 
of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace."  It  was  sometimes  a 
war  spirit,  and  this  could  not  always  be  justified.  At  the 
same  time  it  is  only  fair  to  the  Disciples  to  remember  the 
character  of  their  environment  during  their  fighting  period. 
Their  contention  was  that  denominationalism  is  wrong 
and  ought  to  be  abandoned;  that  sectarianism  is  even 
devilish  and  ought  to  be  overthrown ;  that  a  divided  Church 
is  always  and  everywhere  unnecessary  and  ought  not  to  be 
perpetuated  for  a  single  day,  for  it  is  not  only  wrong  in 
principle,  but  it  must  necessarily  delay  the  conversion  of 
the  world,  even  if  it  does  not  make  such  a  result  absolutely 
impossible. 


798    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


But  it  was  not  the  reasoning  of  the  Disciples  which 
made  their  contention  so  valuable  as  an  asset  of  religion. 
It  was  rather  their  practical  demonstration  of  the  fact  that 
what  they  contended  for  could  be  thoroughly  realised. 

It  is  well,  just  here,  to  go  over  the  ground  somewhat 
of  their  efforts  at  Christian  union.  In  1810,  before  Indi- 
ana became  a  state,  John  Wright  and  his  father,  who 
were  both  Free-will  Baptist  preachers,  organised  a  church 
of  this  order  in  Washington  County,  Indiana.  In  1812, 
Peter  Wright,  a  younger  brother,  began  to  preach.  In  a 
short  time  the  three  Wrights  organised  ten  Free-will 
Baptist  churches,  and  these  churches  constituted  what  was 
called  the  "  Blue  River  Association."  The  mother  church 
was  organised  without  any  articles  of  faith,  the  church 
taking  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  its  rule  of  faith  and  practice, 
without  any  notes  or  comments.  A  few  years  later  the 
name  Baptist  was  dropped  by  all  these  churches,  and  the 
association  was  changed  into  what  was  called  an  Annual 
Meeting,  which  meeting  was  for  mutual  conference  and 
edification.  The  members  were  called  simply  Christians, 
and  the  churches  were  called  churches  of  Christ  or 
churches  of  God. 

About  the  same  time,  a  little  further  northward,  were 
fifteen  churches  of  German  Baptists  or  Dunkards.  A 
crisis  having  arisen  among  these  churches,  with  respect  to 
trine  immersion,  the  whole  matter  was  referred  to  a  com- 
mittee, including  John  and  Peter  Weight,  and  the  result 
was  that  the  name  ^'  German  Baptist "  was  changed  to 
that  of  "  Christian,"  and  this  conference  also  was  changed 
into  an  Annual  Meeting. 

Soon  after  this  a  conference  of  "  New  Lights,"  known 
also  by  the  name  of  Christians,  dissolved  their  conference, 
and  united  with  the  churches  already  referred  to,  and 
thus  a  considerable  number  of  churches  were  formed  into 
a  union  where  "  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone "  was 
adopted  as  the  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  These  churches 
were  almost  identical  with  the  churches  in  Kentucky, 
Ohio,  and  Missouri  that  were  associated  with  the  movement 
of  B.  W.  Stone  and  his  co-labourers.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  movement  of  the  Campbells  did  not  begin 
until  1809,  and  the  union  between  the  "  Reformers,"  or 
the  associates  of  the  Campbells,  and  the  "  Christians," 
the  associates  of  B.  W.  Stone,  did  not  occur  until  1832. 


/A 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

iota 

K1 

flii 

PIONEERS  ESPECIALLY  PROMINENT  IN  INDIANA 

1.  John  Wright,  Sr.  2,  Love  H.  Jameson.  3,  S.  K.  Hoshour.  4,  Joha 
O'Kane.  5,  A.  Littell.  G,  John  P.  Thompson.  7,  Elijah  Goodwin.  8, 
Thomas  Loekhart.  9.  Michael  Combs.  10,  Benjamin  F.  Reeve.  11,  R. 
T.  Brown.  12.  John  B.  New.  13,  J.  M.  Mathes.  14,  Henry  R.  Pritchard. 
15,  F.  W.  Emmons.    16,  George  Campbell. 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY  799 


There  were  individual  churclies  and  associations  of 
churches  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  occupying  prac- 
tically the  same  position  as  the  two  larger  bodies  did 
before  they  united.  Indeed,  the  union  of  these  believers 
in  Christ  began  much  earlier  than  that  which  took  place 
at  Lexington,  Ky.,  at  the  beginning  of  the  third  decade 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  It  is  probable  that  no  union 
would  have  taken  place  at  all,  if  an  attempt  had  been 
made  in  the  usual  way  through  church  officials.  The  union 
began  by  the  churches  of  the  neighbourhood  uniting,  and 
these  groups  finally  came  into  the  larger  comprehension. 
Perhaps  it  will  be  found  out,  after  a  while,  that  this  is 
the  only  practicable  way  to  solve  the  union  question. 

But  the  particular  point  which  the  Disciples  have  illus- 
trated is  the  fact  that  Christians  may  come  together  into 
a  practical  union  while,  at  the  same  time,  they  hold  con- 
trary opinions.  Most  of  the  Reformers  were  Calvinists, 
as  the  Campbells  themselves  were,  while  most  of  the 
Christians  were  Arminians,  as  B.  W.  Stone  evidently  was. 
But  they  did  not  even  discuss  these  philosophical  differ- 
ences, when  they  came  together  to  form  a  union;  and, 
no  doubt,  it  was  providential  that  the  two  bodies  held  to 
these  opposite  views  concerning  the  Divine  gwernment. 
When  they  coalesced  the  resultant  was  a  composite  view, 
differing  somewhat  from  both  Calvinism  and  Arminian- 
ism;  and  even  this  has  never  been  insisted  upon  as  a 
fundamental  doctrine  among  the  Disciples. 

The  same  thing  happened  as  regards  the  design  of  bap- 
tism. The  doctrine  of  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins 
had  its  origin  with  Alexander  Campbell  and  those  asso- 
ciated with  him.  Walter  Scott  gave  practical  efficiency 
to  this  doctrine,  but  in  the  hands  of  uneducated  men  it 
was  constantly  liable  to  abuse,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
was  sometimes  abused  by  making  it  mean  much  more 
than  was  legitimately  implied  in  the  teaching  of  either 
Mr.  Campbell  or  Mr.  Scott.  However,  it  was  constantly 
exposed  to  the  danger  of  making  the  religion  of  Christ 
a  sort  of  mechanical  matter,  or  a  single  rule-of-three 
statement  of  the  case,  namely,  "  As  faith  is  to  repentance, 
so  is  baptism  to  the  remission  of  sins." 

The  "  Christians  "  associated  with  B.  W.  Stone  and  those 
scattered  throughout  Indiana,  Ohio,  and  Missouri  were 
slow  to  accept  the  design  of  baptism  as  contended  for  by 


800    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OP  CHRIST 


the  "  Reformers."  The  consequence  was  that  when  the 
union  took  place  the  emphasis  that  had  been  put  upon 
the  new  doctrine  of  baptism  ceased  to  be  so  excessive. 

At  this  point  we  see  another  indication  of  how  the  union 
modified  the  theological  conceptions  of  the  united  Church ; 
and  looking  at  the  whole  matter  from  a  careful  review 
of  the  history  of  the  case,  it  is  impossible  not  to  reach 
the  conclusion  that  this  union  between  the  "  Reformers  " 
and  "  Christians  "  was  necessary  in  order  to  keep  the  Dis- 
ciple movement  from  a  mechanical,  if  not  a  sectarian,  de- 
velopment. The  very  things  that  would  have  hindered  a 
union  between  many  of  the  denominations  were  exactly 
the  things  that  gave  permanency  and  power  to  the  union 
between  the  "  Reformers  "  and  "  Christians."  Each  body 
brought  into  the  union  (to  use  the  language  of  chemistry) 
certain  ingredients,  which  when  fused  made  a  union  that 
was  not  only  practical  but  also  reasonable  and  Scriptural. 

From  that  time  to  the  present  the  Disciples  have  con- 
sidered the  matter  of  Christian  union  from  at  least  two 
points  of  view :  First,  they  have  rejected  all  human  creeds 
as  necessarily  schismatical  in  their  tendency. 

These  objections  may  be  summarised  as  follows: 

(1)  They  substitute  philosophical  speculations  for  the 
personal  Christ,  thereby  usurping  the  sphere  of  faith  with  the 
things  that  belong  to  knowledge. 

(2)  They  are  without  any  divine  sanction,  and  consequently 
should  not  be  made  tests  of  Christian  fellowship.  We  should 
certainly  have  a  "  thus  saith  the  Lord  "  for  everything  that 
enters  into  the  question  of  fellowship. 

(3)  They  are  schismatical  in  their  tendency.  The  his- 
tory of  the  Church  is  a  sad  commentary  on  the  influence 
of  human  dogmas  upon  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  children 
of  God. 

(4)  No  human  creed  can  be  perfect.  Hence,  even  if  it  were 
right  to  formulate  the  things  of  knowledge  and  make  them 
objects  of  faith,  such  formulas  must  of  necessity  exhibit  many 
of  the  traces  of  human  weakness.  Men  are  short-sighted  at 
best,  and  it  ought  to  be  expected  therefore  that  their  most 
careful  work  will  lack  the  completness  which  should  char- 
acterise a  creed  for  the  Church  of  God. 

(5)  No  human  creed  can  ever  be  adapted  to  every  creature. 
The  Infinite  Mind  can  alone  provide  that  which  is  suitable  to 
such  an  infinite  variety  of  circumstances  and  conditions  as  is 
everywhere  found  among  men.  The  best  that  any  number  of 
men  can  do  is  to  provide  for  those  who  are  of  like  tastes, 
habits,  etc.,  and  in  like  circumstances  with  themselves.  They 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY 


801 


cannot  reasonably  hope  to  take  into  consideration  the  whole 
sphere  of  human  thought  and  action,  consequently  the  most 
perfect  human  creed  possible  must,  after  all,  have  only  a 
limited  application. 

(6)  Human  creeds  are  not  only  limited  in  their  reach, 
and  unsatisfactory  in  their  character,  but  they  are  not  per- 
manent. They  are  either  changing  or  else  passing  away 
entirely.  "  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and 
forever." 

(7)  God  has  given  to  the  Church  a  creed — a  Divine  creed 
— and  it  is  disrespectful  to  our  Heavenly  Father,  presump- 
tuous and  wicked  to  substitute  anything  for  that  which  Divine 
wisdom  has  prepared. 

On  the  other  hand,  they  have  contended  for  certain 
definite  things  which  they  have  offered  as  a  common 
ground  upon  which  all  Christians  can  unite: 

(1.)  The  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone,  as  a  sufficient  rule 
of  faith  and  practice. 

(2.)  Jesus  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  as  the 
foundation  of  the  Church. 

A  hearty  belief  in  Him,  not  doctrine  concerning  Him, 
or  anything  else,  as  the  only  thing  necessary,  so  far  as 
faith  goes,  to  salvation. 

(3.)  All  believers  should  be  baptised,  and  this  baptism 
is  an  immersion  into  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the 
Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(4.)  Those  who  are  thus  baptised  may  be  properly 
called  Christians  or  Disciples  of  Christ,  or  any  other 
Scriptural  name.  The  Church  itself  should  be  called  the 
Church  of  Christ  or  the  Church  of  God,  or  simply  The 
Church,  as  these  are  all  Scriptural  designations. 

(5.)  The  Lord's  Supper  and  the  Lord's  Day  should  be 
observed  as  they  were  in  the  Apostolic  churches. 

(6.)  The  practical  duties  of  the  Christian  life  as  en- 
joined in  the  Word  of  God  must  be  inculcated  in  all 
churches. 

(7.)  Above  all,  and  in  all,  and  by  all,  must  the  Christian 
spirit  or  the  Holy  Spirit  be  manifested,  as  this  is  also 
enjoined  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

It  will  be  seen  that  not  one  of  these  things,  for  which 
the  Disciples  have  contended,  may  not  be  accepted  by  all 
Christians.  Even  immersion  as  baptism  is  not  a  divisive 
contention,  for  all  religious  denominations  admit  that  im- 
mersion is  valid  baptism,  though  they  may  practise  sprin- 


802    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 

kling  or  pouring.  Disciples  have  contended  that  where 
these  fundamental  facts  and  principles  are  accepted  there 
need  be  no  difficulty  about  Christian  union,  as  division 
lines  begin  only  after  these  facts  and  principles  are  de- 
parted from,  or  where  something  is  added  which  is  not 
necessarily  involved  in  any  of  them.  To  illustrate  this 
point  it  is  only  necessary  to  refer  again  to  immersion. 
Disciples  contend  that  division  begins  only  when  we  re- 
quire something  different  from  immersion.  All  agree  that 
immersion  is  valid  baptism,  and  that  being  the  case,  there 
is  no  absolute  need  for  any  other  form  of  baptism,  even 
allowing  that  sprinkling  and  pouring  may  be  valid  also. 
Disciples  contend  that  as  sprinkling  and  pouring  are  not 
universally  accepted  as  baptism  they  ought  not  to  be  prac- 
tised, since  they  undoubtedly  produce  division  among  the 
followers  of  Christ. 

With  these  wholesome  views  it  is  certainly  somewhat 
remarkable  that  the  Disciple  movement  did  not  at  once 
receive  the  support  of  all  earnest  Christian  people,  and 
especially  the  intelligent  part  of  every  Christian  com- 
munity. It  is  perhaps  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the 
ignorant  masses  did  not  appreciate  the  supreme  simplicity 
of  the  plea  which  the  Disciples  made.  Ignorance  loves 
mystery.  It  is  fascinated  with  the  very  things  it  cannot 
understand.  This  is  especially  true  in  religious  matters. 
A  religion  which  is  easily  understood  loses  something  of 
its  attractiveness  to  the  ordinary  mind.  Occultism  is 
essential  to  some  people's  piety.  They  cannot  worship  in 
an  atmosphere  where  the  vision  is  clear.  Ritualism  has 
its  foundation  in  this  very  fact:  a  spectacular  representa- 
tion, which  is  intended  to  exhibit,  to  a  certain  extent,  the 
unseen,  is  a  powerful  factor  in  gaining  the  attention  of 
those  who  do  not  think.  Perhaps  the  beginning  of  Chris- 
tianity in  miracles  may  be  explained  by  the  fact  just 
stated.  But  whether  this  be  so  or  not,  it  is  certain  that 
the  popular  mind  is  often  more  easily  moved  by  occult 
influence  than  by  any  other,  since  nearly  every  one  is  to 
some  extent  inclined  to  be  superstitious. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  Disciple  movement, 
as  a  union  movement,  has  not  succeeded  as  the  Disciples 
expected  it  would  succeed,  when  they  proposed  the  union 
and  supported  it  on  the  simple  ground  of  fellowship  in 
Christ,  without  any  additions  of  theological  or  philo- 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY  803 


sophical  speculations,  or  human  opinions,  as  distinguished 
from  the  faith  that  is  in  Christ.  Indeed,  it  has  been 
affirmed  by  some  of  their  own  writers  that  their  contribu- 
tions to  Christian  union  have  not  been  equal  to  those  of 
the  Episcopalians.  However,  nothing  could  be  more  un- 
just than  this  unworthy  contrast.  It  is  readily  admitted 
that  the  Episcopal  Church  has  advocated  Christian  union, 
and  has  done  some  good  service  in  calling  attention  to 
the  importance  of  oneness  in  Christ;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  this  advocacy  has  carried  with  it  an  impossible 
condition.  The  celebrated  Lambeth  proposals  were  not 
for  Christian  union  at  all,  but  they  simply  stated  the 
terms  on  which  the  bishops  were  open  to  consider  the 
question.  The  statements  are  also  somewhat  ambiguous, 
and  therefore  leave  room  for  misunderstandings.  The 
fourth  article,  whether  intentionally  so  or  not,  certainly 
makes  safe  the  position  of  the  bishops  themselves.  In 
other  words,  the  Episcopal  Church  is  ready  to  have  Chris- 
tian union  provided  that  Church  and  its  clergy  are  to  be 
properly  cared  for  in  the  union,  and  are  made  perfectly 
safe  in  holding  their  present  positions,  no  matter  what 
else  may  happen.  This  is  emphatically  the  union  of  the 
anaconda  and  rabbits.  The  anaconda  is  doubtless  always 
willing,  but  the  rabbits  object  to  a  union  which  swal- 
lows them  bodily  into  the  greedy  stomach  of  the  ana- 
conda. 

The  Disciples  have  been  charged  with  advocating  a 
union  somewhat  similar  to  this.  But  this  is  not  true. 
They  have  always  been  willing  to  throw  the  Bible  down 
on  a  platform  and  call  all  religious  people  to  come  to 
it,  and  then  if  they  (the  Disciples)  are  not  there  them- 
selves they  declare  that  they  will  soon  come  and  join  with 
those  who  are  honestly  seeking  for  the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth.  They  do  not  ask  that 
other  religious  people  shall  join  tJicm,  but  that  all  shall 
join  the  Christ,  and  then  in  Him  all  will  be  united  and  one, 
as  He  and  the  Father  are  one.  It  is  an  entire  misappre- 
hension of  the  Disciple  position  to  affirm  that  they  are 
seeking  Christian  union  by  having  their  own  religious 
organisation  absorb  all  other  religious  organisations. 
Their  movement  means  a  larger  comprehension  than  is  now 
manifested  by  the  Christian  churches,  or  Disciples  of 
Christ.    They  have  been  compelled,  by  force  of  circum- 


804   HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


stances,  to  organise  their  churches  and  work  from  a  com- 
mon centre  on  the  religious  world,  and  also  on  the  un- 
converted masses;  but  they  have  always  been  willing  to 
meet  other  religious  people  more  than  halfway  in  any 
effort  to  break  down  the  walls  of  sectarianism  and  unite 
the  people  of  God  on  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and 
prophets,  Jesus  Christ  Himself  being  the  chief  cornerstone. 
Indeed,  nothing  perhaps  has  characterised  the  Disciples 
more  than  their  willingness  to  abide  by  the  conclusions 
of  their  own  logic.  The  Campbells  were  the  first  to  show 
their  faith  in  the  principles  they  advocated,  by  submitting 
to  the  very  conditions  which  they  announced  for  the 
acceptance  of  others.  It  was  a  struggle,  no  doubt,  for 
them  to  give  up  all  antecedent  religious  associations  and 
theological  predilections,  and  submit  to  the  simple  tests 
which  were  comprehensively  stated  or  implied  in  the  grand 
"  Declaration  and  Address."  But  when  they  saw  to  what 
result  their  reasoning  led,  they  willingly  submitted  to 
even  immersion,  and  to  the  rejection  of  infant  baptism, 
both  of  which  antagonised  their  most  sacred  religious 
belief.  And  it  must  be  remembered  that,  in  taking  this 
step,  they  had  to  cut  themselves  off  from  all  former 
religious  aflBliations,  and  for  a  considerable  time,  at  least, 
they  were  entirely  isolated,  and  had  the  fellowship  of 
only  a  few  friends  who  formed  with  them  the  Christian 
Association,  and  finally  two  or  three  churches  of  little 
or  no  social  infiuence.  Whoever  will  contemplate  the 
action  of  these  holy  men,  from  this  point  of  view,  cannot 
fail  to  see  that  they  really  practised  what  they  preached. 
They  were  not  seeking  to  have  the  religious  world  join 
them,  as  an  organisation,  but  to  have  the  religious  world 
reform  their  faith  and  practice  until  they  should  stand  in 
the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

This  noble  spirit  may  not  always  have  been  manifested 
by  all  the  Disciples,  during  their  hundred  years  of  his- 
tory. There  have  been,  and  are  doubtless,  still  sectarians 
among  them.  It  is  perhaps  impossible  for  this  to  be  other- 
wise. There  were  narrow-minded  men  among  the  Chris- 
tians in  the  days  of  the  Apostles.  These  men  were  a  source 
of  constant  trouble  to  those  who  had  the  wider  and  higher 
outlook.  But  God  has  never  made  human  progress  an 
easy  thing.  It  would  be  worth  very  little  if  it  were  always 
easy.    Struggle  is  essential  to  strength,  as  well  as  to  clear- 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY 


805 


ness  of  vision,  and  these  are  always  indispensable  to  the 
building  of  character,  and  God  is  aiming  to  make  character 
through  the  Church.  This  is  the  Church's  object  and  aim. 
Even  Christian  union  cannot  be  attained  until  Christian 
character  is  the  basis.  It  is,  therefore,  no  discouraging 
fact  that  the  Disciples  must  still  "  learn  to  labour  and 
to  wait."  God  is  never  in  a  hurry.  It  took  millions  of 
years  to  prepare  the  earth  for  the  abode  of  man.  It  may 
take  millions  of  more  years  before  man,  in  his  full  growth, 
is  prepared  for  that  "  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal 
in  the  heavens."  God's  steps  are  across  the  centuries; 
but  He  makes  these  steps  only  when  the  proper  time  has 
come  for  them.  As  a  union  movement,  the  Disciple  plea 
has  not  been  a  failure.  It  has  leavened  religious  society; 
it  has  called  attention  to  the  only  basis  upon  which  Chris- 
tian union  is  possible  or  even  desirable.  Many  have  not 
yet  responded.  This  ought  to  have  been  expected,  and 
is  not,  therefore,  wholly  a  discouraging  fact.  Some  have 
responded.  The  movement  itself  has  made  phenomenal 
headway.  It  has  undoubtedly  reformed  the  religious 
thinking  of  the  age,  as  well  as  much  of  the  practice. 
The  high  ideal  set  before  it  has  not  yet  been  reached,  but 
many  important  steps  in  that  direction  have  been  taken. 
The  Disciples  are  still  climbing  the  hill,  on  the  top  of 
which  all  the  dividing  lines  will  be  lost  in  the  compre- 
hensive vision  which  Christians  can  have  when  they  have 
reached  the  summit  of  love.  Faith  and  hope  are  im- 
portant basic  graces,  but  love  covers  everything  and  per- 
meates everything.  It  clears  the  atmosphere.  It  blends 
all  the  dividing  lines,  which  are  seen  in  the  lower  views, 
into  one  holy  vision  where  only  Christ  and  His  salvation 
fill  the  eyes  of  His  disciples. 

(7.)  The  Disciples  have  demonstrated  that  a  religious 
body  can  remain  united  without  the  aid  of  a  human  creed. 
This  is  a  very  important  contribution  to  religious  progress. 
It  is  the  very  thing  that  their  enemies  declared  could  not 
be.  In  the  early  days  of  their  movement  it  was  constantly 
asserted  that  as  a  religious  body  they  would  soon  go  to 
pieces.  It  was  declared  that  their  bond  of  union  was  a 
rope  of  sand;  that  they  had  among  them  all  kinds  of 
men,  preaching  all  kinds  of  doctrine,  and  that  consequently 
there  was  no  potent  influence  to  hold  them  together  as 
one  people. 


806    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


But  these  prophecies  have  all  failed.  The  Disciples 
have  proved  by  their  own  history  that  human  creeds  are 
not  necessary  to  the  union  of  Christendom.  They  have 
made  a  practical  demonstration  of  this  fact,  and  this  is 
worth  vastly  more  than  arguments.  Their  movement  is 
now  one  hundred  years  old,  and  no  serious  defection 
has  ever  taken  place  among  the  Disciples,  while  division 
after  division  has  followed  among  the  denominations 
which  have  human  creeds  as  the  basis  of  union  and  com- 
munion. 

It  is  doubtless  true  that  the  very  thing  that  was  sup- 
posed to  be  a  weakness  with  the  Disciples  has  been  a  great 
source  of  strength.  The  elimination  of  doctrinal  philoso- 
phies and  theological  speculations,  which  more  or  less 
enter  into  all  the  human  creeds  of  Christendom,  has  made 
the  Disciples'  position  not  only  broad  enough  for  all  re- 
ligious people  to  stand  upon,  but  strong  enough  to  stand 
against  all  the  foes  that  may  assail  it.  To  indicate  more 
specifically  the  breadth  and  strength  of  the  Disciples' 
position  it  may  be  stated  that  they  have  brought  into  their 
fellowship  not  only  all  kinds  of  men  preaching  all  kinds 
of  doctrine,  but  these  men  have  themselves  contributed 
to  the  richness  and  fulness  and  glory  of  the  Disciple 
fellowship.  Men  have  been  allowed  to  enjoy  their  own 
opinions  with  respect  to  all  questions  that  may  be  re- 
garded as  legitimate  for  investigation,  while  these  men 
remain  true  to  the  centre,  namely,  Jesus  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  the  living  God.  Neither  Trinitarianism  nor  Arian- 
ism;  neither  Calvinism  nor  Arminianism;  neither  pre- 
millennianism  nor  post-millennianism ;  nor  have  questions 
about  the  future  life  been  made  tests  of  fellowship  with 
the  Disciples.  The  one  question  which  they  ask,  when 
persons  are  seeking  fellowship,  is  with  respect  to  the  faith 
of  the  applicant  in  Jesus  the  Christ.  If  such  applicant 
says  he  believes  with  all  his  heart  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God,  that,  so  far  as  faith  goes,  is 
all  that  is  required.  Surely  nothing  could  be  simpler 
than  this,  and  yet  nothing  more  comprehensive.  It  unites 
the  head  and  the  heart,  and  this  is  pre-eminently  the  glory 
of  the  Disciples'  plea.  It  is  a  constant  protection  against 
ignorance,  in  that  it  makes  the  Word  of  God  a  rule  of  faith 
and  practice.  It  is  also  a  constant  protest  against  cold- 
ness or  formality,  in  that  it  makes  a  hearty  faith  in  Jesus 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY 


807 


Christ  fundamental  in  the  case  of  every  one  who  seeks 
fellowship  in  the  Church.  It  is  a  reasonable  plea;  for 
it  makes  its  appeal  to  the  intellect.  It  is  a  social  plea, 
for  it  addresses  the  affections.  Uniting  both  head  and 
heart,  it  lays  hold  of  Christ,  who  satisfies  both  the  intellect 
and  the  affections. 

Standing  at  the  close  of  this  Centennial  year  and  look- 
ing backward  over  the  century  that  is  past,  it  is  im- 
possible not  to  realise  something  of  the  coming  glory  which 
is  beginning  to  shine  upon  the  progress  of  the  Christianity 
of  Christ.  It  has  already  been  indicated  that  America 
is  the  place  where  the  forces  of  Christendom  are  preparing 
for  the  final  attack  upon  the  strongholds  of  heathendom, 
lying  west  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Even  now,  some  of 
the  advance  guards  have  entered  these  unregenerated 
countries  which  lie  on  the  road  to  the  final  consummation 
of  the  struggle  for  the  conversion  of  the  nations  this 
side  of  Palestine,  the  country  where  Christianity  first  took 
up  its  march  around  the  world.  It  may  be  that  this 
preparation  for  the  final  attack  on  heathendom  will  be 
delayed  longer  than  seems  reasonable  to  the  Disciples. 
No  doubt  they  are  impatient  to  effect  Christian  union, 
for  the  reason  that  they  do  not  believe  that  the  conversion 
of  the  world  can  be  realised  until  Christian  union  is  con- 
summated. But  this  impatience  should  give  place  to  the 
hopeful  consideration  that  this  Centennial  year  is  itself 
almost  a  marvellous  preparation  for  and  a  promise  of  the 
coming  better  days.  The  Disciples  have  already  demon- 
strated their  wonderful  enthusiasm  by  the  remarkable 
crowds  which  have  assembled  at  their  yearly  conventions, 
during  the  past  two  decades,  but  the  Centennial  celebra- 
tion at  Pittsburg,  during  October  of  this  year,  will  per- 
haps be  the  most  noteworthy  gathering  of  religious  people 
that  has  ever  assembled  at  one  place  in  the  history  of 
Christianity.  When  the  tens  of  thousands  of  Disciples 
stand  together  in  a  holy  fellowship,  on  that  occasion,  it 
will  be  the  pledge  of  a  new  courage  and  new  consecration 
and  new  triumphs  for  the  great  cause  for  which  the  Dis- 
ciples have  always  contended.  It  will  also  be  an  un- 
mistakable proof  that  the  new  century  of  their  history 
will  not  close  until  their  great  Leader,  the  King  of  Kings 
and  Lord  of  Lords,  shall  triumph  over  the  opposition  which 
has  so  long  sought  to  hinder  His  stately  steps  of  progress, 


808    HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


while  leading  the  host  of  religious  people  in  their  march 
to  the  conquest  of  the  nations. 

From  this  high  point  of  view  I  plainly  see 

A  vision  clear  of  what  the  world  will  be, 

When  all  the  nations  shall  the  praises  sing 

Of  him  who  is  our  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King. 

I  see  a  time  when  bloody  wars  shall  cease. 

And  in  their  stead  reign  universal  peace, 

When  pruning  hooks  shall  take  the  place  of  spears, 

And  Love  in  hearts  shall  reign  instead  of  fears. 

I  see  also  in  that  great  coming  day. 

That  cold  commercialism  will  not  sway 

The  lives  of  men  for  filthy  lucre's  sake; 

But  energy  will  then  be  used  to  make 

And  bless  a  free  and  noble  brotherhood, 

In  which  the  aim  of  all  is  highest  good, 

Where  selfishness,  with  ugly  visage,  dies 

Beside  the  wreck  of  sordid,  corp'rate  lies. 

Which  have  so  long  with  hungry,  selfish  greed 

Refused  to  listen  to  the  cry  of  need. 

Which  comes  from  sad  and  weary  souls  oppressed; 

Whose  fearful  struggle  in  this  world  for  rest, 

Should  make  the  very  stones  cry  out  for  shame 

Against  the  men,  who  chiefly  are  to  blame 

For  all  the  inequalities  of  life, 

That  gender  and  maintain  a  wicked  strife. 

But  in  my  view  this  evil  is  no  more, 

The  time  at  last  has  come  when  rich  and  poor 

Are  terms  which  have  no  longer  any  place 

Within  the  sacred  sphere  of  saving  grace. 

But  just  like  Jew  and  Greek,  and  bond  and  free. 

These  terms  are  lost  in  Love's  great  symphony. 

This  blessed  vision  is  no  idle  dream, 

The  present  throbs  and  glows  with  things  that  seem 

To  promise  and  to  clearly  indicate 

The  ush'ring  in  of  that  millennial  state, 

Where  our  sweet  peace  shall  like  the  rivers  be, 

And  all  our  righteousness  like  waves  of  sea. 

Upon  the  dim  and  mystic  borderland 

Of  nineteen  Christian  centuries  now  we  stand ; 

A  century  new  begins  to  faintly  dawn. 

To  take  the  place  of  one  already  gone, 

While  echoes  from  the  years  of  all  the  past 

Are  ringing  down  the  ages,  like  a  blast 

From  northern  climes  upon  the  dawning  spring. 

And  hushing  birds  which  had  begun  to  sing. 

These  echoes  flood  the  air  with  sad  refrains 

Of  injuries  done  and  vile,  unrighteous  gains; 

Of  wrongs  committed  and  of  rights  betrayed. 


RECAPITULATORY  SURVEY  809 


Of  broken  promises  and  debts  unpaid, 

Of  wasted  opportunities  and  powers, 

Of  squandered  priv'leges  and  murdered  hours, 

Of  sad  bereavements  and  of  dismal  blights, 

Of  waiting  long  throughout  the  weary  nights ; 

Of  storms  and  tempests  on  the  raging  seas. 

Of  deep  despondency  and  fell  disease, 

Of  hopes  all  shattered  in  the  rushing  tide 

That  sweeps  t'ward  death  with  fast  and  reckless  stride. 

But  these  sad  echoes  all  are  fully  met 

With  songs  of  joy  to  brightest  music  set ; 

These  drive  back  strife,  which  comes  from  days  of  yore, 

And  usher  in  an  age,  when  never  more 

The  discords  of  the  past  shall  break  or  mar 

Our  Gospel  music  by  a  single  jar; 

An  age  in  which  we'll  tell,  with  one  accord. 

The  glories  of  our  royal,  sovereign  Lord, 

And  men  shall  own  and  everywhere  maintain 

The  majesty  of  his  imperial  reign. 

We  wait  with  patience  for  that  age  to  bring 

These  splendid  honours  to  our  Lord  and  King. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION 

IT  was  the  aim  of  the  publishers  to  have  this  volume 
ready  before  the  International  Convention  of  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ,  which  was  specially  intended  to  cel- 
ebrate the  centenary  of  their  organisation,  should  take 
place  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  beginning  October  11th  and  closing 
October  19th ;  but  owing  to  unforeseen  difficulties  this  was 
found  to  be  impossible.  When  this  became  apparent  it 
was  decided  to  add  a  few  pages  of  letterpress,  as  Avell  as  of 
illustrations,  giving  a  vivid  and  sufficiently  comprehensive 
account  of  the  great  Convention,  which  was  perhaps  the 
most  unique  and  largely  attended  of  any  assembly  of 
Christians,  representing  a  single  church,  that  has  ever 
taken  place  in  the  history  of  Christianity.  A  conservative 
estimate  of  the  number  of  delegates  may  be  stated  at 
35,000,  though  many  good  judges  are  of  the  opinion  that 
not  less  than  40,000  were  in  attendance.  It  was  well 
understood  by  those  who  had  means  of  knowing  that  more 
than  one-fourth  of  the  delegates  did  not  register,  and  con- 
sequently no  official  figures  can  be  given. 

The  programme  of  this  Convention,  which  will  be  found 
in  Chapter  XXIX  of  this  volume,  was  substantially  carried 
out,  only  a  few  unimportant  changes  being  made.  What 
follows  in  this  report  deals  only  with  the  mountain-peaks 
of  what  actually  took  place. 

The  opening  meeting  was  held  in  Carnegie  Music  Hall, 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  on  Monday  evening,  October  11,  1909.  The 
Disciple  movement  is  usually  reckoned  chronologically  from 
the  issuance  of  the  celebrated  Declaration  and  Address 
of  Thomas  Campbell  in  1809.  The  Disciples  had  been  two 
years  preparing  for  this  occasion.  It  was  with  deep  emo- 
tions that  the  leaders  took  their  places  on  the  platform 
to  face  an  audience  which  filled  every  part  of  the  great 
building  where  the  initial  meeting  was  held.  J.  H.  Garri- 
son of  St.  Louis,  president  of  the  Centennial  Commission, 

810 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION  811 


presided  at  this  meeting,  and  after  a  stirring  hymn  was 
sung  the  great  audience  was  led  in  prayer  by  W.  T. 
Moore  of  Indianapolis.  The  welcome  to  the  city  of  Pitts- 
burg was  by  City  Solicitor  Charles  A.  O'Brien  in  an 
appropriate  address.  The  response  to  this  address  was 
made  by  A.  C.  Rankine  of  Adelaide,  Australia,  and  Wallace 
Tharp,  pastor  of  the  First  Church,  Northside,  Pittsburg. 
Mr.  Tharp's  response  was  particularly  happy.  After 
these  introductory  exercises  the  Convention  sermon  was 
preached  by  George  H.  Combs  of  Kansas  City,  taking  for 
his  text  John  xvii :  37.  In  the  course  of  his  sermon  he 
said  : 

"  What  is  our  mission  ?  It  has  been  already  oft-repeated 
— the  unification  of  the  churches  of  our  Lord.  Now,  if  our 
mission  is  to  unite  Christians,  our  message  must  be  to 
Christians.  If  we  were  sent  into  the  world  with  a  message 
to  Christians  in  all  the  communions  of  earth,  we  must  somehow 
deliver  that  message.  But  are  we?  Before  Almighty  God,  yes 
or  no?  Are  we  reaching  the  ear  and  heart  of  Christendom? 
Are  we  going  as  flaming  messengers  to  the  churches  around  us, 
beseeching  them  in  Christ's  name  to  be  one?  Here  in  this 
great  centennial  convention  is  the  place  for  our  confessions. 
We  are  not  accomplishing,  as  we  ought,  our  sacred  mission. 
And  here  with  these  faces  of  our  fathers  looking  down  upon 
us,  let  us  reconsecrate  ourselves  to  our  proper  work.  For 
these  sturdy  pioneers  delivered  their  message.  They  spoke 
to  the  churches.  From  every  platform,  whether  city  church 
or  woodland  temple,  they  preached  to  Christians  of  all  com- 
munions, beseeching  them  to  be  one.  We  must  follow  them. 
Their  mission  is  our  mission.  We  must  address  the  churches 
of  our  day  just  as  Mr.  Campbell  addressed  the  churches  of  his 
day.  Convincing  them  that  we  are  not  building  up  another 
denomination,  but  are  pleading  for  the  union  of  all  believers 
in  Christ.  We  must  find  our  way  into  their  pulpits;  into 
their  prayer  meetings,  their  revivals,  their  conventions,  with 
the  one  cry  on  our  lips  and  in  our  hearts,  '  Brethreu,  we  en- 
treat you  that  there  may  be  no  divisions  among  you ! '  We 
count  '  our  plea '  familiar.  Familiar,  yes — to  us,  but  strange 
as  tongue  of  Arabic  to  the  Christian  world  at  large.  It  is 
ours  to  make  it  known,  to  see  to  it  that  every  man  who  holds 
in  his  heart  the  face  of  Christ  from  humblest  sexton  of  dis- 
senting chapels  to  highest  dignitary  in  historic  churches,  Eng- 
lish, Greek,  and  Roman  shall  have  heard  our  story. 

This  is  a  summons  to  a  warfare  and  not  to  a  battle.  Victory 
will  not  come  on  the  morrow.  The  consummation  may  be  yet 
afar,  but  this  we  can  do :  We  can  give  ourselves  in  passionate 
abandon  to  this  notable  mission.  We  can  do  our  very  all, 
and  if  the  triumph  come  not  in  our  own  day,  we  can  surrender 


812  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


our  task  in  confidence  to  those  who  come  after,  knowing  that 
soon  or  late  the  day  will  come,  and  singing  even  while  we  die : 

"Ring  bells  in  unreared  steeples. 
To  joy  of  unborn  peoples, 
Your  triumphs  are  our  own." 

The  second  day  of  the  Convention  was  occupied  with 
meetings  under  the  auspices  of  the  "  Christian  Woman's 
Board  of  Missions  "  and  the  "  Brotherhood  of  the  Disciples 
of  Christ." 

All  the  sessions  of  the  "  Christian  Woman's  Board  of 
Missions"  were  crowded  with  enthusiastic,  consecrated 
women,  who  evidently  came  together,  not  so  much  for 
glorifying  the  past  as  for  providing  for  the  future.  In  this 
respect  there  was  a  striking  contrast  between  the  C.W.B.M. 
and  all  other  organisations  represented  in  the  Centennial 
Convention.  It  was  evident  that  the  women  were  there 
for  business  as  well  as  for  enjoyment,  and  the  former  was 
the  predominant  note.  They  held  numerous  sessions 
where  the  time  was  chiefly  occupied  in  hearing  the  reports 
from  the  field,  and  in  considering  ways  and  means  by 
which  their  work  could  be  extended  and  also  made  more 
efficient.  As  an  indication  of  the  national  character  of 
this  organisation  it  is  only  necessary  to  state  that  there 
were  representatives  present  from  Alabama,  Arkansas, 
California — north  and  south — Colorado,  District  of  Co- 
lumbia, Florida,  Georgia,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Illinois,  Ken- 
tucky, Maryland,  Michigan,  Minnesota,  Missouri,  Kansas, 
Nebraska,  New  England,  New  York,  North  Carolina,  South 
Carolina,  Ohio,  Oklahoma,  Oregon,  Pennsylvania,  Tennes- 
see, Texas,  Virginia — east  and  west — Washington,  Wis- 
consin. There  were  also  present  representatives  from 
Africa,  Australia,  Canada,  China,  England,  India,  Japan, 
Mexico,  the  Philippines,  and  other  foreign  countries. 

Five  hundred  and  forty-five  new  Auxiliaries  and  Mission 
Circles  were  organised  during  the  past  year.  For  the 
second  and  third  quarters  there  was  an  average  of  two  new 
organisations  daily.  There  are  at  present  73,608  members. 
Receipts  for  the  last  month  of  the  Centennial  period 
amounted  to  |119,427.00.  Receipts  for  all  purposes  dur- 
ing the  year  |381,854.23.  The  original  financial  Centen- 
nial aim  was  exceeded  by  |130,766.21.  For  the  four  years 
of  the  Centennial  period  the  total  receipts  amounted  to 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION  813 


11,165,675.00,  and  for  the  same  period  29,876  women  were 
added  to  the  membership. 

The  meetings  of  the  Brotherhood  were  among  the  most 
inspiring,  as  well  as  perhaps  the  most  important  of  any 
that  took  place  during  the  entire  convention.  The  great 
pavilion  in  Luna  Park  was  literally  packed  with  men 
only,  and  the  enthusiasm  was  a  marked  feature  and  clearly 
indicated  the  deep  interest  which  Christian  men,  among  the 
Disciples,  are  taking  in  the  affairs  of  the  churches.  This 
was  all  the  more  noticeable  because  this  is  a  somewhat 
new  interest.  The  Conventions  of  the  Disciples  in  the 
past  history  of  the  movement  have  been  characterised  by 
a  conspicuous  absence  of  the  business  men  connected  with 
their  churches.  For  the  most  part  the  men  delegates  of 
the  Conventions  have  been  preachers,  college  professors, 
editors,  etc.  Very  generally  only  comparatively  a  few 
business  men  have  appeared  in  their  councils.  Evidently 
the  new  century  of  their  movement  begins  with  a  new 
enthusiasm  among  the  business  men,  and  this  fact  is  per- 
haps the  most  promising  sign  in  the  outlook  for  the  future 
days. 

It  is  worth  while  just  here  to  note  that  this  new  en- 
thusiasm of  the  men  has  been  mainly  produced  by  the 
active  agency  of  one  man,  namely,  R.  A.  Long  of  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  who  is  the  first  president  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  Mr.  Long  went  about  arrang- 
ing for  the  meetings  at  this  Convention  in  a  decidedly 
business  manner,  bringing  all  the  way  from  Kansas  City  a 
splendid  band  of  music,  as  well  as  scores  of  prominent 
workers,  while  the  speakers  selected  were  men  of  a  type 
well-fitted  to  address  audiences  such  as  were  brought  to- 
gether during  the  sessions  of  this  society.  Everything 
bore  the  stamp  of  intense  activity.  The  atmosphere  cre- 
ated was  not  one  in  which  drones  could  live.  It  was 
evident  from  the  beginning  that  only  men  who  were  willing 
to  make  sacrifices  for  the  cause  of  Christ  and  to  actively 
engage  in  His  service  would  feel  at  home  where  these  in- 
spiring leaders  were  holding  forth. 

Mr.  Long's  presidential  address  sounded  the  keynote. 
He  was  followed  by  other  speakers,  namely.  Senator  George 
T.  Oliver  of  Pittsburg,  James  H.  Allen  of  St.  Louis,  T.  W. 
Phillips  of  Pennsylvania,  Charles  C.  Chapman,  known  as 
the  Orange  King  of  California;  Secretary  P.  C.  Macfarlane 


814  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


of  Kansas  City,  Thomas  W.  Grafton  of  Indiana,  W.  F. 
Richardson  of  Kansas  City,  and  Arthur  W.  Holmes  of 
Philadelphia.  The  speech  of  the  last-named  gentleman 
was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  made  during  the  entire 
Convention.  It  was  literally  on  fire  from  beginning  to 
end,  and  produced  a  profound  impression  upon  the  great 
audience  present. 

The  addresses  at  the  evening  session  were  also  of  a 
very  stirring  character  and  were  made  by  the  following 
gentlemen :  Charles  H.  Watson  of  Boston,  Stephen  J.  Corey 
of  Cincinnati,  and  Robert  Johnson,  pastor  of  the  American 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Montreal. 

Evidently  this  new  organisation  promises  well  to  be- 
come an  important  factor  in  the  future  progress  of  the 
Disciple  movement.  It  was  an  inspiring  sight  which  met 
the  view  in  that  great  hall,  filled  with  consecrated  business 
men,  apparently  moved  by  a  single  purpose,  namely,  the 
taking  of  the  world  for  the  conquering  Christ. 

The  next  day  was  devoted  to  Foreign  Missions.  Several 
able  addresses  were  delivered,  but  the  most  attractive 
feature  was  the  introduction  of  missionaries  who  were  at 
home  on  furlough.  Most  of  these  made  short  addresses 
and  were  heartily  cheered  by  the  great  congregations  pres- 
ent. Three  parallel  sessions  were  held  during  the  day 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary 
Society,  where  abstracts  of  the  Annual  Report  were  read. 
The  financial  receipts  for  the  year  1908-1909  were  |350,- 
685.21.  Increase  over  the  preceding  year  |76,360.82. 
Very  little  business  was  done  during  these  sessions. 
However,  during  the  afternoon  an  interesting  service  was 
held  at  the  James  Rees  &  Sons  Company  plant,  where  the 
dedication  and  launching  of  the  steamboat  Oregon  were 
witnessed  by  at  least  5,000  delegates.  This  boat  was 
built  especially  for  mission  work  on  the  Congo  River  in 
Africa,  and  was  constructed  so  that  it  can  be  taken  apart 
and  shipped  to  its  destination.  Six  thousand  dollars  were 
raised  in  about  six  minutes  to  complete  the  payments  on 
the  little  steamer.  The  outlook  for  this  society  was  never 
more  promising.  The  work  of  the  past  year  has  exceeded 
all  expectations.  An  additional  secretary  has  been  ap- 
pointed, E.  W.  Allen,  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  a  resolution 
passed  instructing  the  Executive  Committee  to  provide 
still  other  secretaries  should  they  be  needed.    Fifty  thou- 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION 


815 


sand  dollars  have  been  received  for  two  new  colleges:  one 
in  the  Philippines  and  the  other  in  Africa. 

The  next  two  days  were  occupied  with  sections  of  the 
American  Christian  Missionary  Society,  and  organisations 
under  the  auspices  of  that  society.  At  the  first  morning 
session,  held  in  Carnegie  Hall,  the  president  of  the  society, 
Charles  S.  Medbury,  delivered  his  annual  address.  This 
address  dealt  with  the  past,  present,  and  future  of  the  Dis- 
ciple movement,  and  emphasised  very  specially  the  spirit- 
ual side  of  their  plea,  holding  this  to  be  an  important 
factor  in  their  future  development.  During  the  day  a 
lively  feature  of  the  exercises  was  a  discussion  with  re- 
spect to  the  next  place  where  the  Convention  should  be 
held.  A  cordial  invitation  was  extended  by  the  Baptists 
of  Boston  to  bring  the  Convention  to  that  city  next  October. 
This  invitation  was  received  with  marked  appreciation, 
but  owing  to  apparently  very  conclusive  reasons,  the  Con- 
vention was  compelled,  reluctantly,  to  choose  another 
place.  The  contest  at  once  became  exciting  between  Des 
Moines,  la.,  and  Topeka,  Kan.,  the  latter  finally  winning 
out  by  a  decided  majority. 

The  president  of  the  American  Christian  Missionary 
Society  for  the  next  year  is  Peter  Ainslie  of  Baltimore, 
Md.,  and  the  two  new  secretaries  are  I.  N.  McCash 
of  Berkeley,  Cal.,  and  Grant  K.  Lewis,  Long  Branch, 
Cal. 

The  reports  of  work  done  by  this  society  were  very 
generally  encouraging,  decided  progress  having  been  made 
in  many  directions  during  the  past  year.  It  is  difficult  to 
tabulate  this  work,  as  it  is  represented  more  or  less  in 
nearly  all  the  organisations  connected  with  the  Disciple 
movement.  The  report  of  the  year's  work  by  the  Board 
of  Church  Extension  was  particularly  gratifying.  The 
total  receipts  for  the  year  from  all  sources  amounted  to 
$197,252.24.  The  total  now  in  the  Church  Extension  fund 
is  $757,621.39.  Number  of  churches  aided  during  twenty- 
one  years,  1,261,  and  these  are  scattered  over  forty-three 
States,  Canada,  and  Hawaii;  these  loans  aggregating 
$1,314,361.69.  The  balance  on  hand  September  30th,  was 
$79,842.42.  It  was  also  stated  that  during  these  twenty- 
one  years  $922,324.49  have  been  returned  on  loans,  and 
708  congregations  have  paid  their  loans  in  full,  while  all 
this  has  been  accomplished  with  an  actual  loss  of  only 


816  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


$563.  The  total  new  receipts  of  the  Church  Extension 
Fund  for  the  year  are  |99,885.41. 

Several  other  organisations  reported  substantial  prog- 
ress. Interesting  sessions  were  devoted  to  the  National 
Benevolent  Association,  Christian  Endeavour,  Ministerial 
Association,  American  Temperance  Board,  and  Board  of 
Ministerial  Relief.  Running  through  all  these  reports 
there  was  an  optimistic  spirit  Avhich  was  characteristic 
of  all  the  sessions  of  the  Convention.  Evidently  the  Dis- 
ciples believe  in  success,  and  to  believe  in  success  is  success 
half  won.  As  an  indication  of  progress  the  following  facts 
and  figures  are  very  convincing:  Eighteen  years  ago  the 
annual  convention  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  met  in  Pitts- 
burg. The  First  Church  on  the  Northside  contained  all 
the  sessions.  Then  the  delegates  were  considerably  less 
than  1,000.  This  convention's  delegates  were  numbered 
by  tens  of  thousands.  There  are  11,714  churches,  8,752 
Bible  schools,  6,861  ministers,  1,327,559  communicants. 
There  are  984,883  students  enrolled  in  the  Bible  schools. 
The  total  church  valuation  is  $29,742,244. 

Ten  years  ago  the  Disciples  had  1,121,826  members. 
The  present  membership  is  1,327,559,  a  gain  of  I814  per 
cent. 

During  these  ten  years  1,000  churches,  with  a  member- 
ship of  possibly  100,000,  that  are  opposed  to  organised 
effort  are  not  included  in  present-day  statistics. 

During  the  afternoon  and  evening  of  October  15th, 
several  colleges  connected  with  the  Disciples  held  banquets. 
Among  the  most  prominent  of  these  may  be  mentioned 
Transylvania,  Butler,  Hiram,  Drake,  and  Bethany;  the 
last  named  being  attended  by  nearly  800  of  the  delegates, 
and  presided  over  by  United  States  Senator  Oliver  of 
Pittsburg.  At  this  banquet  about  |6,000  were  added  to 
the  proposed  Endowment  Fund  of  $125,000,  to  be  raised 
and  presented  to  the  trustees  as  a  Centennial  offering, 
in  recognition  of  the  great  influence  Bethany  College  has 
exerted  in  carrying  forward  the  Restoration  movement  of 
the  Disciples. 

Saturday,  October  16th,  was  the  special  Centennial  day. 
Three  parallel  sessions  were  held  during  that  day  and 
evening.  These  meetings  crowded  every  part  of  the  great 
buildings  occupied.  Indeed,  in  many  of  the  places  stand- 
ing-room was  at  a  premium,  and  some  overflow  meetings 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION 


817 


were  held  in  order  to  accommodate  the  great  throngs  that 
were  eager  to  hear  and  to  see.  Perhaps  the  most  distinc- 
tively characteristic  meeting  was  that  held  in  the  after- 
noon in  the  First  United  Presbyterian  Church,  entitled 
"  The  Veterans'  Campfire."  At  this  meeting  only  those 
who  were  seventy  years  of  age  and  upward  participated. 
Of  course  all  who  were  present  were  not  veterans  accord- 
ing to  this  rule,  but  those  who  were  not  had  a  special 
place  assigned  to  them  in  the  room,  and  occupied  that  place 
simply  as  spectators.  The  Veterans  numbered  about  250, 
and  the  meeting  was  presided  over  by  L.  L.  Carpenter  of 
Wabash,  Ind.  His  address  was  listened  to  with  profound 
attention  by  all  and  was  heartily  received.  He  was  fol- 
lowed by  J.  W.  McGarvey  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  who  had  been 
appointed  to  make  the  special  address  of  the  occasion. 
President  McGarvey  was  never  better  in  both  matter  and 
manner.  His  address  was  simplicity  itself,  and  in  this 
consisted  its  chief  charm.  There  was  no  effort  at  self- 
laudation,  nor  any  eulogy  of  others.  It  was  a  plain  state- 
ment of  plain  facts  with  the  co-ordination  of  these  facts 
into  the  rise,  progress,  and  present  status  of  the  Disciple 
movement.  The  spirit  of  the  address  was  beautiful,  its 
sympathy  was  intense,  its  appropriateness  above  all  praise. 
There  was  not  a  note  in  it  that  did  not  harmonise  with  the 
great  occasion.  Many  tearful  eyes  were  in  the  a\idience 
and  often  the  speaker  was  cheered  at  the  conclusion  of  some 
eloquent  passage  which  went  home  to  every  heart. 

A  number  of  short  addresses  followed  President  McGar- 
vey's  masterly  effort.  These  addresses  were  chiefly  con- 
cerned with  personal  reminiscences  of  the  men  and  things 
in  the  past  history  of  the  Disciple  movement.  The  old 
pioneers  received  a  large  share  of  attention,  some  of  the 
speakers  being  personally  familiar  with  nearly  all  the 
chief  men  who  were  instrumental  in  making  the  movement. 

On  the  Lord's  Day  following,  most  of  the  pulpits  of 
the  different  denominations  in  and  near  by  Pittsburg  were 
filled  by  Disciple  preachers,  but  the  crowning  meeting 
of  the  whole  Convention  was  held  in  the  afternoon  of 
that  day.  This  was  a  communion  service  in  Forbes  Field, 
where  not  less  than  30,000  communicants  assembled  to 
partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  In  addition  to  these  there 
were  probably  5,000  more  present  who  came  as  spectators, 
and  who  had  no  very  special  interest  in  the  Supper  itself. 


818  HISTORY  OP  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


It  is  surely  a  great  compliment  to  the  Christian  religion 
to  be  able  to  say  that,  notwithstanding  this  great  throng, 
the  order  was  complete,  and  the  silence  at  times  was 
deeply  impressive.  Never  before  in  the  history  of  Chris- 
tianity had  so  many  persons  partaken  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
at  the  same  time  and  place,  and  never  was  a  great  assembly 
like  this  more  conspicuous  for  the  finest  decorum.  One 
hundred  elders  served  at  the  tables,  and  five  hundred 
deacons  served  the  great  congregation.  The  elders  led 
the  thanksgiving  in  concert  and,  it  is  said  by  those  who 
were  in  position  to  hear,  that  their  voices  swelled  up  in 
perfect  unison  into  a  great  chorus  which  could  be  heard 
at  considerable  distance.  The  movements  of  the  elders 
and  deacons  were  directed  by  Wallace  Tharp  of  Pittsburg, 
from  a  central  position  commanding  the  entire  audience. 
By  means  of  a  small  flag  he  was  enabled  to  indicate  each 
step  of  the  programme,  and  so  completely  was  everything 
understood  that  not  a  single  mistake  was  made  from  be- 
ginning to  end. 

The  whole  service  occupied  little  more  than  an  hour, 
though  there  were  several  inspiring  songs  sung,  as  well  as 
appropriate  Scriptures  read.  The  following  description 
from  the  Pittsburg  Post  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  this  great 
gathering,  and  is  copied  here  because  it  was  written  by 
an  entirely  independent  observer : 

"  The  religious  fervor  of  early  comers  was  kept  in  check  with 
difficulty  as  the  audience  gathered.  Song  broke  forth  in- 
voluntarily from  lips  here  and  there  in  the  vast  assemblage 
during  the  wait.  Section  by  section,  in  each  a  greater  number 
of  persons  seated  than  contained  in  any  congregation,  the 
air  of  some  well-known,  well-loved  hymn  spread  until  a  mighty, 
united  pfean  of  praise  reverberated  through  the  stands. 

No  individual's  voice  could  have  reached  the  confines  of 
the  audience.  Communicants  recited  in  unison  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  a  Scripture  reading,  and  the  benediction.  Two  prayers 
were  read  similarly  by  100  elders  oflBciating  at  tables  at  in- 
tervals about  the  semi-circle. 

Rev.  Dr.  Wallace  Tharp,  pastor  of  the  First  Christian 
Church,  Northside,  was  in  charge.  He  took  his  station  well 
within  the  enclosure  of  the  grandstand  wings,  the  spot  recently 
designated  in  baseball  parlance  as  home  plate.  Behind  him 
was  a  massed  chorus  of  200  voices.  Announcements  by  mega- 
phone were  scarcely  required,  owing  to  careful  explanations 
in  the  programme.  Signals  for  the  commencement  of  each 
part  of  the  service  were  given  with  a  flag. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBKATION 


819 


Remarkable  contrast  of  the  gathering  with  the  great  crowds 
attending  the  world's  champion  baseball  games  last  week 
formed  an  impressive  feature.  In  the  number  of  persons 
within  the  gates  the  events  were  almost  on  a  par,  but  yester- 
day's songs  and  prayers  replaced  cheering.  The  sober  expres- 
sion and  devout  demeanour  of  worshippers  were  in  startling 
opposition  to  the  frenzied  contortions  and  vociferous  enthu- 
siasm to  which  are  accustomed  those  who  have  visited  the  scene 
in  baseball  season. 

Less  than  fifteen  minutes  sufficed,  so  excellent  were  arrange- 
ments, for  every  member  of  the  enormous  crowd  to  be  given 
an  opportunity  to  partake  of  the  bread.  The  passing  of  the 
wine  took  but  little  longer.  No  disorder  marred  the  exercises 
and  little  discomfort  was  occasioned  on  entering  and  leaving 
the  field. 

A  word,  a  mild  request,  was  sufficient  to  secure  absolute 
quiet.  In  spite  of  unusual  surroundings,  realisation  was 
brought  home  of  the  hallowed  nature  of  an  event  which  alone 
permitted  the  50,000  visitors  within  Pittsburg's  gates  to  par- 
ticipate in  an  observance  which  is  a  necessary  part  of  the  de- 
nomination's services  each  Sunday. 

The  gathering  was  of  necessity  spectacular  in  itself,  but 
features  of  an  unusual  nature  were  carefully  avoided.  Fol- 
lowing the  service  the  glass  goblets  used  in  partaking  of  the 
wine  were  eagerly  sought  as  cherished  souvenirs. 

As  the  mighty  congregation  rose  and  at  a  signal,  led  by 
the  chorus  and  eight  cornets,  raised  their  voices  in  the  words 
of  a  hymn  known  the  world  around,  '  Nearer  My  God  to  Thee,' 
every  seat  in  the  grandstand  and  left  field  bleachers  was  occu- 
pied. Soon  the  overfiow  formed  a  wide-flung  crescent,  with  its 
tips  resting  at  the  extremities  of  the  grandstand  wings  and 
extending  across  the  field  some  distance  back  of  the  chorus 
and  leader. 

'  Blest  Be  the  Tie  That  Binds,'  sung  in  unison  by  26,000 
persons  of  all  religious  denominations  and  of  nearly  all  the 
nations  of  the  world,  rising  in  one  great  swelling  anthem, 
brought  to  a  close  the  remarkable  celebration. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  influence  which  this 
great  gathering  in  commemoration  of  the  Lord's  death  and 
suffering  must  have  had  upon  the  people  who  witnessed  it. 
One  thought  at  least  must  have  been  predominant  in  every 
heart.  Could  anything  else  have  brought  so  many  devout 
people  together  and  kept  them  in  the  reverential  mood 
which  characterised  them,  than  the  Cross  of  Christ? 
Surely  it  was  a  demonstration  of  the  truth  of  that  saying 
of  the  Master,  "  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will 
draw  all  men  unto  Me."  Those  who  imagine  that  Chris- 
tianity is  dead,  or  dying,  would  have  had  an  object  lesson 


820  HISTORY  OF  TUE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


had  they  been  present  at  this  celebration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  It  was  the  crowning  feature  of  the  whole 
Convention,  the  event  around  which  everything  else  re- 
volved. 

It  is  worth  while  just  here  to  re-state  what  has  already 
been  emphasised  in  the  preceding  chapters  of  this  volume, 
that  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  on  the  first  day 
of  every  week  has  been  a  cardinal  feature  of  the  Disciple 
Church  from  the  beginning  of  their  movement  to  the  present 
time.  Nor  has  this  feature  lost  any  of  its  interest.  It 
has  rather  grown  in  its  interest,  though  in  latter  years, 
and  in  some  churches,  it  is  perhaps  not  allowed  to  occupy 
as  much  time  and  as  prominent  a  place  as  it  is  entitled 
to  in  view  of  the  relation  it  sustains  to  the  Christian  in- 
stitution. However,  for  the  most  part  the  Disciples  would 
give  up  any  other  portion  of  the  Lord's  Day  services  before 
they  would  surrender  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  this  fact  itself 
is  a  strong  proof  of  their  faithfulness  in  maintaining  the 
cardinal  principles  of  their  religious  movement. 

The  echoes  of  the  celebration  at  Pittsburg  will  go  down 
the  ages,  and  wherever  these  echoes  are  heard  they  will 
be  exhortations  to  the  Disciple  hosts  of  the  future  to  main- 
tain faithfully  the  institution  which  keeps  in  memory 
the  death  of  Christ,  the  fundamental  fact  of  the  Christian 
religion ;  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  the  most  historic  fact  con- 
nected with  the  Disciple  movement. 

The  two  succeeding  days  were  occupied  chiefly  with  de- 
partment programmes,  but  these  cannot  be  described  in 
detail.  Perhaps  the  most  important  of  these  was  the  meet- 
ing on  Thursday  of  the  evangelists.  The  speakers  at  this 
meeting  were  among  the  most  eminent  evangelists  con- 
nected with  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  No  other  religious 
people  excel  the  Disciples  in  evangelistic  fervour,  and  none 
can  claim  greater  success  in  evangelistic  work.  The  men 
from  the  field  gave  very  conclusive  evidence  as  to  the 
methods  that  must  be  employed  in  order  to  have  the  best 
success.  There  was  perfect  harmony  pervading  all  their 
messages,  though  there  was  some  difiference  with  respect  to 
certain  features  of  their  work.  This,  however,  has  always 
been  regarded  as  the  God-given  right  of  every  Disciple  of 
Christ,  namely,  to  differ  but  not  to  divide. 

No  department  of  the  year's  work  showed  greater  prog- 
ress than  that  of  the  Bible  School,  usually  termed  Sunday- 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION  821 


schooL  All  reports  from  this  field  were  of  a  most  en- 
couraging character.  Undoubtedly  the  Disciples  are  giv- 
ing very  special  attention  to  the  religious  education  of 
the  young,  and  the  training  of  teachers  for  this  work  has 
become  a  marked  feature  of  nearly  all  the  churches. 

The  great  Convention  closed  on  Tuesday  evening,  the 
19th.  Many  of  the  delegates  had  already  gone  home,  but 
enough  remained  to  make  the  last  meeting  one  of  the  mem- 
orable meetings  of  the  Convention.  So  ends  the  first  One 
Hundred  years  of  a  religious  movement  which  has  already 
impressed  itself  upon  all  the  continents  of  the  world,  and 
in  America  the  Disciples  have  become  one  of  the  most 
aggressive  religious  bodies  of  all  the  Protestant  churches. 
What  another  century  will  bring  forth  of  course  no  one 
can  tell,  but  unless  all  signs  fail  it  is  certainly  highly 
probable  that  the  principles  for  which  the  Disciples  con- 
tend will  become  more  and  more  the  battle  cry  of  the 
Christian  hosts  who  are  to  ultimately  take  this  world  for 
Christ. 

The  great  Centennial  Celebration  was  a  distinct  em- 
phasis upon  the  fact  which  has  been  contended  for  all 
through  this  volume,  namely,  that  the  Disciple  movement 
is  necessary  in  order  to  unite  the  Christian  forces  and 
carry  the  Gospel  successfully  in  the  conquest  of  the  na- 
tions. The  spirit  of  the  entire  Convention  was  a  constant 
recognition  of  a  Providential  guidance  throughout  the  one 
hundred  years  of  the  Disciple  movement.  While,  in  all 
that  was  done,  honour  was  given  to  the  names  of  the  heroes 
that  had  fallen  in  the  conflict,  at  the  same  time  supreme 
honours  were  accorded  to  Him  who  has  always  been  recog- 
nised, not  only  as  the  foundation  of  the  church,  but  also  as 
the  leader  of  the  mighty  hosts  who  have  won  the  battles  of 
the  past.  This  predominant  spirit  is  summed  up  in  the 
following  Centennial  Hymn  written  for  the  occasion: 

One  hundred  fruitful  years  have  rolled  away. 
Our  faithful  pioneers  have  gone  to  rest; 

'And  here  on  this  memorial,  happy  day. 

We  honour  those  who  now  are  with  the  blest. 

But  while  we  honour  all  our  sainted  dead, 
We'll  praise  him  most  who  made  their  lives  complete, 

We'll  place  the  victor's  crown  upon  his  head, 
While  all  assembled  here  bow  at  his  feet. 


822   HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST 


Then,  gracious  Lord,  accept  the  praise  we  bring, 
'Tis  all  on  earth  we  have  to  offer  thee; 

Make  glad  our  thankful  hearts  while  now  we  sing 
Thy  praise  on  this  our  second  jubilee. 

And  as  we  turn  to  meet  the  coming  strife, 

May  thy  strong  arm  uphold  and  keep  us  still, 

Be  to  us  yet  the  Way,  the  Truth,  the  Life, 
And  we  will  try  to  humbly  do  thy  will. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


Life  of  J.  T.  Johnson.  Rogers. 
Life  of  L.  L.  Pinkerton. 

Shackelford. 
Life  of  John  Smith.  Williams. 
Life  of  Elijah  Goodwin. 

Mathes. 
Life  of  a  Pioneer  Preacher. 

Mitchell. 

Life  of  Walter  Scott.  Baxter. 
Life  of  James  A.  Garfield. 

Green. 

Life  of  Knowles  Shaw. 
Life  of  A.  Campbell.  Grafton. 
Life  of  Judge  Black.  Clayton. 
Life  of  Timothy  Coop.  Moore. 
Life  of  Isaac  Errett.  Lamar. 
Life  of  Jacob  Creath,  Jr. 

Donan. 
Autobiography  of  Samuel 
Rogers. 

Autobiography  of  Frank  G. 
Allen. 

Memoirs  of  A.  Campbell. 

Richardson. 
Memorial  of  J.  K.  Rogers. 

Carr. 

Life  and  Times  of  B.  Franklin. 

Heatherington. 
Life  and  Times  of  J.  T.  Walsh. 
The  Living  Pulpit.  Moore. 
The  Old  Faith  Restated. 

Garrison. 

Early  History  of  Disciples  in 
Western  Reserve.  Hayden. 
Dawn  of  Reformation  in  Mis- 
souri. Haley. 
Reminiscences  and  Sermons. 

Frazee. 
Home  Life  of  A.  Campbell. 

Mrs.  Campbell. 
Man    Preparing    for  Other 

Worlds.  Moore. 
Preacher  Problems.  Moore. 
Supremacy  of  the  Heart  Life. 

Moore. 


Gospel  Restored.  Scott. 

Origin  of  the  Disciples  of 
Christ.  Longan. 

Fundamental  Error  of  Chris- 
tendom. Moore. 

Plea  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ. 
Moore. 

Campbellism  Examined. 

Jeter. 

Review  of  Campbellism  Ex- 
amined. Lard. 

Our  Living  Evangelists. 

Lobingier. 

Principles  of  a  Religious 
Reformation.  Richardson. 

Personal  Recollection  of  Par- 
dee Butler. 

Story  of  an  Earnest  Life. 

Davies. 

Life  of  George  Edward 
Flower.  Errett. 

Reminiscences  of  J.  A.  Gar-  • 
field.  Fuller. 

Tale  of  a  Pioneer  Church. 

Vogel. 

Life  of  David  Purviance. 
Sketches  of  Our  Pioneers. 

Power. 

Pioneer  Preachers.  Evans. 
Christian  Missions.  Green. 
Reformation  of  the  Nineteenth 

Century.  Garrison. 
Iowa  Pulpit.  Painter. 
Autobiography  of  S.  K.  Hos- 

hour. 

Works  of  B.  W.  Stone. 

Mathes. 
Men  of  Faith.  Rogers. 
The  Plea  of  the  Pioneers  in 

Virginia.  Hodge. 
Historical  Documents. 

Young. 

Churches  of  Christ.  Brown. 
Literature  of  the  Disciples  of 
Christ.  Monser. 


823 


824 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


The  Rise  of  the  Current  Ref- 
ormation.   Van  Kirk. 

The  Early  Relation  and  Sepa- 
ration of  Baptists  and  Dis- 
ciples. Gates. 

Alexander  Campbell's  Theol- 
ogy.  W.  E.  Garrison. 

LifeV  W.  K.  Pendleton. 

Power. 

Men  of  Yesterday.  Grafton. 
City  of  the  Great  King. 

Barclay. 
The  Disciples  of  Christ. 

Gates. 

Disciples  of  Christ.  Tyler. 
Life  of  B.  W.  Stone.  Rogers. 
American  Christian  Review. 
Christian  Standard. 
Christian  Messenger. 
British  Millennial  Harbinger. 
Heretic  Detector. 
Gospel  Advocate. 
Christian  Quarterly. 
Lard's  Quarterly. 


New  Christian  Quarterly, 
Christian-Evangelist. 
Apostolic  Times. 
Christian  Age. 
Protestant  Unionist. 
Christian  Commonwealth 
Apostolic  Guide. 
A.  Campbell's — 

Popular  Lectures  and  Ad- 
dresses. 

Campbell  on  Baptism. 

The  Christian  Baptist. 

Millennial  Harbinger. 

The  Christian  System. 

Debate  on  Roman  Catholic 
Religion. 

Lectures  on  the  Pentateuch. 

Evidences  of  Christianity. 

Living  Oracles. 
Campbell  and  Rice  Debate. 
Campbell  and  Owen  Debate. 
Campbell  and  Walker  Debate. 
Campbell  and   McCalla  De- 
bate. 


INDEX 


Ages  of  development,  176 

Allen,   Thomas   M.,   an  old-school 

gentleman,   285;    how  a  convert 

joined  him,  285,  286 
Armageddon,  Battle  of,  36 
Atkinson,  A.  M.,  721 


Burnett,  D.  S.:   member  of  Enon 

Baptist  Church,  229;   his  death 

and  character,  559 
Business  men,  their  right  to  a  place 

in    history,    and    some    of  the 

prominent  men,  749-758 


Baptism,  infant,  arguments  against, 
147-180;  the  design  of,  179,  180; 
an  incident  illustrative  of  the 
new  doctrine  of,  190;  a  modern 
statement  of  the  design  of,  '199- 
208;  why  objections  were  made  to 
the  Disciple  view  of,  108,  109; 
place  it  occupies,  209,  210;  means 
immersion  as  certainly  as  manus 
means  a  hand,  or  penna  a  pen, 
330 

Baptists  and  Disciples:  their  union 
and  what  came  of  it,  157,  158; 
difference  between  them,  158-161; 
final  separation,  212;  separation 
gradual,  212;  no  formal  exclu- 
sion, 214;  effect  of  separation, 
222,  223;  Disciples  forced  to 
withdraw  from  Baptist  churches, 
271,  272;  co-operation  in  trans- 
lating the  Bible,  478;  Dr.  Jeter's 
unseemly  attack,  478;  Dr.  John 
L.  Waller  and  Dr.  S.  W.  Lynd 
favourable  to  the  Disciples,  479; 
Dr.  Jeter's  book  reviewed  by  Mr. 
Campbell  and  Mr.  Lard,  480; 
conference  between  Baptists  and 
Disciples  at  Richmond,  Va.,  589 ; 
report  of  the  conference  by  Dr. 
Jeter,  590-592;  report  by  the  sec- 
retaries, 593 ;  declaration  of  be- 
lief submitted  by  Baptists,  594, 
595;  response  of  the  Disciples, 
596,  597 ;  overtures  of  union  from 
the  Free  Baptists,  607 

Bentley,  Adamson:  an  enthusiastic 
convert,  230;  his  influence  as  a 
preacher,  230 

Bethany,  its  location,  138,  365 

Biblical  interpretation,  322-328 ; 
Alexander  Campbell's  rules,  331- 
334 

Big  Four,  the,  282 

Broaddus,  William  F.,  Mr.  Camp- 
bell's estimate  of  him,  381-387 

Brush  Run  Church  organised,  131; 
Lord's  Day  celebrated,  132;  mem- 
bers immersed,  143 


Campbell,  Thomas:  credit  for  in- 
augurating the  Disciple  movement, 
97;  specially  qualified  for  it,  98; 
his  early  ministry  and  removal  to 
the  United  States,  99;  charged  by 
his  Seceder  brethren  with  heresy, 
100;  pain  experienced  by  sepa- 
ration from  his  brethren,  101, 
102;  separation  did  not  interrupt 
his  ministerial  labours,  103;  his 
celebrated  dictum  "  where  the 
Scriptures  speak,  we  speak,"  etc., 
105-107;  his  hesitancy  regarding 
the  practical  application  of  his 
o^yn  rule,  107-109;  did  not  reckon 
with  the  strong  opposition,  121; 
applies  to  the  Synod  of  Pitts- 
burg for  membership  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  122;  his  applica- 
tion rejected,  123;  he  did  not 
mean  to  give  up  his  plea  for 
Christian  union,  124;  his  death 
and  character  sketch,  465,  466; 
testimony  of  personal  friends,  467, 
468 

Campbell,  Alexander:  when  and 
where  born,  125;  arrived  in 
America,  125;  reads  the  proof 
sheets  of  the  Declaration  and  Ad- 
dress, 126;  how  he  regards  his 
father's  movement,  127;  delivers 
an  address  before  the  Christian 
Association  of  Washington,  Pa., 
128;  agreement  between  himself 
and  father  in  their  respective 
views,  129;  influenced  by  the  Hal- 
danes  of  Scotland,  130;  makes 
several  preaching  tours,  133;  the 
hero  of  a  crisis,  134;  preparation 
for  his  great  work,  135;  his  mar- 
riage, 137;  first  child  born,  138; 
considering  infant  baptism,  139; 
is  immersed,  140;  his  own  account 
of  his  change  of  views,  140-143; 
his  opinion  of  the  Baptists,  153- 
156;  his  sermon  on  the  Law,  162, 
163 ;  joins  Mahoning  Association, 


826 


INDEX 


163;  debates  with  Rev.  John 
Walker  and  Rev.  William  Mc- 
Calla,  105;  starts  the  Christian 
Baptist,  166;  his  summary  of 
events  from  life  of  his  father,  170- 
175;  his  views  concerning  the 
design  of  Baptism  and  Salvation, 
193-198;  discontinues  the  Chris- 
tian Baptist,  214;  what  he 
thought  of  the  Trinity,  270,  271; 
he  replies  to  S.  M.  McCorkle  over 
the  pseudonym  of  a  reformed 
clergyman,  304;  writes  about  elec- 
tion and  reprobation,  306;  debate 
with  Mr.  Owen,  337;  debate  with 
Bishop  Purcell,  338,  339;  sees 
some  of  the  fruits  of  his  own 
teaching,  342,  343;  his  lectures  on 
the  Pentateuch,  363,  364;  his  aim 
in  founding  Bethany  College,  364, 
365 ;  his  long  address  at  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.,  381;  excursion  to  Vir- 
ginia, Maryland,  Pennsylvania, 
and  New  York,  389;  visits  Vir- 
ginia, Georgia,  and  South  Caro- 
lina and  later  southern  Ohio,  Mis- 
souri, and  Illinois,  429;  visits 
England,  436;  his  imprisonment 
at  Glasgow,  436;  highly  honoured 
in  England,  437;  his  eulogy  on 
Jacob  Creath,  Sr.,  452;  his  death, 
516;  his  character  and  work,  517- 
521 ;  his  mantle  fell  on  no  one, 
554 

Carmen,  I.  N.,  496 
Centennial  celebration,  759 
Centennial  programme,  770-777 
Challen,  James,  first  pastor  of  Syca- 
more   Street    Christian  Church, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  229 
Christian  Association:  when  formed, 
109;  cut  off  from  fellowship  with 
the  denominations,  131 
Christian  Endeavour  work,  770 
Christian    Statesmen:     sketch  of 
President  Garfield,  724-731;  J.  S. 
Black,  732;  Richard  M.  Bishop, 
733;  Francis  Marion  Drake,  734; 
Ex-Senator  Carmack,  734;  other 
names  of  statesmen,  735 
Christians  among  the  sects,  347-349 
Christianity   and  Mohammedanism 

compared,  26 
Coincidence  in  discovery,  20 
Communion  question,  discussion  by 
Isaac  Errett,  George  W.  Elley, 
W.  K.  Pendleton,  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, and  Robert  Richardson,  502- 
508 

Converts,  2,000  every  three  months, 
377 

Coop,  Timothy:  becomes  interested 
in  America,  226;  his  death,  226, 


227;  some  elements  of  his  char- 
acter, 228,  229 
Creath,  Jacob,  Sr.:  his  death,  475; 
his  character,  476,  477 

Debate,  Campbell  and  Rice,  402-406; 
advantages  and  disadvantages  of 
debates,  407-409 

Declaration  and  Address,  33;  a  plea 
for  Christian  union,  33;  when  de- 
livered, 110;  analysis  of  the  docu- 
ment, 110-117;  the  address  fol- 
lowed by  an  appendix,  118,  119; 
119-120;  reasons  why  its  prin- 
ciples were  rejected  by  the  de- 
nominations, 144 

Education:  in  the  family  and  col- 
lege, 357,  358;  Bacon  College,  358; 
Bacon  College  removed  from  Har- 
rodsburg  to  Lexington,  362; 
Bethany  College  founded,  362, 
363;  Mr.  Campbell's  view  of  edu- 
cation, 366-368;  donations  to 
Bethany  College,  369;  Mr.  Camp- 
bell's first  commencement  address 
at  Bethany  College,  370-375; 
Franklin  College,  Hiram  College, 
Christian  College,  Orphan  School 
at  Midway,  Ky.,  461-462;  some 
supposed  evils  of  many  colleges, 
462,  463;  why  many  colleges  were 
started,  687,  688;  prominent  edu- 
cators, 686;  Bible  chairs,  688,  689 

Errett,  Isaac:  his  defense  of  Dr. 
Barclay,  455,  456;  becomes  pastor 
of  the  church  at  Muir,  Mich., 
499;  replies  to  Richard  Hawley 
on  the  communion  question,  500; 
writes  on  the  communion  question 
in  the  Millennial  Harbinger,  501, 
502;  starts  the  Christian  Stand- 
ard, 524 ;  pastor  of  a  church  at 
Ionia,  Mich.,  524;  the  man  and  his 
work,  524-553 

Evangelical  Alliance,  Mr.  Campbell's 
opinion  of  it,  429-430 

Evangelism,  the  old  and  the  new, 
659 ;  correct  views  of  conversion, 
660;  Dr.  Garrison's  view,  664, 
665;  apostolic  evangelism,  666- 
669;  a  view  from  Pentecost,  670- 
673;  the  need  of  the  present  hour, 
674;  some  of  the  evils  of  modern 
evangelism,  675-679;  list  of  Dis- 
ciple evangelists,  680,  681 

Evangelistic  zeal  continued,  376; 
great  meeting  held  in  Louisville, 
Ky.,  482,  483 

Fall,  Phillip  S.,  elected  trustee  of 
Bethany  College,  369 


INDEX 


827 


Fanning  Tolbert,  editor  of  Gospel 

Advocate,  523 
Federation:   action  of  the  General 

Convention  in  respect  thereto,  703 ; 

action  criticised,  705 
Franklin,  Benjamin:  editor  of  the 

American  Christian  Review,  523; 

opposed   the   missionary  society, 

560;  his  reply  to  Pres.  Milligan's 

eirenicon,  583,  584 

Gano,  John  Allen,  a  great  exhorter, 
285 

Green,  F.  M.,  corresponding  secre- 
tary of  the  American  Christian 
Missionary  Society,  611 

Hayden,  William :  his  great  activity, 
282,  283;  his  death,  516 

Henry,  John:  next  to  Walter  Scott 
in  power  as  evangelist,  284 ;  anec- 
dote of  him  and  Thomas  Campbell, 
284 

Henshaw,  James:  his  death,  599 
History:  relation  to  prophesy,  19; 
unveiling  prophesy,  29,  30 

Infant  Baptism:  a  tradition  of  the 
Fathers,  145;  unscriptural,  unrea- 
sonable, and  unnecessary,  146; 
some  of  its  evils,  146-148;  why  it 
is  continued,  148;  illustrated  by 
Mr.  Jones'  kitchen  range,  148 

Johnson,  John  T. :  the  impersonifica- 
tion  of  enthusiasm,  283;  associ- 
ated with  B.  W.  Stone,  284; 
associate  editor  of  the  Christian 
Messenger,  Jacksonville,  111.,  339 ; 
union  meeting  at  Lexington  a  dis- 
appointment to  him,  388 ;  financial 
scheme,  413,  414;  his  view  of  the 
work  accomplished,  414-416;  his 
death,  469;  his  fine  character  and 
work,  470-472;  Walter  Scott's 
tribute  to  his  worth,  472-475 

Liberty,  plea  for,  604 

Literature  of  the  Disciples,  690-695 

Looking  backward,  778 

Loos,  Charles  Louis,  his  estimate  of 
the  "  Reformers "  and  "  Chris- 
tians," 296 

Love,  the  Wetterhorn,  or  great 
Scheideck,  95 

I 

Mahoning  Association :  its  articles  of 
faith,  169,  170;  its  meeting  at 
Canfield,  Ohio,  176;  meeting  at 
New  Lisbon,  Ohio,  178 

McCorkle,  S.  M.,  essays  concerning 
the  millennium,  304 

Millennial  Harbinger:  when  started. 


214;  preface  to  first  number,  216- 
221 

Milligan,  Robert:  President  of  Ken- 
tucky University,  581;  off'ers  an 
eirenicon  for  society  and  anti- 
society  men,  581,  582 

Missionaries:  Dr.  J.  T.  Barclay  sent 
to  Jerusalem,  449;  J.  O.  Beardsley 
sent  to  Jamaica,  483;  other  work- 
ers sent  out,  630-634;  deaths  of 
missionaries,  635 

Missionary  work:  in  England,  and 
some  of  the  workers  there,  630; 
in  Denmark,  France,  and  Turkey, 
631;  in  India  and  Japan,  632;  in 
China  and  Africa,  633,  634;  in 
Honolulu  and  the  Philippines,  634 

Mormonism:  its  origin,  300;  why  the 
Disciples  rejected  it,  303;  why  it 
had  influence,  309 

Munnell,  Thomas:  not  the  author  of 
the  "Louisville  Plan,"  576;  a 
great  secretary,  611;  his  article 
on  "  Indiff"erence  to  Things  In- 
different," 612-616 

Name-s,  a  question  of,  307-309 
Newspapers  and  Periodicals:  list  of 
Monthlies  and  Weeklies,  488; 
Lard's  Quarterly — magnifying  lit- 
tle things,  511;  Apostolic  Times 
started,  556;  a  suggestive  inci- 
dent, 557 ;  the  Christian  Quar- 
terly launched,  558;  Dr.  Power's 
tribute  to  the  Quarterly's  worth, 
559;  the  Gospel  Echo,  Christian 
and  Evangelist,  560;  the  Inde- 
pendent Monthly  started,  557 ;  the 
Christian  Standard  saved  from 
failure,  600-602;  the  Christian 
Standard  attacked  by  the  Apos- 
tolic Times,  602;  the  Standard's 
vigorous  reply  to  the  Apostolic 
Times,  602-603;  Millennial  Har- 
binger discontinued,  605;  the  Har- 
binger's great  value  to  the  cause, 
606;  government  by  newspaper, 
698;  governing  power  of  the 
Millennial  Harbinger,  699;  papers 
working  together,  699,  700;  per- 
sonal journalism  passing  away, 
701 

Negro  education  and  evangelisation, 
117 

Nineteenth  Century,  a  new  era,  23 

Opinions  and  faith,  329 

Opposition  useful,  509 

Order,  essay  on;  church  organisa- 
tion, 312,  313;  true  idea  of  the 
church,  314,  315;  the  church  at  a 
city  or  in  the  provinces,  314-316 

Organ  question:  discussed  by  Moses 


828 


INDEX 


E.  Lard,  A.  S.  Hayden,  Benjamin 
Franklin,  John  W.  MeGarvey,  and 
Isaac  Errett,  510 
Oriental    religious    progress,  east- 
ward, 27 

Outlook  of  the  Disciples  in  1909, 
760-767 

Pendleton,  W.  K. :  elected  vice- 
president  of  Bethany  College  and 
marries  Mr.  Campbell's  daughter 
Lavinia,  421;  character  sketch, 
421-428;  takes  a  backward  look  at 
the  close  of  1859,  484-487;  review 
Russellism,  499 ;  elected  presi- 
dent of  Bethany  College  and 
editor-in-chief  of  the  Millennial 
Harbinger,  522;  his  remarks  on 
President  Milligan's  eirenicon,  585- 
586;  appointed  one  of  the  editors 
of  the  Christian  Standard,  607 
Perfectness,  wrong  view  of,  354-355 
Personal  element  in  the  movement, 
723 

Pinkerton,  Dr.  L.  L. :  as  an  editor, 
577;  as  a  preacher,  578,  579 

Pioneers  in  Kentucky,  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Missouri,  and  Iowa,  340, 
341 

Plan  of  salvation  and  obedience  to 
it,  210 

Plea  of  the  Disciples,  36;  its  Bibli- 
ology, 37,  38;  its  Theology,  39; 
its  Christology,  44-55;  its  Pneu- 
matology,  55-61 ;  its  Anthropol- 
ogy, 62-65;  its  Soteriology,  65-68; 
its  Ecclesiology,  69-72;  why  its 
success,  72;  its  scripturalness,  73; 
its  reasonableness,  74;  its  sim- 
plicity, 74-77 ;  its  comprehensive- 
ness, 78,  79;  its  unity,  79-80;  its 
consistency,  80,  81;  its  prac- 
ticality, 82,  83 ;  its  conservatism, 
83,  84;  its  liberalism,  84-86;  its 
progressiveness,  86,  87 ;  the  cer- 
tainty it  assures,  88,  89;  its  un- 
sectarianism,  89-94 

Progress  nearly  always  westward, 
25;  never  in  straight  lines,  26 

Prominent  preachers  and  educators, 
735-746 

Raines,  Aylett:  sketch  of  his  life, 
286-294;  why  special  attention 
given  to  his  case,  295 

Reconstruction  period:  its  begin- 
ning, 33,  34;  the  change  provi- 
dential, 34 

Redstone  Baptist  Association:  Dis- 
ciples urged  to  join  it,  152;  plan 
to  exclude  Mr.  Campbell,  163,  165 

Reformation  of  the  Nineteenth  Cen- 
tury: its  origin,  21;  time  inaugu- 
rated, 22;    time   propitious,  22; 


place  appropriate,  23;  antecedent 
movement,  30,  31;  three  periods, 
31,  32;  a  movement  rather  than 
church  or  churches,  9;  a  mathe- 
matical formula,  9;  need  of 
reformation,  Mr.  Jeter's  view,  11; 
classification  of  stages,  12;  why 
the  term  "Disciple"  is  used,  13; 
becomes  more  and  more  aggres- 
sive, 223;  some  of  the  churches 
early  in  the  movement,  224-226 
Reformers  and  Christians:  differen- 
ces between  the  two  bodies,  251- 
253;  .some  of  the  leaders,  252; 
the  Christian  Messenger  helping 
the  union  between  the  two  bodies, 
253;  definite  steps  taken  for 
union,  253;  what  each  brought 
into  the  union,  255;  sketch  of  the 
union  meeting  in  1832,  255-260; 
John  Smith  and  John  Rogers  sent 
out  as  evangelists,  261;  John 
Smith's  address  to  his  brethren, 
261-265;  John  Roger's  account  of 
the  union,  266;  B.  W.  Stone's  ac- 
count of  it,  267,  268;  some  of  the 
Christians  not  immersed,  268, 
269 ;  some  drawbacks  of  the  union, 
269 ;  union  finally  consiunmated, 
269 ;  spirit  of  this  union  spread  to 
other  states,  274;  Love,  the  domi- 
nating influence,  275 
Religious  outlook  in  1838,  343,  344 
Restoration  Movement :  compelled  to 
change  from  Reformation  to  Res- 
toration, 319-321;  necessity  for 
studying  the  Word  of  God,  329; 
fairly  launched,  335,  336;  pro- 
gressing along  the  lines  of  emigra- 
tion, 342;  danger  of  running  off 
the  track,  345,  346;  reaching  the 
rising  of  the  sun,  357;  character- 
ised by  three  things,  viz.,  interest 
in  education,  multiplying  churches, 
and  growth  or  organisation,  411, 
412;  origin  in  England,  432;  dif- 
ference between  the  movement  in 
England  and  America,  433-435; 
want  of  success  in  England,  435; 
passing  out  of  the  chaotic  period 
and  a  second  generation  of  preach- 
ers, 464 ;  rapid  increase  of  num- 
bers, 522 ;  some  of  the  men  of  the 
seventh  decade,  555 ;  the  ghosts  of 
some  mistakes,  556;  letters  of 
David  King  to  American  churches, 
588 ;  spread  of  the  movement  to 
Australia,  598;  a  new  crisis  ap- 
proaching, 606;  three  great  things 
for  which  Disciples  contended,  663  ; 
what  the  Disciples  believe  and 
teach,  706-709 ;  Disciples  changing 
somewhat  their  method  of  effect- 


INDEX 


829 


ing  Christian  union,  711;  working 
at  Christian  union,  712;  Disciple 
platform  broad  enough  for  all, 
746-749;  providential  as  regards 
time,  place,  and  person,  778-780; 
its  contribution  to  religion,  781- 
807 

Richardson,  Dr.  Robert:  character 
sketch,  280-282;  view  of  opinion- 
ism,  496-498 

Rogers,  John,  his  view  of  the 
"Jerks,"  240-242 

Rogers,  Samuel,  one  of  the  earliest 
pioneers  in  Kentucky,  285 

Roundheads  and  Cavaliers,  28 

Russell,  W.  S.,  495 

Scott,  Walter:  character  sketch, 
178,  179;  his  generalisation  of  the 
scheme  of  redemption,  183,  184; 
the  influence  of  his  preaching, 
185;  his  generalisation  of  the 
Gospel,  186,  187;  men  associated 
with  him,  189;  removes  to  Car- 
thage, Ohio,  417;  removes  to  Pitts- 
burg and  edits  Protestant 
Unionist,  418;  his  death,  512;  de- 
scribed as  a  preacher,  513-515 

Sectarianism  among  the  Disciples, 
350-352 

Shannon,  James:  president  of  Bacon 
College  and  Missouri  State  Uni- 
versity, 358;  inaugural  address  at 
Bacon  College,  360-362;  side  issues 
must  be  avoided,  465 

Smith,  John:  his  death  and  char- 
acter, 599,  600;  his  life  by  John 
Augustus  Williams,  in  controversy, 
604-605 

Societies:  American  Christian  Bible 
Society,  its  organisation,  consti- 
tution, and  officers,  418-420;  Mr. 
Campbell's  objection  to  it,  420; 
vote  of  confidence  in  it,  477; 
finally  discontinued,  477 

American  Christian  Missionary 
Society:  first  meeting,  440;  its 
origin,  constitution,  and  officers, 
441,  442;  report  of  first  meeting, 
443-445;  great  men  in  attendance, 
445,  446;  Mr.  Campbell's  appre- 
ciative notice  of  the  society,  446, 
447;  marks  an  important  era  in 
the  history  of  the  Disciples,  448; 
progress  made,  768;  beginning  of 
State  societies,  451-458;  opposi- 
tion to  societies  is  of  some  value, 
458-460;  The  Publication  Society 
attacked  by  Mr.  Pendleton,  and 
defended  by  Mr.  Franklin,  481; 
Kentucky  Christian  Education 
Society  organized,  482;  origin  of 
the  "Louisville  Plan,"  561,  562; 


The  Louisville  Plan  as  passed  by 
the  Convention,  563-565;  The  Mis- 
sionary Society  discussed  by  the 
Christian  Quarterly,  567-575;  dif- 
ferences between  society  men  and 
anti-society  men,  580;  anecdote 
illustrating  ignorance  of  the  Anti- 
Society  opposition,  587 ;  lessons 
of  the  "Louisville  Plan,"  610; 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  So- 
ciety, formation  of,  018,  619;  de- 
finite organisation  and  constitu- 
tion, 620;  first  set  address  de- 
livered, 621 ;  economy  observed 
in  management,  624;  its  aim  at 
world-wide  missions,  625,  626; 
annual  income  since  organisation, 
636 ;  silver  jubilee  anniversary, 
637;  Christian  Woman's  Board  of 
Missions,  638;  organisation  and 
some  of  the  prominent  movers, 
639 ;  constitution  and  by-laws, 
642-646;  financial  record,  647; 
the  extent  of  the  field  occupied, 
648;  value  of  the  society,  649; 
Church  Extension  Society:  when 
started,  650;  meeting  a  great 
need,  651;  some  of  the  work  ac- 
complished, 652;  a  revival  of 
church  building,  653;  some  of 
the  great  buildings  erected, 
654;  National  Benevolent  Asso- 
ciation, 655;  noble  work  it 
has  done,  656-658;  great  Mis- 
sionary conventions,  714,  715; 
churches  founded  by  the  American 
Christian  Missionary  Society,  717; 
Ministerial  Relief  Society,  718- 
720;  the  Disciple  Congress,  718; 
organisation  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  749, 
750;  ministerial  association,  750 
Springfield  Presbytery:  its  forma- 
tion, 242;  last  will  and  testament 
of,  243-245;  reasons  for  dissolving 
the  body,  245,  246;  effect  of  pub- 
lishing the  last  will  and  testa- 
ment, 246,  247 

Stockton,  R.  H. :  his  noble  gift  to 
the  National  Benevolent  Associa- 
tion, 657 

Stone,  Barton  W. :  his  birth  and 
early  education,  232 ;  religious  ex- 
periences, 233,  234;  he  visits  Ken- 
tucky, commenced  preaching  at 
Cane  Ridge  and  Concord,  234; 
describes  religious  exercises  de- 
nominated "Jerks,"  235-238; 
meets  with  discouragements,  247, 
248;  watches  with  much  interest 
the  Campbellian  movement,  249; 
meets  Alexander  Campbell  for  the 
first  time,  250;  assists  in  planting 


830 


INDEX 


some  great  churches,  250 ;  removes 
to  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  and 
edits  the  Christian  Messenger, 
339;  visits  Indiana,  Ohio,  and 
Kentucky,  389,  390;  gives  his  im- 
pression concerning  the  movement 
and  its  needs,  391;  continues  his 
duties  as  editor  of  the  Christian 
Messenger,  393;  writes  a  letter  of 
advice  to  a  young  man,  393,  394; 
starts  on  his  last  preaching  tour, 
394;  his  alleged  unitarianism  and 
his  personal  denial,  396-400:  his 
loss  to  the  restoration  movement, 
401 ;  his  influence,  402 
Summing  up  the  Century,  808,  809 
Sunday  Schools:  great  interest  in 
them,  450;  appointment  of  Com- 
mittee on  Sunday  School  Litera- 
ture, 450;  great  revival  in  them, 
769 


Thomas,  Dr.,  his  heresy,  389 

Union  of  Christians:  not  denomina- 
tional but  Christian,  151;  union 
with  the  Baptists,  157,  158 

Union  meeting  at  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, 378-379 

Wallace,  James,  starts  Christian 
Messenger  in  England,  432 

War  Period:  Disciples  generally  op- 
posed to  war,  490;  moderation 
shown  by  the  Disciples  during 
the  Civil  War,  491;  trouble  in 
the  American  Christian  Mission- 
ary Society,  492,  493;  address  to 
Missouri  Disciples,  494,  495 

Wellsburg  Church :  its  organisa- 
tion, 163;  articles  of  faith,  164 

Year  1848  notable,  437 
Yearly  meetings  and  co-operation, 
417 


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